NEWBORN PREP GUIDE

Your family just welcomed your newest miracle to this world and nothing could be sweeter! I want to help you enjoy those early memories of your little one. Newborn sessions are about as unique of a session as you can get, the environment should be very calm and peaceful and it all begins with a fully belly! Feeding baby right before you put them in the car seat to head over to the studio is best; please make sure baby has a good burp before placing them in their car seat so gas doesn’t settle on the drive here. If you are nursing, please give baby a full 30 minute feeding (cluster feeding is best for this timeframe). A typical session can last anywhere between 2-3 hours, sometime a little longer or shorter, Baby Runs the Show.

1. For nursing Moms, please be mindful of what you eat about 3 days leading up to our session. Any woman who has nursed a baby knows that any sort of spicy foods can make the baby uncomfortable or upset their little tummies. An upset tummy will always mean lots of tears and little sleep! So avoid spicy foods or any gas inducing foods (asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, raw onions), at all costs! Caffeine, as much as a new mom needs it please try not to drink any caffeinated beverages before our session.

2. Please try to keep your baby awake/stimulated in the few hours leading up to the session. If the baby has slept all morning and then arrives to my studio, they just might be ready for a long awake period, which makes the job of getting them sleepy all that much harder. Tips: play + talk with baby and maybe even give the baby a bath before the session – whatever it takes to keep them alert for an hour or two. Then, when they arrive in my studio, they’ll be ready for a long nap!

3. Please make sure your babies have a nice, full tummy before they leave the house to come to their newborn session. This way, assuming your drive isn’t too long; the baby will still be full and has probably fallen asleep in the car. I can immediately get started on the session when you arrive and hopefully get an hour or two of photos done before baby needs a feeding break. (Having Mommy feed them if nursing, as often as they can for about 10-12 hours before their session will ensure that baby is really full and will be more likely to have a long, sleepy stretch)

4. Here’s a really important one Mommies – do not forget the pacifier if you have a specific one you use! However, if you do not bring one I have brand new ones (Hospital Preferred Brand) I provide during the session. This is a requirement, if baby will take a pacifier and is not settling using other techniques, I will use it to soothe baby into position. If you do not wish to use the pacifier, please note that I only use it as a last resort. I promise the minute or two it takes to get back settled will not interfere with your breastfeeding journey. We support your feeding choices 100%!

5. Please bring a bottle of expressed breastmilk or formula for your session if possible. If you are pumping, feel free to bring along your pump, there are outlets near the couch for your comfort and convenience as well as a refrigerator for storing while you wait.

6. Bring the baby in a button-up or zip-up sleeper NO over the head onesies. Preferably a loose fitting one. One of the worst things is when baby arrives sleepy in his/her car seat and then you have to remove shoes and socks, pants, and take a shirt off over their heads – which almost always wakes them up. Instead, it’s so, so simple to zip down and slip off pajamas while baby remains asleep! And if the pajamas are loose-fitting, then ideally there won’t be many lines left behind on the baby’s skin.

7. My studio will be warm as newborns like warmth especially when bare for those cute newborn pictures! So dress lightly and take advantage of my cold drinks in the fridge.

8. Newborn sessions can go anywhere from one to four hours depending on your baby’s temperaments. Baby calls the shots! Babies are little people, individuals with their own likes, dislikes and personality. If baby wants to eat, we’ll take a break. If baby wants to swaddle, we’ll swaddle him/her. I’ll work with you and your baby to have a successful session. So parents bring a laptop, a book to read, or sleep mask to catch up on sleep while I shoot. I will have refreshments for your enjoyment. TRUST ME UTILIZE IT, I KNOW THE STRESS OF HAVING A NEWBORN AND SLEEP IS A RARE COMMODITY.

9. JUST RELAX or catch up on your sleep, this should be a soft time to bask in the all the hard work your body just did and is doing.