So, while you were waiting for your new little one to arrive, you decided you would like to have newborn photos taken. Excellent choice! You contacted a photographer and began to plan your session. Maybe you decided you do, or don’t want to include family photos, or maybe you looked at your photographer’s work and picked out a few poses or set ups that you would like your photographer to try with your baby. Maybe you even read your photographer’s website to get an idea about what to bring, or not bring with you during your session. (You get bonus points for that, you overachiever, you!)
So, now the baby is here. Yaaaaayyy, congratulations! I can promise you, your photographer is lightweight stalking you on social media to get a glimpse of their next client. So, after you are settled in, you reach out to your photographer to let them know the baby is here and then you schedule the session. Your photographer may have suggestions about which age is best to photograph (I prefer around 2 weeks old, this allows baby’s umbilical cords and circumcisions to heal, mom’s milk is usually in and feeding has become a little easier at this point, but the baby is still young enough to sleep deeply and allow me to pose them).
So it’s the day of your session. At around 2 weeks old, you probably didn’t get much sleep the night before. I know. You are tired. Go ahead and get yourself up and get ready anyway. I don’t expect you to look like a supermodel when you come to my house, you just had a baby for crying outloud! Get your diaper bag together (diapers, wipes, pacifier, milk/formula for the baby (or fresh from the tap), some food and drinks for yourself, heck, just go ahead and pack a whole lunch, or be prepared to send your partner out to grab you some lunch, that’s totally ok too!). If baby didn’t sleep much the night before, don’t be alarmed, that usually means baby will sleep better for me during the session. I begin my newborn sessions between 10 and 11 a.m. Sessions can last up to 4 hours, so we may be working right through lunch, which is why I suggest to bring a lunch or send your partner out to grab something. Let’s chat about partners for a minute here too. I’m going to be honest, are most dads into sitting in a room while I create adorable baby poses? Ehhhh, not really. Maybe a hour, but after that, most of them are pretty much done. So, usually, I have found, that dads are more than happy to get a break and go pick up some food. If you are coming solo to your session, just pack your lunch/snacks. Also, if you are coming solo, give me a text when you get here, I’ll help carry your things into my house. (TRUST ME on this, I had a C-section with my first and thought I would try to carry my baby in his car seat, because duh, I’m strong. Uhhhh, mistake! I will never forget that ripping/burning sensation on my C-section scar when I lifted that car seat! Learn from my mistake! (Luckily no damage was done, but I learned my lesson pretty quickly!)
So, once you get here, if you are planning on doing family photos, we will do those first. If you have older kids, after family photos, your partner and the kid(s) can be on their merry way! Once we have finished our family photos, I get to work on the newborn photos. This part usually takes the longest because I need the baby to be in a deep sleep to get them safely into these adorable poses. This often requires a little extra feeding, or a pacifier for a short amount of time to help them settle completely. Occasionally, I’ll ask for help from the parents to help spot a pose or two, but for the most part, you can just relax. Eat, drink, rest your eyes, catch up on social media, whatever you want to do. If/when baby gets hungry or seems unsettled, we’ll stop and let baby eat.
Anyway, I write all of this to say, once you get yourself here, I expect very little of you. I will help you get your things in and out of your car. You will have to feed your baby and yourself, but I’ll even burp your baby for you (I’m kind of a pro at that)! If I need an extra set of hands, I will ask, you don’t have to be on alert the whole time. I do keep extra supplies on hand, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, bottle warmer and nursing pillow for baby, and mom supplies in the bathroom for you, if you need them, just help yourself. Or, if there is anything else you need, just ask! Trust me, I’ve been there! I’m a mom of two, so I’ve been through it all as well! My hope is that you can just sit back and relax and admire your adorable new baby!
