When Emily Mueller began planning her special pregnancy photo shoot, she knew that she wanted to pay tribute to a two important aspects of the pregnancy.
Honey bees are central to Mueller Honey Bee Co., the business she operates with her husband, Ryan. But they have an even deeper meaning for the couple...
"Bees represent life and death," she said. "We've had three miscarriages, so these pictures are dedicated to life and death, to all of the children we've had."
The photos, while sentimental, have caused quite a lot of controversy on the internet. Some people wonder if she took an unnecessary risk by posing with that many bees. After the photos were posted, they went viral...
As she sits in a flowing, white, summer dress, Emily Mueller is swarmed by 20,000 bees. They cover her thighs, pregnant belly and hand as she smiles peacefully for the camera.
It just might be the most unusual pregnancy photo anyone has taken. Mueller admits that she wasn't as peaceful as she appeared to be:
"It was a little nerve-wracking. It was my first experience with them being on my body, and wearing a dress, which posed a lot of threats."
Preparing for the arrival of their her fourth child in November, Mueller sat down with a four-pound swarm of bees to take the stunning photo.
The couple hope that their new baby will join their three other children, Cadyn, 10, Madelynn, 3 and Westyn, 1, in running the family business someday.
"It's number done," she told Cleveland.com. "We wanted four, we have our four and (now) we're ready to let them grow up and help run our business."
Their family business, Mueller Honey Bee Co. removes bee colonies from homes and businesses without causing harm to the bees or their hives.
They also sell honey and natural remedies made from honey and elderberries through the Mueller Honey Bee store.
Want to know how they got all those bees onto her belly? Watch the video below:
[h/t Cleveland.com / Love What Matters]