When is the perfect age for newborn pictures? | Kingwood, TEXAS - NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER
How old should my baby be for their newborn session? This is probably the biggest question newborn photographers get asked by expectant parents. The short answer is less than two weeks. Before two weeks, your baby is still getting used to being outside of your womb and is still extremely sleepy and flexible. As they get older they become increasingly alert to the world around them. They sleep less than they did in the first days and their muscles become stronger making sleepy poses more difficult. Around two weeks they have a growth spurt that makes them cluster feed more than usual and if any skin issues arise it will usually be after the two week mark. Although, around 14 days is my personal sweet spot for photographing newborns I’ve had plenty of successful sessions with older newborns.
If you feel like you have missed the time period for your “newborn session” do not be discouraged! Some of my best sessions have come from babies closer to a month in age. What if my baby is older than two weeks? Not to worry! I have photographed plenty of “older” newborns and have had monumental success. We just all need to be a bit more patient, give baby more time to settle, and be open to more of a wrapped session if baby will not get comfortable. We can still get the sleepy newborn portraits but we might not be able to achieve all of the poses that a fresh baby may tolerate. Some of my favorite portraits are from “older” newborns that have rocked their sessions!
To ensure I have availability and for ease of the session, it’s important that we schedule you before your baby arrives so that we have more flexibility. I usually try to come to your house around 8 or 14 days after the birth of your baby. This gives you time to recover from your delivery and to get settled in with your new baby. Mamas usually find that this is a sweet spot time for them as well and appreciate the time to adjust.
Having your newborn session before your baby is two weeks old is one of the best ways to get the most out of your investment. Preserving these one-of-a-kind moments is so incredibly important because they change so quickly. Their faces begin to change and their tiny fingers and toes seem to grow overnight. When you look back at your high-quality, family heirlooms session you will be so satisfied that you invested in freezing this of this moment in time. If you are looking to plan a newborn session for your little one, contact me today for more information.
