When should I book my session?
It is best to book your session in while you are pregnant, usually after your 20 week scan. I only book a limited number of sessions in per month so booking in advance helps guarantee getting booked in within those first few weeks of life. I provisionally use your due date along with a deposit to secure your session. Once baby has arrived, contact me as soon as possible and we can arrange the date and time for your newborn session. It is always best to get booked in between 5 and 21 days to help create those curly, sleepy newborn images. (If baby is being breast fed, I do advise getting booked in more around 14 days old as it is around this time that your newborn will have established feeding).
What if baby is already here?
Don't worry, I sometimes have last minute sessions available, so feel free to get in touch to check on my availability.
How long will the session last?
A newborn session generally lasts around 2 hours, this gives us enough time to feed, comfort and settle baby into each pose safely, and of course have some cheeky cuddles :)
Can parents/siblings have pictures taken with our newborn?
I try to always offer parents during the session, if they would like to be photographed with their newborn. This is not compulsary though.
If you have an older child you would like to be photographed with your newborn, I am more than happy too. I tend to photograph siblings at the beginning of the session, as there is very limited space and with it being very warm, they tend to get restless easily. Because of this, I do advise siblings be taken out from the session after their images are taken. This helps keep the session calm and quiet for the newborn. Again, this is not compulsary.
What if baby doesn't settle?
Nearly all my clients worry that their baby is not going to settle for their session and that is completely normal. I will use soothing techniques to helps settle your baby, along with the normal checklist of clean nappy, full tummy and winded. When you book in, I will send you a guide on what to do on the lead up to the session which, when followed, makes a big difference to how the session goes. And if after all that, baby shows no interest in sleeping, there is no need to worry, we will still get beautiful images of those gorgeous eyes and cute little facial expressions and movements.
What should I bring to the session? What should I wear?
You will not need to bring anything with you to the session, I have plenty of hats, headbands, teddies and props to be used in the session which is included so you don't need to worry about anything. Of course, if there is a small something of sentimental value you would like incorporated into your session, let me know and we can definitley look into including it into one of the set ups. When it comes to what to wear, if you are wanting parent/sibling shots, I usually advise keeping it as simple/basic as possible. If you do not want parent/sibling shots, feel free to come in your jammies and cuddles up on the sofa while I create these memories for you!
How do I prepare for the session?
If you are bottle feeding, extra bottles are a must. I advise holding off the feed closest to the session where possible, then feeding upon arrival and then throughout the session.
A dummy is ideal to help settle baby and help them concentrate on something else during posing if needed.
Always easier said than done, but keeping baby awake/stimulated for 1-2 hours before the session will always help with having a sleepy baby for those more posed images.
Following these tips will help with keeping your baby nice and sleepy for their session. If I don't think baby is in a deep enough sleep, for safety reasons, I will not put baby into certain poses/positions. During the session, the room will be kept at a very warm temperature to ensure baby is comfortable while nude.