The reason that I only schedule a select number of newborns a month is because babies are unpredictable. Sometimes they arrive early, sometimes they arrive late. There are no guarantees! If you have a scheduled C-section, I always ask that you let me know as soon as your C-section is scheduled. The same goes for inductions. If you’re given an induction date, just let me know as soon as you know. If you are planning a vaginal, non-induced delivery, this is what to do once your baby is born.
What To Do Once Your Baby is Born: Shoot me an Email
I’ve had parents text me within moments of their little one’s arrival, wanting to make sure they got on my calendar. That is the beauty of only taking a fixed number of clients though, I will fit you in. I planned for it! Be sure to enjoy those first snuggles. Within 48 hours, it would be awesome if you could send me a message to let me know your little one arrived. My oldest daughter was six weeks early, so I remember being nervous that we weren’t going to be able to get on our photographer’s schedule. We will make it happen, I promise! Communication is key here, so just be in touch when you can.
What To Do Once Your Baby is Born: Choose a Date
Once your baby has officially arrived, we will put a date on the calendar. Note: If you are a scheduled C-section or induction, we may do that a little earlier than your little one’s arrival. We can always move things around if anything changes! Newborn sessions are typically held around 9:30am in the morning. A lot of times, parents are on maternity/paternity leave, so I try to be flexible with weekends/weekdays as needed.
I do my best to schedule your session within two weeks of birth for a full-term baby. There are a few reasons for this. First, your child is much sleepier during those first two weeks. They are more likely to tolerate swaddling, which gives them the tiny baby look that only lasts for a short time. Next, the two week window is usually before any baby acne or cradle cap sets in. If, for some unforeseen reason, we can’t fit your session in in the first two weeks, don’t worry. I have experience with newborn sessions up to three months. While it’s not exactly the same experience, it can be done. We can discuss this together if the need arises!
What To Do Once Your Baby is Born: Pre-Session Questionnaire
When you first book your session, you will complete a pre-birth questionnaire. This gives me an idea of the color schemes you would like to see at your session, the members of your family that will be participating in your session, etc. The questionnaire that I send you after your little one’s arrival is much more simple. I ask that you let me know your child’s name (a lot of people prefer to share that after they have announced it), gender (if it was a surprise) and whatever you are comfortable sharing about your delivery. If I know that you had a C-section, there are certain poses or positions that I may avoid. Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding will affect my ability to help feed your little one (for obvious reasons), so that is helpful to know in advance. Having this information will also help me to tailor advice specifically to you and your family.
What To Do Once Your Baby is Born: Confirmation
A few days before your session, I will check in to make sure everything is still on track. Remember, I am a mom too, so I completely understand that things change unexpectedly. We will work together to answer any questions and talk through anything you need to make sure you feel confident about your session.
From one mom to another, enjoy this time. Everyone says it, but it’s true – your newborn will only be a newborn once. You won’t have a newborn forever! Lean on one another, enjoy the baby snuggles and I can’t wait to share this special time with you and your family.
Curious about booking a newborn session? Check out some details here and some recent galleries. As always, be sure to follow me on social media for my most up-to-date work.
