Pregnant Shawn Johnson East Says She Was 'So Nervous' Ahead of First Maternity Photo Shoot

Vanessa Etienne
·2 min read
Pregnant Shawn Johnson East Says She Was 'So Nervous' Ahead of First Maternity Photo Shoot

Shawn Johnson East is opening up about having her first maternity shoot.

On Wednesday, the pregnant athlete, who is already a mom to 1-year-old daughter Drew Hazel and is currently expecting a baby boy, posted a black and white photo that showed off her growing baby bump.

"Not going to lie... I was SO nervous to do a maternity shoot (I never did one with Drew) but @nandaqsantos you are talented beyond measure and have made this mama feel so incredibly special 😊," Johnson East, 29, captioned the photo.

The former Olympic gymnast's husband Andrew East commented on her post saying, "I feel like this picture really accurately shows what I get to look at everyday."

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Nanda Santos Photography Shawn Johnson East

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Along with the photo, Johnson East briefly discussed the experience on her Instagram story, telling her followers that she didn't know why she was more nervous during the maternity shoot than she had been for other photo shoots she's done in the past.

"I've never done a maternity photo shoot. I refused to do it with Drew," she said. "I don't know, I think it's something with pregnancy…it's hard to feel really beautiful and I already feel really awkward when I do photo shoots. I've just never been super into it."

"You should never feel awkward…with your beauty, you just walk into a room and there's nothing to be awkward about," East said, chiming in.

Shawn Johnson East/Instagram Shawn Johnson East, Andrew East and daughter

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Johnson East went on to share that she only did the photo shoot after the photographer, Nanda Santos, reached out to her. "She was the greatest to work with. She made me feel like a million bucks and just truly got to showcase motherhood which was really cool," the former Olympic gymnast continued.

The couple also announced that they will be posting a video to their YouTube channel documenting the experience with more final images.

While sharing behind-the-scenes footage of the photo shoot, Santos praised getting the opportunity to work with Johnson East.

"I honestly have no words to express how grateful I am for the opportunity to work with this beautiful soul!" Santos wrote on Instagram. "@shawnjohnson Thank you for trusting my work!! It was a dream to work with you! ❤️"

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A post shared by Shawn Johnson East (@shawnjohnson)

The couple, who tied the knot in April 2016, are expecting another child together this summer.

Following a fun-filled celebration revealing the sex of their baby on the way, the pair told PEOPLE that they're excited for their growing their family.

"We are so excited to be welcoming a boy to our growing family and for Drew to have a little baby brother," they said in March. "It will be a whole new experience and we're so excited to start this next chapter!"

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