When people think of newborn photos, they think of these tiny little babies in adorable poses peacefully sleeping away.  However, any parent can tell you that keeping babies asleep is no small feat in and of itself. The challenge for a Newborn photographer is getting your little one to sleep and keeping them snoozing away. It’s not such an easy task, but as a trained professional I know the tricks to keep your baby in slumber land so I can capture those memorable photos.

 

Have the Baby Come Prepped

I always tell my clients that Newborn sessions are best completed within the first 10-14 days after your baby is born. This is when they are extra sleepy and keeping babies asleep is a more manageable feat. This is also when it is easier to place them into those beautiful poses you see in my Newborn Gallery . To ensure a sleepy baby, it helps to keep your baby awake about an hour before the session.  A good idea is to give your baby a warm bath right before it is time to come to my studio so baby is awake and alert for a longer period of time. I also encourage moms to bring a few bottles of formula or pumped breast milk, enough to last the whole session, if you are pumping or supplementing with formula. Pacifiers are essential to bring as well, because I use it to help soothe baby when I try to get them into position.

 

Keeping Babies Asleep

Newborns have a difficult time regulating their own body temperature, which can keep them awake. My studio is usually kept between 80-85 degrees which babies absolutely love. This keeps them warm and comfortable throughout the session.  Newborns also love noise so I keep a white noise machine on constantly to relax them into a deep sleep. Newborn sessions are never rushed and usually last between 2-3 hours. This allows for plenty of time for extra feedings, burping, and soothing. Babies are all very different and some may sleep the entire session, while others may take a bit more soothing throughout the session. Your session will be the only newborn session that I book for the day as I like to keep everything relaxed and enjoyable for everyone.

 

Awake Baby, Go with the Flow

There are occurrences when no matter what we try, the baby just wants to stay awake. Even if your child is awake, I can still photograph some beautiful images. Seeing your little one’s open eyes, checking out the world, can make for a memorable photograph. Below are some of my darling clients who just wanted to stay awake. For more images, please check out my Pinterest Board.

For any questions about my Newborn Sessions, you can check out my FAQ’s.

I would love to photograph your little love, so please contact me to schedule your beautiful Newborn Session.