Tips for a successful in-home lifestyle newborn session

Newborn sessions are so much fun to capture but can be stressful for new parents as you are navigating a big transition, barely getting sleep and have a whole new person you are responsible for..talk about a lot going on! Here are five little tips you can do to help you prepare for your in-home newborn session go as smooth as possible and take some stress away from the day.

1. Try to keep the baby awake before our session so baby is tired and sleepy when I arrive. Babies have their own schedules, so don’t worry if baby is awake the whole session. We will still get beautiful photographs of your sweet little one.
2. Feed baby just before our session to ensure a nice full tummy. I would also recommend having a burp cloth handy in case of any spit up! We will take feeding breaks during the session as well if needed. If there are any older siblings that will be included in our session, I would make sure they have a snack as well before getting dressed for our session. This ensures they won’t be hungry and you won’t have to worry about stains on their clothes
3. Lay out any outfits/swaddles you want to use for your session including headbands and any other accessories. Having everything laid out ahead of time will give us an opportunity to plan how the session will go when I arrive.
4. If baby uses a pacifier keep one handy. Babies love to suck and it’s how they self soothe. Sometimes giving baby the pacifier for a few minutes will help to calm them and we can usually sneak it out after a few minutes.
5. Bump up the temperature in your house to help keep baby cozy and comfortable. Newborns like to be warm, so I recommend having the temperature set to the mid to upper 70s for our session. This also helps to ensure any surfaces baby is placed on will already be warm.

I hope you find these tips helpful as you are planning your newborn session!

Hi there! I’m so thankful you are checking out my work here at my website and blog.  Alana Rose Photography is a south Florida based natural light lifestyle photographer specializing in maternity, newborn and family photos.  We service Palm Beach County from Boca Raton to Jupiter.  If you love what you see and would like to schedule your session, please click here and fill out the contact form on my website! I can’t wait to connect!