Lifestyle In - Home Newborn Session Prep Guide

 

 

A FEW NOTES Before Your In-home Newborn Session:

 

I absolutely LOVE in-home sessions! I love them because they get to showcase your

brand new family member in the comfort of their own home with their parents, siblings, and pets!

Babes change SO MUCH in those first few weeks, so I love being able to capture that brand new

goodness for parents in the comfort and familiarity of their own home.

 

~ The best time for in-home sessions are during daylight hours, usually in the morning

(starting your session between 9am - 1pm usually gives the best light and happiest babe!).

I realize sometimes with big siblings/family members this time frame is not always possible,

but I will do my best to work with whatever time works for your family and babe.

 

Preparing the Space

~ The newborn season is a messy time, a lot of undone dishes and loose burp cloths are

thrown about. So I definitely don’t expect a perfectly tidy space. What I do need are rooms

with lots of windows and natural light. Feel free to give me a quick tour when I arrive

~ rooms I usually gravitate to are the nursery, living room, kitchen or master bedroom. And if they

all have stunning light, then we will capture a few moments in each.

If you want to tidy up those rooms a little before our session that

would be great ~ no deep cleaning please, you just had a baby! Just a once over to remove

any particularly distracting clutter/toys/etc. is fine! I do my best to remove distracting

clutter if necessary for the particular moment but oftentimes I leave it too because

it tells the story of your family. If you have a special space you really want to be

photographed in, take a look throughout the day to see when the light is coming in the

best so we can try and schedule your session accordingly.

 

~ I LOVE natural light and I love capturing your new babe and family in the natural

light in your house!! We will be embracing your home’s natural light

(open up those window blinds!), turning off the overhead lights and taking

advantage of the natural brightness as much as possible (another reason

why I like doing these sessions during the bright part of the day).

I’ll pop you all next to windows as much as possible for those pics

— we will take full advantage of

the light coming into your house. Even on the cloudiest (and even

rainiest too!) days, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how much the outside light

comes in to give you the best possible pictures!

 

~ What to wear? This is totally up to you! Honestly the answer looks

a little different for every family and their personality. I tell moms to pick

their outfit first and build others outfits around that. I do encourage moms to wear

something comfortable and flowy so as not constricting on their fresh postpartum body.

Having a light sweater or cardigan to go over your outfit works well too for

pictures. I always recommend neutrals if you can’t think of where to start

because they are always simple and easy compliments to any home decor

and style. But I also understand that neutral may not be a part of your

vocabulary or style so what’s most important to me, is that you

feel beautiful and comfortable. Let the rest of the family plan according

to the thing that makes mamma feel freshest and most relaxed. If that means

a colorful floral dress with easy breastfeeding access or a set of comfy white PJs,

you do you! I also recommend having a backup outfit on hand too! Usually a black

tank or nursing bra so we can do some more intimate, skin to skin moments

if you would like. But having a back up of any type is always smart because

accidents are always happening with babies :)

  For baby, I like to start with baby in a plain solid onesie or just in a diaper.

Diaper covers are also great if the original pattern is not quite your style.

Feel free to pull out your favorite outfit or two to change baby in to at the end too.

We will also use a favorite swaddle or blanket for solo photos so if you have

a favorite be sure to have that on hand too. I will bring a small selection of

wraps & bonnets/ties if you would like as well! For dad or siblings, just keep

things simple. I love those soft cotton solid tees, jeans & bare feet! No need to get

fancy but feel free to dress as you feel fits best with your home

and especially with what mamma decides to wear.

 

~ Try and feed babe shortly before your session time. This ensures

baby has a full belly and will hopefully be happy and cooperative for pics!

If you would like any feeding/nursing pictures, we absolutely can do this at the

beginning of the session…so hold off feeding babe until I get there and we’ll

get some feeding/nursing pics done first!

 

~ Turn up that heat! I’ve found that baby is sooo much happier in a warm

environment. This allows for babe to be comfortable for any naked/diaper pictures

and isn’t so upset to have their clothes changed if the house is extra warm.

  

~ When do we schedule a newborn session? I typically advise parents to

schedule whenever they feel comfortable after birth. The beauty of the in-home session

is that we have a longer window of time! Because there isn't a lot

of posing involved, we do not have the time constraints needed for studio

sessions which usually require a sleepier more flexible baby.

The younger the babe, typically the sleepier they are & more cooperative for

pictures, but this session is great for older babies as well.

Ideally within the first two to three weeks after birth is great :)

 

 

~ The beautiful part about in-home sessions is that you can truly

be yourself while also capturing the beauty of this season in an authentic

way. There are no long hours of delicate posing or blank backdrops that feel

sterile. These sessions are laid back and flexible so that we can capture

all the beauty that parenthood is. The gallery you receive should be a little time

capsule into this small window of time that often flies by in a haze :)

 

I can't wait to meet you and your new little one!!

~ Katherine