Newborn sessions take place in my home studio in Youngsvile, NC which is perfectly prepared for your newborn. I keep the room at a toasty 76 degrees so baby is comfortable being photographed without clothes. I urge you to dress light. I understand it may be a little intimidating traveling with your new baby. But I promise, it’s not bad! Even a little exciting. Often your newborn session will be your first outing and a very enjoyable one! Below you will find details on how to prepare your baby to ensure a successful session.
NEWBORN PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Hand Mittens
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Try to keep mittens on his/her hands 2-3 days prior to the session so they don’t scratch their face. Newborn socks might stay on the hands better.
- Skin Flakes
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The night before your session if possible try to get dry skin flakes off their face, hands and feet. This can be done with a wet baby washcloth.
- Bath
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Try not letting them sleep all morning. We want a sleepy baby for the session. Give a nice long bath. Why? Because baby won’t sleep in the tub. Stretch it out as long as you can. If baby still has the cord stump, you can still give a nice long sponge bath in a warm room.
- Lotion
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Next lotion baby up. Take your time and stretch this out as well. Not only will it help with keeping baby awake, but it will also moisturize his/her skin so it is nice and soft for photos.
- Newborn Outfit
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Dress baby in a zip-up (or snap and magnetic), loose-fitting onesie. Nothing that goes over their head so that baby doesn’t wake up while we undress him/her when you arrive. A baby will always wake up when you take clothes off over their head so we want to try to avoid that.
- Feeding
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Have a nice long feeding before heading my way. If you are traveling from an hour or more away you may need to top off baby when you arrive and that’s ok.
- Pacifier
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Please bring a pacifier. I realize some doctors say don’t give the baby a pacifier for a while to avoid nipple confusion, but it really can save a session. If we need to use a pacifier it is only for very short periods of time and it’s a last resort. I have worked with several pediatricians and they agree its totally fine to use a pacifier during a session.
- Snack
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Feel free to bring yourself a snack/drink. If you are breast feeding and drink caffeine try not to for 36-48 hrs leading up to the session as this could affect the babies sleeping habits.
- Parent Clothing
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The studio will be very very warm so please dress accordingly. The colors I think work best for family photos are nude/tan, cream, gray and blush. Remember, the focus is the new baby and we don’t want bright colors and busy prints that may be distracting.
Please arrive dressed in the outfit you will be wearing for parent photos. Make sure you do your hair and makeup at your house or the ride over in the car as I will start with family photos.