Considering a newborn session?
Being a mother myself I am breathtakingly aware of how quickly time flies by! All those things other moms tell you are true… they do grow up too quickly and no matter how hard you try… you do forget the little things which you so desperately want to cling on to. Therefore it is of utmost importance to capture every single moment.
I would like to share a few precious pictures with you of my own maternity session…
NEWBORN
Thank you for choosing our studio for your most precious sessions. This guide will help prepare you for your newborn session as well as, hopefully answer any questions that you may have. Please feel free to contact us for any other questions.
We want you to know our studio takes the sanitary and safety needs very seriously. In our studio we are equipped with masks and gloves as needed as well as sanitizer. We do not work with shoes on, but rather fresh socks for every session.
We ask that if anyone is sick in your family that they pleas stay home. If you or your infant are not well, please reschedule your session for another time.
We are very careful with our laundry and have multiple wraps, materials and blankets for sessions so we do not need to re-use in between sessions, but rather each session all supplies used are washed and cared for.
If there are any concerns, please reach out to us before the session so we can discuss them and thank you!
SCHEDULING YOUR NEWBORN SESSION
Newborns are photographed in the mornings only. If there are however circumstances which does not allow it, we can discuss it and make a plan.
Babies arrive ready to eat and parents are given time to feed their baby before the session.
Newborn babies under 2 weeks generally are best first thing in the morning as they have been up all night. We have learned from experience that newborns in the afternoon or early evening are generally not as comfortable and therefore we do not photograph newborns at this time. There is an exeption to those wanting a “Newborn in Nature” outdoor session. More information is available further along in this guide.
Newborn scheduling is ideal when done in advance, however; we accommodate new bookings daily. If a newborn session has not been schedule in advane, we do ask that clients call or e-mail within 24 hours of giving birth with the newborn statistical information. Our wish is for healthy wonderful deliveries, however we know that complication or postpartum recovery delays do happen.
Our wish is for healthy babies always. When you have your baby, please let us know via telephone or e-mail the baby stats.
1. Date / time baby was born
2. Weight of baby
3. Name (if known)
4. Delivery/ Postpartum results – we would like to know that everything went according to the brith plan. We would like to know if there are issues such as jaundice, NICU time, extended hospital stay or any other issues regarding the health of the baby. Knowing these items is so important to help us schedule the baby in a timely manner.
Most newborns are scheduled anywhere from 8-14 days after the birth. We understand that with our current health situation that babies may come in 3-4 or even into 6 weeks.
A newborn is considered so for 6 weeks. As a newborn progresses in development the bones harden and they tend to “uncurl” and stretch out more. A newborn photo session can successfully to achieved at any of these weeks with special care and prep. This guide should help in providing this information, for newborn of any age.
It is important to understand that newborn are not turned away for their age, however; certain poses may not be possible as they get older.
SESSION DAY PREP
We suggest that babies feed right before their session. A newborn session usually takes about 2 hours. We ask that you come 30minutes prior to your session time to feed the baby in our studio. Babies generally feed every 2-3 hours therefore, feeding regith before a session can sometimes guarantee an uninterrupted session. With that being said, babies are babies and quite often will have growth spurts and feed more often during a photography session. In the event that the baby is fully fed, but still by seem hungry during the session we swill take a break and allow them to private feeding time. We suggest you give your baby their normal early morning feeding which is usally around 3 hours before your session and your are more than welcome to let that baby go back to sleep. You do not need to keep your baby awake., When you arrive, we will undress the baby to the iaper and then allow you to feed. At his point the baby will wake up and then be hungry.
It is very important to understand that we believe in baby led newborn sessions, which means that we never force or deny a feeding.
When you feed before a session, we suggest feeding as you normally do – whether breast or bottle fed. For bottle feeding, we do suggest you bring extra bottles. Moms are also welcome to pump at sessions if they need relief.
We also suggest that you try and not introduce anything new 24-48 hours before the session. If you are introducing a new formula it is best to wait a full day to make sure there are no reactions to the formula before the session.
Hot water, wipes, spare diapers and new pacifiers are available in case that you need them.
Please check your baby for diaper rash. Babies often will cry during a changing if they have a painful diaper rash. Pampers and other well known brand diapers are known for trigeering horrible diaper rashes that produce welts. We suggest you change the diaper to a more natural diaper and keep an eye on the skon. This is very important as even the happiest the baby on the block can be miserable with a diaper rash.
Hair and make-up: Please call our studio for hair/make-up referrals. Price and payment is provided and paid to the stylist. The stylist usually comes to the session and provides hair and makeup at the first part of the session while we are photographing the baby.
Prior to the session, we would love for you to share with us your favourite images for inspiration.
You are welcome to select images from our website or facebook page or your are also welcome to share images for other sources like Pinterest etc.
NEWBORN PACKING LIST
Please bring the following:
· Dress baby in loose pajamas
· Pacifier
· Spare diapers
· Baby’s blanket
· Extra bottles if bottle feeding
· Any newborn keepsakes or special items you would like to use
If baby normally does not take a pacifier, please bring it just in case. Newborn sessions are new to your baby and they often want to self soothe by sucking more than normal. Using a pacifier during a session will not encourage bad habits – we promise!
We want you to be nice and relaxed during your session. Newborns generally respond to your energy and therefore the more relaxed and comfortable you are the more chances of a successful newborn session we can expect to have.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I forgot to schedule a newborn session is it too late?
It is never too late to have your baby photographed. It is important to manage expectations of a session. Curly sleepy newborn photos are never guaranteed but usually achieved with babies under 2 weeks. A 6 week baby may not sleep during a session and have awake time, but may not be able to curl into womb position or want to be wrapped. We do believe that generally babies can be successfully photographed at any age.
What if my baby doesn’t sleep?
Many babies do not sleep thru their session. Some are wide awake the entire time! We can usually still achieve some amazing images, especially if they are wrapped.
What if my baby cries?
Babies are babies and they will cry! We do everything we can to soothe and comfort them and surround them with a comfortable environment. We have been working with many babies and Elanie, being a mom herself, has many soothing techniques and tips.
What if we can not get any great baby photos? Do I get a refund or a reshoot?
We have a successful record for being able to achieve a variety of newborn images even with fussy babies. We will do everyting we can to achieve newborn images and soothe your baby. In the event that photographing your baby seems impossible, Elanie will discuss options with our during the session.
How many photos does Elanie provide?
Sessions can be anywhere from 2-3 hours and the amount of images captured depends on how well the newborn is doing during the transitioning of poses. A newborn solo session can have anywhere from 50-100 images captured, whereas a family newborn session can have anywhere from 75-200 images captured. Elanie will go thru your session images and elmininate any duplications or blurry images prior to providing you with the images which normally is between 30-50 images.
Can we include parent poses, our other children and grandparents?
We have session fees for photographing baby only, or for a full newborn family session. If you would like to include the parents, sibblings and any other family members, please choose the family newborn session option. Grandparents are always welcome at no additional fee.
What if my toddler does not cooperate?
Children are children and we do the best we can when working with them of any age. We have quite a few tricks up our sleeves and with your permission we can offer them treats or incentives for capturing sweet images. But we also know that you can not make toddlers to anything if they do not want to do it, so there might be instances where we won’t be able to include a toddler in the family portrait or with his or her sibling. But we will always try our best!
Is there retouching? My baby has acne and my toddler has a scratch on his nose!
YES! There is always retouching available. Standard retouching is included, such as removal of acne, flaky skin or scars. For more advance changes such as headswaps or colour changes, they may require an additional charge.
