Newborn Session Prep Guide

Cozy cuddles with your sweet new baby…staring in awe at every little detail from perfect nose to tiny toes. It’s such a privilege to be invited into a family’s home to capture those intimate moments. We LOVE newborn sessions and we want you to love yours. Here are some tips to help you feel prepared.

What to Expect

We allow 1.5 to 2 hours for newborn sessions. That gives us a lot of flexibility for things like stopping to feed, soothe or change the baby as needed. Our goal is to keep the babies as sleepy, happy and comfy as we can. They’re easiest to photograph when they’re asleep and those peaceful sleeping expressions are irresistible. If your baby needs some extra snuggles or an extra snack break, that’s not a problem at all – and those sweet snuggles are just the sort of things that we want to capture, anyway.

Our lifestyle approach means that we’re going for authentic, real moments. We don’t currently specialize in posed newborn photography; if that’s what you’re looking for, we recommend our friend Rebekah at rebekahstewartphotography.com.

We will get pictures of just baby, but the majority of them will feature the rest of the family, as well. We’ll most likely take photos in the nursery as well as the living room and/or master bedroom; these are good spaces for cuddling up together as a family. Tidy up those areas but don’t feel the need to clean your whole house for us.

How to Prepare

To help get your little one to that ideal state of happy and sleepy, we suggest that you try to keep them awake about an hour before the session. About half an hour before we arrive, you can put your baby in a clean diaper and feed them. You can swaddle them before feeding them, as well; having them warm and cozy should make a smoother transition from eating to sleeping.

It’s all right if you’re still feeding them when we get there. If you are breastfeeding, we’re comfortable getting some photos of this if it’s a moment you would like captured – every mother and every family is different, so we’ll leave it up to your preference.

What to Wear

Your baby will be perfectly adorable in a simple swaddling blanket for most of the session. Adding a headband and/or changing your baby into an outfit for some of the photos is just fine, but clothing isn’t necessary. We’ll have some neutral swaddling blankets on hand if needed, but please have any of your own ready for us to use, along with any additional blankets you’d like included.

For the rest of the family, focus on feeling good and comfortable. Simple is appropriate for this type of session – no need for lots of jewelry or accessories. Solid colors (go for coordinating rather than matching), neutrals and/or textures will look best; avoid pinstripes or anything with logos.

Safe and Sound

We will never put your baby at risk. For us, that means being up-to-date on our vaccines, rescheduling the session if we are sick, and using the highest level of care and caution when handling your little one.

We want to assure you that everything will be just fine and encourage you to enjoy your session! The majority of it will be spent cuddling and admiring your baby. Sink into those feelings and savor them…and look forward to the gorgeous pictures you’ll have to cherish.