When to Schedule a Newborn Session?

This is a great question and one I get frequently.  When should I schedule my newborn session?

In most cases we try to start planning when you are between 24 and 28 weeks for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons is babies come into the world when they choose to and if they come early we are ready and can adjust your session date on the calendar.

We use your gestational due date as the temporary session date on the calendar because babies usually arrive before 40 weeks and if they decide to stay a little longer we can adjust.  If baby arrives before 38 weeks many times they have to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time. In this case I have you reach back out and we adjust the date for the session for 10 days after they get released from the hospital.

The 2nd reason we start planning for your session between 24 and 28 weeks is because if you are interested in a maternity session we want to make sure we have time for when you are between 30 and 36 weeks.  This is the time when your belly will be the roundest before baby drops and if you are carrying baby in your back they will pop out in this time because they are rapidly growing once you reach your 3rd trimester.  We also want to have time to do your maternity session and do your reveal before baby arrives. 

The 3rd reason is when in the planning session we go over a large amount of information to find out what your goals are for your finished images, your style, and desire from the session.  We can customize a special setup just for you and by having the planning session during your 2nd trimester we have time to order anything special we might need that we don't already have in the studio.

The last and probably one of the most important reason we start planning early is because newborn photos are an investment that will be priceless in the coming years.  So we want to make sure you are financially prepared.  I know numbers are never fun to talk about, but if you are prepared you will have time to save for the finished pieces you want to have in your hands.

Newborn sessions usually take place when baby is between 10 and 18 days old.  This gives mom time because she just went through a major change and she is going to be sore and tired.  The last thing I want her to have to do is come hang out with me when all she really wants to do is sleep and recover.  Plus as a family you need to have time to bond and get into some what of a routine.

Another reason I wait til at least 10 days is because boys in many cases have circumcision at the hospital before they go home and that will need to heal some before I work with them.  Curling up in  a ball and letting air hit the skin can be painful so I prefer to just wait til they have had some time to heal.  Of course as I have also covered baby may have to stay in the hospital longer for heath issues or low birth weight. So by waiting it gives them time to be released. If baby was born early then they have a little longer grace period. 

Now if baby has already arrived you will want to contact me as soon as you can so we can do the planning session over the phone and have the session within a couple days because the longer you weight the less you will be able to get those cute curled up sleepy poses.  You see when a baby is born their bones are mostly cartilage and therefore they haven't hardened yet but the longer you get from the gestational due date the more bones have hardened and the less flexible baby is.  For the sleeping they will become more easily woke when making adjustments and sleep less sound.

If baby is past the 10 days that is ok I can still do a newborn session it just might be a little more challenging to get the sleeping photos because they begin to see more and they want to take in the world in this new space.  I will do newborn sessions up to 4 weeks from gestational due date.  Beyond 4 weeks I will still work with your baby it just wont be a standard newborn session, but you still receive beautiful images of your precious baby you will cherish and hold onto for years to come.