What To Expect At Your Newborn Session
What if my baby is crying? What if we need to stop for changes and feedings? What if I’m feeling overwhelmed as a new mom? What if I’m not healed yet and too uncomfortable to shoot? How do we even plan a date when we don’t know when baby will come? Omg, do I have to clean my house for my in home photos right after giving birth?
These are all questions you might have and they’re SO valid! Let’s dive in and answer them.
Let’s start by agreeing that having a new baby is freaking HAAARD! Especially in those early days when you’re healing and adjusting to your new life and the little life in your arms. Anxiety and overwhelm are totally normal things to experience after your baby is born and the idea of having to look and feel picture perfect for newborn photos can feel like a stressy giant eye roll for some parents.
What if I’m feeling Overwhelmed as a new mom? What if my baby is crying? What if we need to stop for changes and feedings?
Please know that I have zero expectations. Zero! You’ve just given birth. Let that sink in lol! A lot of the feeling of overwhelm when it comes to taking photos stems from the feeling that you and your family have to be “perfect”. Parents of older kids feel this too! They can feel that it is their responsibility to control their kids in order to get the photos they want. Some parents even feel like I won’t enjoy myself if their kids aren’t perfectly behaved. This is totally untrue, but to relate this back to newborns, please know that your baby is going to do whatever they want to do. Whether that’s sleep, cry, have three blowouts, or feed non-stop. Our job is to go with the flow! Newborn sessions are totally baby-led and we’ll take breaks as needed. Whether we’re pausing for cuddles and comfort or diaper changes and feeds, we’ll make sure baby’s needs are met and then carry on! This is perfectly normal for a newborn session.
Maybe You Can Relate To This
You feel like you’re taking up my time when we have to pause for the third diaper change. You’re worried that I’m unhappy, you’re stressed out trying to tend to the baby you’ve only just recently met and you’re tired. Your spouse is too. You had 20 minutes to quickly get ready and you feel like you’re failing your photo session.
Please remember that I am a mom myself and know alllllll about these struggles! All this is to say that I understand and I promise that you cannot fail at your photos and the pauses will not bother me. I’m no stranger to newborns and the challenges, changes, and feelings that come along with having one.
Omg, do I have to clean my house for my in home photos right after giving birth?
If you’ve opted for an in-home newborn session, please do NOT clean your whole house for me! Moms don’t judge other moms’ houses (thank god)! I typically use the baby’s room for photos as well as a living room space and potentially your bedroom as well. It is a good idea to tidy up those areas and remove any clutter, but please leave the rest of your house alone. The early days with your little are about recovering, adjusting, bonding and enjoying.. not vacuuming and dishes haha!
Pro tip: have your parents and/or in-laws over and ask them for help with tidying beforehand! They’ll get baby snuggles in return and won’t be able to pass it up.
What if I’m not healed yet and too uncomfortable to shoot? How do we even plan a date when we don’t know when baby will come?
When it comes to choosing your date, we’ll plan based on your due date. Most parents wait until their little is about 2 weeks old to have their newborn session (although we can wait even longer! It’s all about what you’d like). This gives you some recovery and adjusting time but still allows us to capture your baby when they’re sooooo tiny and new to the world! When you book your session with me, we’ll use your due date as a marker for birth and plan our date accordingly. For example, if your due date is June 1st, we might schedule your session date for June 15th. Then, as your pregnancy progresses, we’ll adjust your date as needed. For example, if you give birth 2 weeks early or late, we can move your session date forward or backwards.
This also applies for moms in recovery! If your session date is approaching and you can’t even sit down (IYKYK) then girl.. message me! Let’s not struggle unnecessarily. We can push your session a few days, a week, whatever you think you need.
I treat my newborn sessions very much the same as I treat my family sessions. The kids/babies are the boss! I’ll guide the session fully and ensure that you get amazing photos of your growing family, but we’ll take the lead of your baby and pivot as needed.
Check out my website by clicking here to see my portfolio and book your newborn session ♡
