This is a very personal question. It all depends on how you would like your baby’s special photos to look and how you both feel. There is no one size fits all. In the first week to ten days you will find that your little one has plenty of sleepy moments, will still mostly be filled out but will soon lose the really squished just out of mum look which you may love or not! This means that angelic sleepy faces, soft little hairs and some curled up arms and legs will be a big part of the shoot.
As the sessions I offer are not ‘posed’ as in the typical studio poses you will often see, there is no need to do anything out of the ordinary for them, and they certainly don’t NEED a sleepy baby for them to look magical. I take as many photos as I can as close to the parents and siblings as possible, often during skin to skin time or feeding time to ensure they are calm, happy and you are all relaxed. We may try a couple of shots in a very natural and safe position on the bed or in their crib or Moses basket but I will happily wait for baby to feel settled first.
As a general rule I would provisionally book a date whilst pregnant around 2 weeks after your due date to ensure you have a date booked in and then we will try and rearrange if possible if you have just given birth and are not feeling up to your shoot or equally if you have delivered early and you’d like baby capturing in those very early days.
If you are hoping for less sleepy, eyes open shots or smiles feel free to book in for a few weeks after baby has been born as there literally isn’t a bad time to catch each stage of your little one’s life. I have a wonderful client who books in every couple of months to update her little one’s photos as it is such precious first year and they change so much! We always find some beautiful and artistic way to photograph the stage her baby is at and it’s a joy to be watching her little one grow!
I will always try and make space for a newborn shoot (I’m a bit in love with the baby stage and all the magic and utter chaos that goes with it) so don’t panic if you haven’t booked in yet and your little one has arrived or is imminent just email [email protected] or message my Social Media pages and I’ll do all I can to fit you in… and as these sessions typically are shot in your home, you can have the whole thing without ever leaving your bed if need be!
I look forward to meeting you and your new baby!