Newborn Session Preparation Guide
The goal for your newborn session is for everything to be calm, smooth and stress-free. I will provide all necessary equipment and props. Once we get started I will do all the handling of baby. Your job is to sit back and relax!
Full Newborn sessions generally take 3+ hours to allow for soothing, changing, and feeding as necessary.(Lifestyle sessions are typically 1-1.5 hours) Please follow the preparation guide as closely as possible to ensure a successful session!
1. Try and keep your baby awake for around 1+ hours before the session begins. I know this can be tough with a newborn. Many parents find it helpful to give baby a sponge bath during that time help keep them awake. The sleepier the baby at the time of the session, the more successful the session.
2. Dress your baby in something easy to remove so that they don't wake too much as I am wrapping/dressing them for their session. Zip-up/button-up sleepers work great.
3. Feed your baby a nice big feed about 30 minutes before your session. The goal is to make sure their belly is nice and full, so that they are happy for our session. Be sure to take the time to burp them well so that they are not uncomfortable during the session. (There are chairs in the studio to sit in for nursing/feeding should they need to do so during session time).
4. I try to keep the temperature between 75-80 degrees in the studio. Newborn babies do not regulate their temperature very well yet. They will be nude or dressed very lightly during many of the poses and we want to keep them warm! I use a space heater for full sessions as well. So keep that in mind when dressing yourself. I do try to get family photos out of the way first. So you are welcome to change after those if necessary
5. I strongly suggest having a pacifier available for the session, even if you do not plan to continue using one. It can be a very helpful in soothing baby and making easy transitions. I find that most babies prefer the hospital green soothie pacifiers or the Mam pacifiers. But if your baby takes a different one, that is great too.
6. I will typically try to get family/sibling photos done during the beginning of the session so that older siblings can leave with a parent/grandparent after that portion and we can have a nice calm environment for the newborn photo portion of the session.
7. For family and sibling clothing, I suggest light, neutral, solid colors (or not very busy patterns...example: small stripes or small or single color flowers). Clothing that everyone is comfortable in is crucial to everyone remaining happy and cooperative for photos. This includes mom! Wear something that you feel good in so that your confidence shows in the photos. If parents are wearing the same color, I suggest it being two different shades of that color or different textures so that you coordinate instead of matching too much. Some of the photos may show closeups of your hands, so freshly trim your nails if desired. Remove any bulky jewelry or watches that do not have sentimental meaning. Wedding rings are fine. Having a second back-up outfit is a good idea in case baby spits-up, pees or poos on you!
8. Be patient. If your baby gets fussy, do not stress. I have many years of experience in working with infants. I am also trained in safely handling and posing infants. I don't mind a little cuddle to calm them. =) But if we need to break for a momma/dada cuddle or feeding, that is perfectly fine.
9. Mess is inevitable. I fully expect all of the bodily fluids that comes with a newborn and I am prepared. So don't stress! I do ask that you have a burp cloth handy for me to keep close to my setup. I provide natural wipes but if you have a preferred type/brand be sure to provide those. I am a momma myself, so the mess does not bother me one bit! All of my supplies are cleaned and sanitized between sessions.
***For any in-home/lifestyle sessions: I ask that the home be a completely smoke-free home. My equipment travels with me to each session. Although everything is washed in a gentle baby-friendly detergent after each use, smoke can absorb into fabrics and become very difficult to remove. This is dangerous for babies. (If your home is not a smoke-free home we can arrange to do a lifestyle session outdoors).