When To Book Maternity And Newborn Photos | RI Newborn Photographer
So you’re expecting a baby…congratulations! It’s one of the most wonderful times of your life. Whether it’s your first child or a subsequent baby, you’ll want to savor every moment of your pregnancy and baby’s arrival.
When you find out you’re pregnant, you start thinking about baby names, how to decorate the nursery, the impending delivery, how to make morning sickness more bearable, and a host of other things. Somewhere in there you might think about photos: maternity photos to capture your pregnancy, and also newborn photos to immortalize those moments when your baby is tiny and new. It’s great that you’re thinking of photos, but you probably have questions on WHEN exactly should you even have these sessions done? How far in advance should you book them? It can be confusing and overwhelming, but it definitely shouldn’t be something that you’re stressing over during pregnancy. As a RI newborn photographer, I’m here to guide you through all these steps and give you all the information you need so the entire process is easy for you. Read on for more information.
MATERNITY PHOTOS
Your maternity photos should be done when you are between 32 and 36 weeks pregnant. We want your bump to show, but also don’t want you to be super pregnant and uncomfortable!
If this isn’t your first child, you tend to show early, or you delivered your first child early and want to get maternity photos done earlier just in case you go early again, we can make arrangements to schedule earlier than the 32-36 week guideline.
You can have your photos done outdoors or in my Charlestown, RI studio, depending on your preference. The photos can be of just you, or you can include your partner and other children…again, all up to you!
Ideally I like to talk with moms by the time they’re 20 weeks in order to get your maternity session scheduled for your preferred date and time.
NEWBORN PHOTOS
Newborn babies are magical. They are so tiny and they smell amazing. Your newborn baby should have his or her photos done within the first 21 days of life so they retain that “newness” in the photos. The younger baby is, the better, and the “ideal” time is within the first 14 days after birth if possible. Baby’s session will be in my studio in Charlestown. As with maternity photos, I recommend that you reach out to me to schedule newborn photos by the time you’re 20 weeks pregnant if possible (earlier if you like). This way, we can be sure I have plenty of time available to accommodate you. I’ll block time off around your due date when we schedule your session (if you’re having a scheduled induction or c-section, we can pick an exact session date ahead of time, but I’ll still block off time since things can change). Once baby is delivered, if we didn’t already have a pre-set session date, I ask that dad, you, or another person call me within 48 hours of baby’s birth so we can lock down an exact session date to bring your little one to my studio to get the photos of a lifetime.
FRESH 48 SESSIONS
Fresh 48 sessions are an alternative to studio newborn photos. If you like more organic, in the moment photos, these are a great choice. They are done in the hospital, birth center, or home (if baby was born at home) within 38 hours of baby’s birth . They are sweet, natural images of your baby alone and with parents and siblings.
As with studio newborn photos, it’s best to contact me by the time your’e 20 weeks pregnant so I can block off time around your due date. With these sessions, I ask for notification when you’ve gone into labor so I have some lead time, then again very soon after baby is born so we can make a plan for me to get to you to take photos of your sweet baby and your whole new family.
When planning a Fresh 48 session, I work with you to make sure that the birth facility will allow photographers in the room post-birth.
If you’re expecting and have any other questions on the process for maternity or newborn photos, be sure to reach out and I’ll be happy to answer them!