June 30, 2026
Your baby is almost here and your newborn session is on the calendar. First of all, congratulations. Second: take a breath. Preparing for a newborn session is much simpler than most new parents expect. I’ve worked with many first-time families, and I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to prepare for your newborn session.
When to Schedule Your Newborn Session
If you haven’t already booked, aim to schedule your session before your baby arrives. The ideal window is within the first two to three weeks of life, days 7 to 14 are my sweet spot. Babies are sleepiest and most relaxed in this early stage. If you’re past that window, don’t panic, beautiful sessions happen later too, we just work with where your baby is.
What to Prepare at Home
Keep the space warm
Babies calm down and sleep more easily when they’re warm. If we are doing an in-home session, before I arrive, turn up the heat in the room we’ll be working in — warmer than you’d normally keep it. This makes a real difference in how settled your baby is throughout the session. If it is a studio session, I will have the room already up to temperature.
Set out feeding supplies
Have everything you need for feeding easily accessible — bottles, burp cloths, nursing supplies, pacifiers. We’ll work around your baby’s feeding schedule, and having everything on hand means less interruption and more flow. This is true for both in-home and studio sessions.
Meaningful props and special items
If there are items you’d like to include: a family heirloom, a hand-knit blanket, a note or keepsake, have them out and ready. I love weaving meaningful objects into sessions in a natural, unforced way.
What Your Baby Should Wear
For most lifestyle sessions, the most beautiful images happen when your baby is in just a diaper or a simple swaddle. Soft, plain onesies in cream or white are also lovely. Avoid outfits with scratchy textures, lots of snaps, or anything that’s hard to put on a newborn. Simple is always better.
What Parents Should Wear
Keep it simple and comfortable. Soft, neutral tones; cream, white, taupe, soft gray, warm blush, photograph beautifully and keep the focus on your baby. Avoid bold patterns or logos. Most importantly, wear something you feel at ease in, comfort shows up in photos. Pinterest is a great place to find idea’s on what to wear.
Feeding Before and During the Session
Feed your baby right before I arrive if possible; a full baby is a sleepy baby, and that’s exactly what we want. Don’t worry about strict timing, though. We’ll feed again as many times as needed during the session. There’s no rushing a newborn, and I factor all of this into our session time.
What to Expect on the Day
I’ll arrive at your home with everything I need. Expect the session to take two to three hours, though it may be shorter or longer depending on your baby’s mood. We’ll work entirely at their pace, and safety is my number one priority. By the end, you’ll have been through feeding, soothing, holding, and real moments and your gallery will reflect all of it.
You don’t need to, though a gentle bath the night before or morning of is perfectly fine. Avoid heavy lotions that might make your baby’s skin look greasy in photos. Clean and simple is best.
This is completely normal and not something to stress about. We’ll work through it together — soothing, feeding, changing, whatever your baby needs. Some sessions take more patience than others, and that’s okay. The goal is real moments, not a perfect performance.
I’ll help monitor your baby’s comfort throughout. Keeping the room temperature warm is the biggest factor. I always have soft wraps and blankets available as well, and we’ll check in regularly to make sure your baby is settled and content.
Yes — family photos are one of my favorite parts of newborn sessions. If you’d like to include siblings or grandparents for a portion of the session, just let me know in advance so we can plan the timing accordingly.
Ready to book your newborn session? Reach out early — newborn windows go faster than you think.
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