Your little one has arrived!


You are home and all you can do is smell your babies head, kiss their chubby little cheeks, and watch them sleep like it's the most exciting event of the season.


You've already booked your newborn session and have no idea what to expect so you start to get anxious or worried if you are ready for the big event!


My purpose is to make the process as worry free and seamless as possible so you get to relax and actually get to enjoy a warm cup of coffee while I get to capture those little features that will change before your eyes in weeks to come. Here are a few tips and tricks to set the session up for success. I will say these are suggestions but not necessary and regardless my job is to work with each individual baby and their individual needs so we can get some good shots that you will treasure and maybe even cry over for years to come.


Numero Uno: Keep your baby awake before the session

Try and keep your baby awake for at least an hour prior to a session is a great way to increase their chance of sleeping through the posed photos. I spend the beginning part of the session calming and settling the baby to the point where they are in a deep sleep. This makes it easier for me to change their position and switch swaddles or outfits. In the end the more they sleep during the session the more "different looks" I can give you to pick from.


NUMERO Dos: Feed your baby right before the session

As a fellow mom we hear our baby cry and think... Are they hungry? Do they have a clean diaper? Are they tired? So making sure you little one has a full belly helps prolong the time they are sleeping during the session. Since it takes me about 15-30 min to set up I usually suggest to feed the baby after I arrive or when I am on the way there so you have time to feed and burp the baby before we start shooting. If we wait for a sleep and a big feed till the time I'm about to arrive we can almost guarantee they will be knocked out for most of the posed part of the session.


The rest of my tips fall into a secondary category of importance but still helpful.


  1. Don’t use any oils or lotions the morning of the session.
  2. It's much easier for me to remove flaky skin than shiny skin
  3. Have extra milk on hand. (formula/breastmilk in bottle, or yourself)
  4. Have a pacifier nearby if your baby uses one.
  5. If possible keep diapers on the looser side in the morning of the session.
  6. The impressions from the diaper are editable but it will minimize them.
  7. If siblings are involved we won't know till the day of if we will do the sibling photos first or last. Ideally, I like to do the posed photos first so the kids warm up to me. It does help to have another parent or caregiver to be home so they can be attended to or entertained when there are moments when they are "waiting" for they time to shine!


In the end. We try and leave all the liquid gold and sleep till right before we start shooting so we have a sleepy baby. But, the more trust you have in me, and the calmer you are, gives the baby comfort knowing it's going to be ok. This is a new much colder world that they are just getting use to. My hope is to try and make it feel more like a womb so they are happy and I can capture all those little details you want to look back on for the rest of your life.