Expecting parents often ask us, “When is the best time to schedule a newborn session?”. If you’ve never done this before, it can feel daunting to narrow down another date to keep track of, but we want to take out the guesswork and guide you through the process.

This week, we’re sharing our best tips to help you narrow down the right time for your family!

Things to consider when deciding the best time to schedule a newborn session

I typically like to photograph newborns 7-14 days after delivery. But, thanks to the style and method of my work (baby-led posing), there really is no age limit! It’s personal preference. However, we’re including a list below of some helpful questions I like to ask my clients as we work through the best time to schedule a newborn session.

Sleepy Baby Portraits

We love the snuggly portrait just as much as you do, but if your baby being asleep isn’t a priority, we don’t have to schedule your session so soon after baby is born. If you do want those snoozy portraits, it’s best to stick with the first 10-14 days. Baby is much more sleepy in the first two weeks of life.

Baby acne

A caveat to waiting to do a newborn session is baby acne. Typically, this presents around the 2-4 week mark. Usually, this is something we can edit out, but if it’s really bad, we may need to reschedule, and at that point, baby is getting older. If having teeny tiny fresh newborn photos are important, I suggest doing it before the two week mark.

In-Home Session

If you’re planning to do a newborn session in your home, there may be some other factors to consider. Firstly, Is the nursery done? This is a key background for your photos if you’re doing an in-home session. If baby’s gender was a surprise, and you were waiting for the nursery to match, furniture has been delayed, or you were just dragging your feet, you may want to wait a week or two to finish this space so it’s photo-ready. Don’t worry; it doesn’t have to be COMPLETE – just enough of a backdrop to shoot in the space. You’ll also want to make sure the spaces we’re shooting in are decluttered with beds made.

How is Mom Feeling?

I have some moms choose to do portraits when baby is a bit older because they want to feel their best. If you’re feeling super swollen towards the end of pregnancy, have a c-section, or experience complications, we can easily move your date back. We want this to be an enjoyable experience for everyone, which means you, too! It’s a personal preference.

Older Baby

Sometimes, moms opt for a later session so that baby is more “filled out.” I love a fresh baby with all the tiny scrawny details, but it’s a personal preference and completely up to you! I also have some moms that have expressed wanting to wait because baby is giving more expression by month two or three.

Have more questions for us? Be sure to reach out, as we are working on a guide for you to help make the planning process a breeze!

Baby Number Four

This was my second newborn session for this family and this is their last baby. Four boys! Mom is blissfully outnumbered. And she’s a twin mom, so you know she’s a seasoned pro at this!

They included their first baby (dog), Luna, in each session, which made it so special. They also chose to do an at-home session again, which made the session so personal. Mom chose to do a Milestone Collective with us and captured maternity, newborn and one year milestones.

If you’re a new mom or expecting, when are you planning to schedule your maternity photo shoot? Contact us below! Check out other newborn blog posts HERE.

If you’re ready to book a session with us, Yay! We’d love to chat with you.