When is the Best Time for a Sleepy Newborn Photography Session {Seattle Lifestyle Photographer}

Tips for a Sleepy Newborn

If you’re about to welcome a new little baby into your lives, you may be wondering when the best time to have your newborn session is. I believe that newborns of any age deserve a newborn session, in fact, I often photograph three or four month old babies, the exact same way I photograph week old babies. There is however a golden spot if you’re wanting images of your baby sleeping. I will never guarantee a baby will sleep but we can increase the chances of it by photographing baby in the first two weeks of life. In my 11 years or so of photographing newborns, I have noticed that babies aged between 6-8 days almost always sleep throughout their whole session.

Book your session for as early as possible:

I’m never going to guarantee a sleeping baby. I’m not a posed newborn photographer and an awake baby is just as beautiful as a sleeping baby, however, the earlier your session, the sleepier the baby normally is.

Keep your house nice and warm

Don’t worry, you can turn the heat down once I leave!

Swaddle your baby

I have a magic little swaddle that works wonders and can be used underneath your own blankets. It’s pretty amazing at getting babies off to dreamland quickly.

Make sure baby has a nice, full belly

Whether your breast or bottle feeding. you’ll want to try to get baby’s belly nice and full. Don’t worry, we will take plenty of feeding breaks if baby needs them.

Change diapers, clothes etc before baby drifts off to sleep

If baby falls asleep before they’re in the outfit you want them in for their session, we may end up waking them too soon. Try to have them in their outfit before the feeding and swaddling begin.

If you’re ready to schedule your newborn session, please get in touch. I would love to photograph your family!

How to Celebrate the Whole Family During a Newborn Photography Session {Newborn Photographer Kirkland}

I love photographing all family members during a newborn photography session. While the main focus is always on the newborn baby, I strongly believe that when a baby arrives, all family members have a new role to play and those new roles should be celebrated. A former mom of two becomes a new mom of three. Same goes for the dad. An older sister now has two new little siblings. And the former youngest sibling is now a big sibling for the first time.

Some of my favorite images to take at newborn sessions include:

The big siblings looking at their newborn baby in the crib

This is one of my favorite ways to photograph sibling pictures. This works especially well for older siblings who aren’t quite old enough to hold the baby.

Each parent with all their kids

It’s a huge deal to become a parent of multiple children. Capturing each parent with all their kids, whether it’s two kids or six kids, is a beautiful way to celebrate them and their children.

Siblings all on the main bed together

This is another great image that works particularly well for siblings that aren’t old enough to hold the baby.

Parents together with baby

Whole family images are so important but I always think it’s nice to get one or two images with the parents with just the new baby.

Each parent alone with the new baby

They probably have a ton of images with their oldest alone so this new baby should get that too!

If siblings are old enough, images holding the baby

If there is a bigger age gap and the parents are happy for the siblings to hold the baby, then I love to photograph the newborn in the arms of the parents.