WHAT TO EXPECT for your newborn session..
HELLO! Congratulations on your new baby and thank you so much for allowing me the amazing and rewarding job of photographing your new little mini in his/her very first few days of life! Newborns are my passion and I consider myself truly blessed to be able to cuddle all your new and precious babies for a job! I hope that this Newborn Session prep guide will cover most frequently asked questions and will help you to prepare for your session and know what to expect so you can put your mind at ease and relax on the day.
session start time
My Newborn sessions are very relaxed and will always allow enough time for feeding, changing, settling the baby to sleep and perfecting all those curly newborn poses. Newborn photo sessions generally last 2-3 hours and will depend on how settled or hungry your little one is on the day. Ive often been called the ‘baby whisperer’ and its not uncommon for me to have the whole session carried out in just over an hour.
WHY DO YOU NEED A BABY TO SLEEP FOR PHOTOS?
Babies need to be asleep, still and relaxed to be posed safely. There are few poses where babies would not need to be asleep and would be safe. In general, a baby who is in a deep sleep guarantees that our session is a lot shorter, less tiring and less stressful for everyone and that we get all those cute and curly poses.
For safety reasons, I do not use props if baby is awake or unsettled.
FEEDING & SLEEP TIMING
Although it is often easier said than done before the shoot it is important that you slightly adjust baby’s feeding and sleeping times if possible before your session. If the baby feeds every 2-3 hours or so, it is best that he/she is fed 2-3 hours prior the session, so the last big feed is just before you leave home. This way baby is in a deep sleep by the time you get to the studio and we can get straight to posing.
Please try to keep your baby awake and stimulated for 1-2 hours before the session so he/she has an awake time at home and is sleepy at the studio. There are many ways to keep baby stimulated, but I find most affective is to give him/her a nice bath before the session and let them have a kick about in a warm room. This prep will most likely ensure the baby is in a deeper sleep during the session.
BUT MY BABY SLEEPS ALL DAY ANYWAY
Almost all young newborns will sleep all day long at home as this is where they are most comfy. My studio for them is a different place, light and smell. New sounds may also contribute to keeping the baby more alert, especially if the baby is over 2 weeks since this is how they learn about the new world!
If the baby arrives after having slept for the last 2-3 hours there is a great chance we will need to wait another 1-2 hours until the baby reaches the next sleeping cycle and we will have to do more wrapped shots instead than those posed in outfits or naked poses.
CAR RIDE
If you live just 5-20 mins away from the studio please follow all the above and plan to feed the baby just before you leave home so he/she falls asleep in the carseat and is in a deep sleep once you get to the studio.
However if you are driving from further away (30 mins +) there is not much to be done about keeping the baby awake in the car. Please do not stress about that too much, we will always have time to top up feeds once at the studio. The awake time at home is still important.
BABY'S CLOTHES
Please dress your little one in something that could be taken off without disturbing him/her too much i.e baby grow with no vest underneath and add an extra blanket.
FEEDING
If the baby is exclusively breastfed, please do not worry or feel anxious, you can top baby up as often as they need comfortably and I have blinds to ensure you have privacy. If you are expressing or formula feeding, please bring more milk than you would normally do - during the session the baby would feed a bit more than usual (2-3 times more) due to the warm temperature in the room and due to being touched and moved all the time. I have a fridge in the studio if milk needs to be kept cool and hot water to warm it up if needed.
DUMMY
Please bring a dummy too if you don't mind - even if you have not used one before or are not planning to use one in the future, just for a few minutes while I am posing, some sucking always really helps to comfort baby and settle back to sleep. Using the dummy once or twice for a minute or two will not make the baby dependant or refuse breastfeeding.
WHAT IF THE BABY DOES A POO?
It will happen! Please don’t worry, babies will often soil my blankets/wraps during naked time, its just part of my job I guess! Please be aware that Newborns have been known to wee/poo on mum or dad if handled naked too! If you are planning on going anywhere special after your session, bring a change of clothes just in case. Please bring extra nappies for the baby as they will need to go off and back on again more than once.
PARENT SHOTS
Mum & Dad, you are a big (if not the biggest) part of the photo shoot too! Photographing the connection between you and your tiny new baby, even if only for your own album is so so special. Just as they encourage it in the hospital, skin to skin contact creates the most beautiful images.
WHAT TO WEAR
Dad - For newborns I like to use dads arm almost every session so please ensure that dad has a top on that can be rolled up or t- shirt. If you are super brave go shirtless 😊- no pressure though! Please do avoid any kind of big logos, writing or patterns on your clothes.
Mum - Keep the colours neutral/warm and designs simple. If youre feeling good about yourself, have your skin showing where possible (arms, neck). I tend to use your hands a lot so don’t forget your nails 😊
SIBLINGS
Keep the colours natural and design simple. A plain but pretty dress for girls and a pair of jeans and simple white/cream colour T-shirt for boys looks absolutely beautiful. Please avoid any big logos/writing and patterns. Dont fuss too much about socks or their feet, I LOVE barefeet.
Please note: The temperature at the studio will be really WARM for the baby to be comfortable. Babies are used to body temperature of around +37 and will need the room/area temperature over +26 for the naked shots. Due to this, I come dressed comfortably for a warm few hours and suggest you do too! It is best to dress in layers and have a change too in case the baby has an accident.
PREP for SIBLINGS
Sometimes the little ones are very protective of their new babies or are just not willing to play ball on the day, sometimes they may be a little bit worried and jealous or not used to their new status well yet. There are ways to try to put them at ease before you session i.e play ‘photographers’ maybe get them to try out some poses using their favourite doll or a teddy. You can always give them some treats before, during the shoot or after if you think this would help them to cooperate.
If the older sibling is not going to cooperate, please do not get upset, its also a strange environment for them too and we cannot possibly expect them to behave as professional models during the photo shoot if they do not want to. I usually try to do all I can to capture some sibling images at the beginning of our session so that mum or dad can take them out for a walk/shop or park if and when they get bored or fed up.
SICKNESS
If anyone in the household is sick or has been unwell in the last 48 hours I ask that you reschedule the session. Its important to keep other babies and especially newborns safe and healthy. I am also self-employed which means that I will not be able to work not only on your images but so many other families will have their shoots cancelled and galleries late too. If you are unsure, please give me a call beforehand.
AFTER THE SESSION
Because I use a lot of natural fabrics, including natural wools, I ask that you wash the baby straight away after the session and/or inspect his/her body throughly to make sure there is no wool or fluff tangled around their little toes or fingers.