Preparation for your Newborn Photography Session
I want to make this short and sweet for my readers!
For in-home lifestyle sessions, I usually photograph in 1 or more of the following areas: Master bedroom, living room, nursery/kids room. Some of your rooms may or may not be suitable due to light or sometimes decor (for example: if there are too many photos hanging on the wall in the background, etc).
If you have a moment, please send me a snapshot of any areas you think might be suitable (including a view of the window light coming in). Just be assured that I *always* find places to photograph, and it *does not* matter if your home is not tidy. I just usually clear the areas around exactly where I'm shooting, which is usually just the nightstand in the master bedroom and sometimes around the nursery, for example. Trust me, there is no reason to have a neat and tidy home after you've just given birth. The only tricky places I ever come across are in basement suites, so if you live in a basement suite, just let me know so that I can prepare.
We'll need to have the place hotter than you'd find comfortable, so do not run the a/c on the day of the session if it's a hot day :) Your baby will be without clothing on for part of the session, and won't like it if it's not toasty warm. If you have a space heater handy, then we might even use that- but no need to dig one out if you don't have it handy. Let me know if your home is on the chilly side, and I can bring a heater.
As for what to wear-- I just want it to be true to your style. But avoid logos or distracting images on shirts. Wear clothing that you can bend in, be cuddled on the bed in. Think simple, as you don't want to distract from the tiny baby :) Many people simply wear white tank tops/ shirts, or grey or black. Typically, the newborn does not wear anything as newborn clothes tend to not fit properly.
Sessions are usually around 1.5 hours or so, and you'll likely need to nurse during the session. If you are pumping and supplementing with pumped milk, or supplementing formula at the time, please save it all for during the session! Extra supplemented milk really helps the baby stay settled and asleep. You likely have no idea at this point if you'll be supplementing, but just keep that in mind in case you do at the beginning! At my photo session, your baby will likely eat more than you've ever seen- this is because they are being moved around and stimulated more than their usual routine.
Have the baby just in a diaper and wrapped in blankets to keep warm for when I arrive. It helps me get a jumpstart on the photo session without waking the baby.
And two last things: If it seems that your baby is still struggling to fill their tummies and cluster feeding a lot, it's possible that they are not getting enough milk quite yet. Please let me know if this is the case and we can discuss moving the session by a few days for when your baby is more settled. Also, if your baby still has the big plastic belly button clamp on, either ask your midwife/doctor if they can remove it, or we can move the session by a day or two until it falls off. If the belly button stump is still there, that's totally fine! Just the clamp is quite large and makes the baby uncomfortable.
If you made it this far, THANK YOU! I appreciate your efforts!
