Parents ask:

“How do you manage to keep newborns asleep during their photo sessions?”

The quick answer? I wish I were a magician! If that were the case, we’d all be newborn photographers. Until someone invents a magic wand for this, I’ve picked up several tips and tricks to help babies fall asleep and stay that way during their sessions.


Patience


First and foremost, I focus on the baby’s needs, which can sometimes take a bit of time, so patience is essential. If a newborn isn’t settling down, I first check to ensure their basic needs are met. Is the baby hungry? Does the diaper need changing? Or do they need to burp? Once those are sorted, I consult with the parents to see what usually helps calm their little one if they’re still fussy. After years in this field, I’ve learned to ask plenty of questions to tailor my approach to each baby’s needs.


Baby-Led


I always let the baby lead the way during my sessions, which means I often have to rearrange the order of the planned setups based on how the baby is feeling. I do inform parents that I’ll be doing a mix of wrapped and unwrapped setups. Sometimes, I find that I need to focus more on wrapped setups depending on the baby’s comfort. Regardless of whether the baby is mostly wrapped or not, I still manage to capture those precious newborn moments for parents.


Embrace It


What if you’ve checked all their needs and the baby is still wide awake? I’ve learned to embrace that too! If the baby is calm and alert, I take the opportunity to capture some adorable awake shots—parents love those just as much! If the baby is upset but awake, I do my best to soothe them before snapping any awake photos.


A newborn baby sleeps peacefully in a wooden bowl surrounded by greenery on a dark green backdrop.

Tricks


AS FOR MY “TRICKS,” AS a mom of 2, I learned a lot with my children. ALso every worshop we learn something new! I HAVE A FEW TECHNIQUES TO HELP LULL BABIES TO SLEEP. I KEEP THE ROOM WARM, USUALLY BETWEEN 76-80 DEGREES, UNLESS THE BABY IS FULLY WRAPPED. IF I NOTICE THE BABY SEEMS TOO WARM, I’LL ADJUST THE TEMPERATURE ACCORDINGLY.Water sounds is a must and a susher. every baby is different, and I learned that after photographing over 200 newborn sessions.


A sleeping newborn wrapped in blue swaddle blanket lies in white basket surrounded by soft beige teddy bears.

AT HOME SESSION


SOMETIMES, MOMS AFTER A DIFICULT BIRTH DONT WANT TO LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR A PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION OR JUST WANT TO STAY IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME.

THATS WHY WE OFFER AT HOME SESSIONS, FOR YOUR BEST EXPERIENCE AND COMFORT. TRAVEL FEE APPLIES.

Sleeping newborn in white blanket nestled in white wooden box surrounded by blue and green floral decor.

IN STUDIO SESSION


THE PROS OF BEING IN THE STUDIO IS THAT EVERYTHING I HAVE WILL BE AT ARMS REACH. ITS AN ENVONMENT PREPARED FOR THE BABY. I DO SPEND ABOUT 2 HOURS PREPARING FOR EACH SESSION. EVERYTHING IS CLEANED AND SANITIZED FOR SAFETY REASONS. ALSO EVERSINCE COVID CAME I ALWAY WEAR MASK DURING THE NEWBORN SESSION.

Behind the scenes