I love chatting with soon to be moms and new moms, I always want to rest any fears or concerns they have about their newborn session and I love giving little tips that will help make their newborn session go much easier and smoother! Here are my top ten tips
#1. Have Realistic Expectations
Not every baby will do every pose. Some babies will only do a few poses, some babies want to be wrapped nice and tight for the entire session, some babies will do anything we want except the easy poses… Sometimes a client will really want a certain prop only to find out their baby HATES the props! Some babies will not settle deep enough for certain poses and props and safety is an issue and that limits what we can do. Each session is different because we just go with the flow and see what baby will do and not do. Don’t be disappointed because your baby didn’t want to do the froggie pose, know you will be walking away with a beautiful gallery!
#2. Don ‘t Stress If Baby is Cranky
Baby is fussy? No worries! Baby a terrible sleeper? No worries! Once baby has a nice full belly and still a bit fussy let me try a few techniques I have up my sleeve:) I have done countless newborn sessions, I have had 4 little ones of my own and I read every baby book I can get my hands on because I have learned that all babies can be soothed but all babies like to be soothed differently, sometimes it takes few different tries of different techniques.
#3. Be Flexible
Sometimes parents arrive and baby is on a tight schedule…I am asking for parents to be REALLY flexible with your baby’s schedule for one morning…if baby is fussing and rooting we want baby to fill up and eat! Even if it is not on the schedule. And if baby is sleeping through their scheduled feeding time, please allow us to continue. Sometimes by waking baby and disrupting the sleep, we may not be able to get baby back to sleep to continue the session…so if things are going good I can promise you that one morning of a disruptive schedule will not affect baby.
#4. Bring a Snack and Some Water
Newborn sessions are long, you are recovering…eat, drink!!! Bring something with you just in case baby needs lots of a breaks and soothing. Being hungry isn’t fun for anyone
#5. Safety Rules
I like all my babies within arms reach, I use a special lens that allows me to be very close to your baby. Some babies are a little ‘twitchy’, they wake suddenly and flail and I will ask for help. Just an extra hand to keep baby safe (and erased in photoshop). I will not put your baby in anything that can break (glass or ceramic), I don’t care how cute it would look, it won’t happen. You trust me with your brand new baby and I ask you trust my judgement. There are hundreds of super cute prop and posing ideas on Pinterest but if I feel it is not safe, I will break your heart and tell you no (I will say is nicely though). Glass and ceramic bowls were not meant to hold a seven pound object, let alone a delicate baby, I will not take the chance that one could or might break. Props can tip over, babies can roll (even at 4 days old). Not all babies can do all poses, I have handled over 100 newborns in my career and I have spent thousands on courses and mentoring. I can feel when I baby cannot do a pose, I can feel when a baby is nice and comfy. I can safely transition babies from one pose to the next and into props, so that they little necks, are well supported. Call me over protective but I prefer to explain I am well educated, your baby’s safety is the number one concern. I want you to sit back and relax and know your baby is safe and in good hands.
#6. Get in the Picture!
You just had a baby, you are sleep deprived, your world is a little upside down and someone is asking you to get cleaned up and jump in the picture? Yup. I want you to BADLY! Why? Because you will look back on these pictures in twenty years and see that ‘glow’ of new motherhood. Your baby will NEVER fit in your hands like this again. Your baby will grow up and these pictures will be treasured and become heirlooms. And the greatest reason is you will not always be here. This baby is your legacy and these portraits will become invaluable to your family. These images are almost always my parents favourite images too. I love seeing how surprised they are at how sweet and lovely their portraits are with their new baby. Your baby doesn’t want to sleep? No worries! This is a great chance to have your picture taken.
#7. Have a Toddler? Bring Reinforcements
I have a toddler. She is wild, she is crazy, loud, and temperamental because she is a toddler. I get toddlers, I also understand that the new baby is not the greatest thing that has happened in their life. This can be confusing and now we want them to cuddle with baby? But they want to run around! With toddlers I need parents to be on board with a game plan and strategies. Newborn session are 2-3 hours long…and a toddlers attention space is 12 seconds. Make sure they come well rested, well fed, and let’s pay TONS of attention to them. If that doesn’t work we might switch to ignoring them (which seems to bring toddlers out of their shell pretty quick). Like the baby we go with the flow, we will meet their needs, give them space when they need space and give them attention when they need it too. If I need to take pictures of the toddler alone and do some photoshop magic and add the baby later, I will. And when we are done, it helps immensely, if there is someone to take the older sibling out of the studio while baby finishes their session. The session is hot…it is boring…it is all about the little baby who took their place of attention. Sometime’s babies cannot get into a deep sleep with an older sibling bouncing around. With great planning, adding a toddler is no trouble.
#8. Remember That Baby Runs the Session
I have had ONE session when baby sleep like a rock and I was done lickety split…I have had one 5.5 hour session…and the rest were in the middle. You never know. Every session depends on the baby, from props to poses. Sometimes I have a champion sleeper…who liked to poop and pee on everything…so I am constantly changing the backdrops. Sometimes I have a baby who needs to eat every 20-30 mins…so come prepared to stay for a while, make sir baby will have lots to eat. I never know how long a long a session will be. I never know what we will be doing. Everything is up to the baby. They are not being bad when they cry or fuss, they are just being babies:) Don’t worry, just know this is normal.
#9. You Will Be Tired
Timing is crucial with newborn photography. 4-10 days is preferable and after that time frame the chances of baby still curling into those sweet poses becomes less and less because their brains are developing, they are now curious about this strange new world, more sensitive to sound and touch. I have had a few Moms who want to cancel because they are SOOOO tired. I know. I really do. Those first few days are almost numbing from the sheer exhaustion. Call someone to drive you. Bring your makeup and hair supplies and you can use our makeup and hair station to get ready while I am doing your baby’s pictures. But don’t cancel because you are bone tired, you will feel worse in a few weeks realizing you cannot capture those moments. If you fall asleep on the couch in the studio…you are not the first and I will only wake you if I need you:) Don’t be embarrassed because I am a mother too and I know how much effort it takes. I also know how much I regret not going to a my own newborn’s session!
#10. Remember You are Celebrating
There is nothing can compare with a the arrival of a new baby, not even your wedding day. Ask any parents which day was more life changing and significant to them and they will all answer the same way, after the baby came. You will never remember what you did with your spare time, you will marvel at their flaky skin, their tiny toes and the way they smell. Your session is about celebrating this new life, this change in your family whether it is the first or the fifth baby. Don’t worry or stress about the little details about this session, sit back and enjoy this time to just watch and marvel at your child.
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