Newborn Session Information & Tips

 

 

 

All sessions will take place in your home, primarily in the nursery and master bedroom.

On average, it will last approximately 2-3 hours. We will want to take our time with baby and allow for diaper changes and feedings.

Here are some additional tips to make for a smooth newborn session:

• Try to call me soon after you deliver so that we can arrange a time for the session. Ideally it should take place within 5-10 days after birth, and no longer than 2 weeks after.
• Do not worry about the state of your house. You just had a baby. I do not care if dishes are piled up in the sink and the clothes basket runneth over. I have a job to do, and I'm not there to care about how clean your house is.
• Loosen the baby's diaper about 30 minutes before the session. This allows time for the diaper's imprint marks to disappear.
• Have your house warm. Ideally, you'll want the thermostat set around 80-85. For the adults it will be hot, but baby will be toasty and happy.
• Collect any items you want used in the session beforehand - family heirlooms, toys, monogrammed blankets, etc. I'll go through these with you to determine what will look best in the pictures.
• Be sure all the curtains and shades are open in whatever rooms we will use to let in lots of natural light. No need to clean, but just try to make sure the clutter has found it's way to a closet.
• Try to feed baby and keep him/her awake (i.e. wear them out) prior to my arrival. Aren't we all happier with a full belly?
• After the baby is full, make sure they are burped really good. Gas can make a sleepy, happy baby a very uncomfortable and irritable one in seconds.
• Be patient. If the baby gets fussy or alert, don't stress out. A baby can sense your anxiety and we want to keep the environment as mellow as possible. We'll try and get the baby comfortable again, but if that just doesn't seem possible, we'll take a break or we'll work with what baby is giving us.
• If you breastfeed and can, have atleast one bottle pumped for the feeding.
• A majority of the pictures will work best if baby is asleep, so anything you can do in advance to encourage this is recommended.