Preparing for your Newborn Session

Your sweet baby has arrived and you've booked your photo session with us!  We are so excited to meet you and wanted to help you take the proper steps to ensure a successful newborn session. Below are some guidelines to follow.

MOST IMPORTANT ITEM TO BRING: Bottle of pumped milk or formula if possible. Regardless of whether your baby is breastfed or bottle fed, this will make or break the session for certain poses so please try to have a bottle available. It is just used to distract the baby in one particular pose and will not be habit-forming.

If at all possible, try keeping baby stimulated and awake an hour or so before the session; a bath usually helps in keeping them awake. It’s very important baby is sleepy so the session goes smoothly and I’m able to capture lots of adorable images. :) It’s best to start on a full belly so feeding him/her right before you put baby in the car seat to head my way is best; please make sure your baby has a good burp before placing in the car seat so gas doesn’t settle on the drive here. Please dress baby in a button down outfit (pajamas are preferred, no over-the-head onesies, please) so I do not have to pull anything over the head while undressing.
Please file the baby’s nails to ensure that they don’t scratch their little faces. The best files are the cheap emery boards you can get Walmart or Target. Because baby’s nails are so thin and fragile, we do not recommend you clip them with clippers.

The room will be set between 80-85 degrees for baby so please dress accordingly. I will also play a white noise machine to mimic the sound of the womb.

:)There will be beverages and light snacks for you to munch on during the session. Full Sessions can take up to 3.5 hours even with a very sleepy baby. I work very slowly with your baby to ensure they are always cozy and comfortable. There is a reclining sofa in the studio for you and all of our parents take this time to sit back, relax and enjoy having a babysitter for a few hours. :)

Gas : If you are breastfeeding and your baby has gas issues, please abstain from eating the following 72 hours before your session : dairy products — milk, cheese, yogurt, pudding, ice cream, or any food that has milk, milk products, casein, whey, or sodium casein in it. Other foods that may cause gas and fussiness include anything with caffeine, soy, fish, peanuts, chocolate, wheat, beef, nuts, eggs, corn, citrus fruits and prenatal vitamins containing iron. –Courtesy Babycenter & ModernMom Parenting

Caffeine : Please try not to drink caffeine 72 hours prior to your session if you are breastfeeding. I have photographed over 800 newborns and have seen a difference in those that are getting caffeine thru mother’s breast milk. Babies who are affected by caffeine tend to be very jumpy, tense and alert.

What to bring :
Pacifier : Please bring an Avent Soothie brand pacifier (no animal pacifiers, please). We recommend a Soothie pacifier so it does not leave red rings around baby’s mouth. Even if your baby does not take one from you (specifically if you are nursing, they can smell you and will want to nurse over soothing with a pacifier), they will usually take one from me. A baby’s natural born instinct is to pacify and sometimes not having a pacifier to help baby soothe will make or break a session. It will not be used long enough to become habit forming, nor will it impede breastfeeding.
Diapers
Wipes

PARENTS: Please bring plain neutral, long-sleeved shirts with NO text/logos/plaid etc  ( can be short sleeves, as long as BOTH of you are in short sleeves ). Examples of neutrals would be taupe, sage, cream, beige,  rust. Makeup and hair should be photo-ready, even if you don't think you want family photos, most parents change their minds upon arrival and wish they were prepared! A note about nails: Please avoid un-natural nail colours like red, fuschia, lime green etc. If you have gel nails, please ensure they are filled or removed if no time for filling. 

Additional Notes: If your baby endured any type of birth injury ( shoulder dislocution,torticollis, hip dysplasia, ) please advise us prior to the session so we can modify the poses accordingly! Please let us know of any plans regarding circumcision as well since posing can cause discomfort for a recently circumcised boy and we will modify the posing accordingly.