JOHOR BARU: It is double joy for Serene Goh and Jonathan Koh as the couple will welcome the birth of their first child – a dragon baby – after the Chinese New Year.

       Goh said they are excited that their baby boy will be born in the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

       “We did not specifically plan for a ‘little dragon’ as he was conceived via In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).

       “We do hope that he will have all the good dragon traits like his Chinese zodiac sign,” said the company manager in an interview.

       Goh, 33, said she and her husband dated for seven years before getting married about four years ago.

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       “We are excited to become first-time parents with the arrival of our baby in late March.

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       “To commemorate this special occasion, we specially booked a maternity photo shoot at a studio in Taman Sri Tebrau,” said the Singaporean.

       She added that her 40-year-old husband, who is a regional sales manager, also booked a two-day one-night vacation in Johor Baru so they could do the photo shoot while having time to shop and run some errands.

       “Initially, I did not plan to do a maternity photo shoot. But I decided to go for it after coming across some beautiful photos on social media.

       “Since our baby is conceived through IVF, I hope to document this as keepsake and show it to him when he grows up,” said Goh, who is seven months into her pregnancy.

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       Photography studio owner Kenneth Lau said there is an increase in maternity photo shoot bookings this year due to more couples wanting to give birth to “dragon babies”.

       “The dragon is a coveted Chinese zodiac sign among the Chinese. We have received at least 50% more bookings for maternity shoots this year.

       “We have had pregnant mothers coming in almost daily since the start of the year but can only accommodate three couples each day.

       “Each session usually lasts about two hours. We have an experienced art director to guide the couples throughout the session,” said the 48-year-old, adding that his customers were a mix of locals and Singaporeans.

       He also said most couples preferred the lifestyle and modern photo shoot concept to highlight the pregnant mother’s baby bump rather than opt for extravagant outfits.

       “As a person who is also born in the Year of the Dragon, I am glad to share the joy with these couples who will be welcoming their own dragon baby soon,” he added.