When is the Best Time to Book Your Newborn Session?

I’ve been photographing so many new babies in the past few weeks that I thought it would be helpful to answer some important questions for moms-to-be who are considering a newborn session. One of the questions I get asked most often is “When is the Best Time to Book My Newborn Session? 

It’s best to book while you are still pregnant to make sure that you have a spot on the photographer’s calendar. When a client books a newborn session with me, I hold their due date and then ask that they send a quick email or text when the baby actually arrives so that we can schedule the session for about 7-12 days later (even better if we can do it before 7 days!).

Newborn sessions are generally scheduled in the first 2 weeks of life because that is the best time to get those curled up, sleepy poses. Babies who are older than 2 weeks stay awake for longer periods of time and are more difficult to mold into positions. They like to stretch out those arms and legs and don’t always want to be scrunched up. Baby acne can also set in around that 2 week mark.

I always feel so bad when a new mom emails asking about a newborn session and the baby is already a week old. If I can squeeze it in, of course I will, but I’m usually booked 3 or 4 weeks in advance. Now with all that said, I have photographed newborns older than 2 weeks. Every baby is different. I’ve had 9 day old babies who were awake the entire session and 6 week old babies who could sleep through anything! I just want to make sure that your expectations are realistic. There are no guarantees.

Check back tomorrow for information on what to expect during your newborn session. And I can’t sign off without a few pictures.