From the glow of your baby bump to the tender moments with your newborn, these fleeting stages deserve to be preserved forever. Planning your maternity and newborn photo sessions is an essential part of capturing these precious milestones.

Our Social Media Manager, Leslie, is also a Maternity and Newborn Photographer. She has been photographing mothers, families, and infants for over 6 years. Read below as she guides you through the process of determining the perfect timing to book your maternity and newborn photo sessions. According to her, timing is everything when it comes to capturing the essence of your pregnancy and the early days of your baby's life. 

Tips for Amazing Maternity Photos

1. How should I go about finding a maternity photographer?

You can search for a photographer on Instagram, local Google search or ask some friends or colleagues. The important part is to explore their work, each photographer has their own style so it may take a little time clicking around to find a person that has a style that suits you so that you aren’t surprised when you get your edited photos back.The hashtag #YourCityPhotographer on IG may turn up some good results!
*pro tip: many maternity photographers also photograph newborns! See if they have a bundled option where you can book both up front!

2. When should you schedule your maternity session?

The short answer is that you should schedule your maternity photos for when you are around 7 - 8 months pregnant. The long answer is that it really depends on you and your body and your comfort level. If this is your second baby, you’ll likely be showing sooner than your first time around. If this is the case you may want to schedule your maternity session for when you’re closer to 6/7 months pregnant. For first time moms though, I typically recommend that they are between 7 and 8 months pregnant!

3. What should I wear to my maternity session?

Whatever you feel comfortable in! I always think that flowy dresses are really sweet! Muted tones, neutral colors, and flowy fabrics, all translate really well in photos.

Tips for Amazing Newborn Photos

1. How should I go about finding a newborn photographer

My recommendation for finding a good newborn photographer is the same for finding a maternity photographer. The only thing I’ll add is that it’s super important that you find someone who is familiar with the nuances of newborn photography and has done a handful of sessions at a minimum.

2. When should I reach out to the newborn photographer?

Don’t wait until your baby is born to schedule your session. Please reach out to a photographer during your second trimester to start the process of getting on their calendar!

3. When should we take the newborn photos?

Your newborn should be between 2 and 10 days old when their photos are taken. Babies this age are generally sleepier, easier to swaddle and easier to pose. Plus, these are the days may be foggy for you to look back on as a new family so to capture those sweet, curly, fresh baby days will be a treasure. Day 10-14 is when newborn acne starts to kick in as well, which can be a bit of an editing challenge for your photographer.

4. Should I be in the photos or are they just of my baby?

This is your choice, though I do encourage you and your partner (if this applies) to be in a few photos for the memories. Your photographer should have poses in mind so you don't have to worry about that. Some of the sweetest photos I've taken are of the simplest of scenes. 

4. What should I wear to my baby’s newborn session?

You should wear whatever you feel comfortable in post delivery. Dresses are always a great option for an at-home newborn session because you can likely find one that you’re comfortable in and won’t interfere with any c-section scars if that applies.

5. Can I take my own newborn photos?

Yes! You absolutely can. Newborn sessions with a professional photographer aren’t for everyone. Here are a few tips if you want to take your own photos. 

• Make sure to take your infant’s photos within the first 10 days of their life.
• Shoot during the time of day when you have the most daylight. Turn off any artificial or overhead lights to avoid an orange or yellow glow. Instead, look for natural sunlight and position baby near a window.
• You can use a couch or several blankets to act as a cushion under your baby.
• A recently fed baby is normally much more content during a session.
• I always recommend keeping the house two or three degrees warmer than usual as it’ll help to keep your baby sleepy.
• Have a sound machine on too! It helps to keep your baby asleep longer and less distracted from ambient or background noises.