Tips For Your Newborn Session
Your baby’s first few weeks in your arms are more than beautiful-they are miraculous. Those chubby little cheeks, tiny fingers, sweet baby toes and that precious baby smell have filled your heart with so much joy. Remembering this time as new parents with your new baby is a memory worth a lifetime. This is a new beginning for you both.
Mom to mom, let’s be real. Sleep deprivation may be robbing the ability to really bask in some of these moments now, but your newborn session will be sure to provide all the clarity and details of that precious bundle of joy to last a lifetime.
Now, let’s get to the tips to help prepare your family for a newborn session.
Scheduling
When you have reached that second trimester, it is definitely time to schedule your maternity and newborn photographer. In general, I only accept a certain amount of maternity/newborn/first year clients per year to keep my quality of work at its peak. Reach out by that 14 week mark in your pregnancy!
Maternity Photographs should be done by 34 weeks and Newborn Sessions should be done by 1-3 weeks old. The sooner those newborn photographs are taken, the better! Babies tend to be sleepier and hence participate a little better when the session is closer to the 1 week range. Of course, premature babies will be discussed and scheduled by their specific case.
keep baby awake before session time
Little newborns sleep so much! But sometimes, when the photographer arrives, they are ready to party! If you prefer your little one sleeping sound during the newborn session to get those adorable sleepy poses, try to keep them up for a while before I arrive. Definitely not recommending to make them inconsolable. But if they are happy listening to you sing to them or laying in their swing for a bit, give it a try! Please, refrain from your morning (or afternoon) coffee or energy drink on the session day if you are breastfeeding. This can lead to a wide eyed, restless baby throughout the session.
If baby is wide awake, we can start with family photographs or whatever baby is content with. Newborn sessions are a case by case type session with all the different personalities, the sleep schedules (or lack of), & the learning curve for the whole household. I am truly over abundant with patience in these situations, so do not stress at all!
allowing time to feed before session
New babies may be small, but boy do they love to eat-a lot! It may seem like if they aren’t sleeping, they are eating. And generally, that is pretty close to true! Feeding your baby before the session can help get them back to that milk drunk sleep we all love.
Try to avoid giving them a full feeding in the 1 to 2 hours before your session (if baby is healthy and not on a strict feeding regimen by the doctor). If baby seems hungry in that 1 to 2 hours before the session, try to give them little snack feedings to keep them content.
If you are breastfeeding and it seems to take a little extra time, start the feeding around 20-30 minutes before my arrival. It will take me 10 minutes or so to get set up for the session. If bottle feeding, start the feeding where you will be finishing the bottle around the time of my arrival.
You know your baby best and how they are feeding, so plan according to your personal baby’s feeding style. Most newborn sessions last around the two hour mark, giving us time if baby does decide he or she needs to top off with a little more milk!
how to dress
The biggest question I receive: what should my baby wear? This is simple. To start with, nothing! Change baby’s diaper prior to the feeding before my arrival and leave baby without clothes. If you have a diaper cover, place that over the diaper to keep the look seamless. Just simply wrap them in a blanket to keep them warm. We will start with them in a diaper cover and add in clothing throughout the session.
Clothing wise, I would stick with very neutral colors for the whole family, including baby. Nothing too vibrant or with wording. Creams, tans, blacks, grays, soft blues, mauves are all recommended. If there is a special outfit or heirloom you would like to include, we will definitely do so.
last notes
Many new moms and dads have things given to them from their childhood once they enter parenthood. This is such an incredible thing. Grandparents love to see these items coming back to life with their own children’s children. I love to incorporate these items in photographs in any way we can. Have these items together alongside the outfits, bows, or other items you would like incorporated.
Make sure the nursery or area in the home where we will do photographs is slightly warmer for baby’s sake. Little space heaters do wonders!
Mom and Dad, feel free to kick your feet up, grab a cup of coffee, and relax after the family portion of the photographs are complete.. or spend an extra few minutes with the other little ones in your home without new baby in tow. I LOVE babies and have worked with them for years as a nurse before my photography career. They are in safe hands with me.