You just had your first baby and you have your newborn session scheduled for 2 days from now. You are so excited to finally have some beautiful professional portraits of your baby but want to make sure you do everything to prepare for a smooth newborn session. I am here to help by giving you some tips on how to prepare yourself and your baby to have a stress- free and memorable session!
Over the past 7 years of photographing newborns, I have always given parents similar tips. I find when parents follow these small pieces of advice, their session tends to run smoother and their newborn tends to be more content. Here are my top 5 tips to help ensure a smooth session!
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Feed baby right before you leave. A full belly always helps with their sleepiness and contentless.
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Keep baby awake an hour before leaving for your session. I know this can feel like an impossible task with a sleepy newborn, but it can make a difference! One easy way to do this is to give the baby a bath. This usually does the trick!
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Bring a pacifier (or two) if you are using one. This is VERY important as it helps with soothing the baby back to sleep if he/she is unsettled. Often, babies will suck to soothe themselves and that sucking mechanism is an important component to keeping him/her calm.
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Dress baby in something easily removable. If your baby arrives asleep, it is easier to keep them asleep if I don’t have to struggle to remove outfits. A button or zip-up sleeper is great since it does not have to be pulled over their head.
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RELAX!!! A relaxed Mom/Dad usually equals a more relaxed baby which in turn creates a smooth newborn session. Babies can sense our stress. Sit back and enjoy the moment! Years from now, you will look at that day as such a precious memory!
I hope these five tips help for your upcoming newborn session! I look forward to working with your sweet baby and capturing such an memorable time for you and your family.
