How to Prepare for Your at Home Newborn Session

Preparing your home for an at home newborn session right after having a baby can be totally intimidating!

Let me just say, I’ve done newborn sessions in dark homes, cluttered spaces, and tiny nurseries with fussy newborns and crazy toddlers. There’s nothing you can throw at me that I can’t handle!

For those of you wondering what to expect and how you can best prepare, here is everything you need to know to get ready for your in-home newborn session!

What to wear :

Whether it be a dress or leggings and a cozy sweater, wear something that feels like you.

Since we’ll be shooting inside your house, think about the spaces we’ll be in. If your house feels a little more informal, it makes sense to keep your outfits simple too.

To make things feel more organic, I always tell people to choose clothes they might actually wear around the house.

 

Dressing Your Newborn :

Think snuggly, simple and snug fitting when choosing what you dress them in. Trust me, less is more. A diaper cover or a little onesie or swaddle can be just absolutely perfect. A lot of my families opt for jammies and a special swaddle to change things up.

 

What colors?

When determining what to wear, here are some questions you might ask yourself:

What colors are the rooms we’ll be shooting in? Where do you plan to hang the photos when we’re done?

Neutrals are always a safe choice- easy to match and they go with everything. For newborn sessions I love colors that are soft. Since you’ll be holding your baby in the pictures, you want to avoid bright colors that will cast a strange color back onto your baby’s skin.

 

Some good rules to follow when picking outfits for a photo session:

1. If one person is wearing a print, choose a solid color to compliment them rather than another print.
2. Go for one accent color and let the rest of your wardrobe palette be neutral.
3. Coordinate rather than match- think about a color palette of navy, cream and rust rather than everyone wearing a navy shirt, for example.
4. Smaller prints rather than bold prints tend to work better on camera.

 

 

Preparing For Your Home for a Newborn Session

Depending on your home, we’ll probably shoot in a few different rooms. Usually we spend time in your bedroom and the baby’s nursery! Because I use natural light, we’ll also take into consideration which room gets the best light! The first few days home can be chaotic, so don’t worry about your house looking perfect!

Here are a few simple things that can make your home feel light and luxurious :

• Having a light, neutral colored blanket on the bed.
• Cleaning out the one or two rooms we’ll be shooting in by moving clutter into a closet, clearing off the nightstands and simplifying the space.
• Bringing in a houseplant or two always feels fresh!
• Opening up the blinds and curtains to let the most light in.

 

What about props? :

Sometimes my clients have certain things they want to incorporate into their photos like a bonnet, letter board, a favorite blanket, etc. Props aren’t necessary but welcome 🙂

 

During the Session :

We’ll do photos of mom and dad with the baby as well as some photos of your little one on their own. Rather than doing very posed, styled photos of newborns, my approach is to capture them as squishy and sweet as you see them every day!

Your best strategy for a happy newborn is a nice full belly, a warm room and lots of patience! It’s so tempting to stress over a fussy baby, but rest assured, taking breaks for cuddles and feedings and diaper changes is all part of the newborn session process. The baby sets the pace!

The most important thing is to just be in the moment. These precious newborn days go by SO FAST. At the end of your session I want you to come away with a little slice of sunshine that you can relieve over and over again.