The Best Time to Schedule Your Newborn Photo Session (And Why It Matters)

Some newborn photographers will tell you that you need to schedule your newborn session within the first two weeks of baby’s arrival.  I am not one of those photographers. I’m a mom of two who has been photographing newborns since 2012, and with all of that experience under my belt, I can confidently tell you that the two week timeline does not matter one little bit. Here’s why:

When you’ve had a baby, the first few weeks pass by in a blur of feedings, diaper changes, and sleep deprivation. You’re tired, you’re sore, you’re leaking, and you’re trying so hard to learn a million things at once and keep a tiny human alive. You’re figuring out a new rhythm and roles at home with your partner, you’re juggling visits from the grandparents, and if you have other children, you’re trying to figure out how to give them your time and attention in the middle of everything else, too.

Sometime during one of many late-night feedings, you’ll be scrolling through your photos of your baby’s first day or two on Earth, remembering what it was like in the hospital when you saw your new baby for the first time. You’ll look down at their face now and it’ll take your breath away when you realize how much their features have changed already. For some parents, that’s the moment they discover just how much they want to hire a photographer to capture their baby’s first professional portraits and freeze this moment before their little one changes any more.

Is it too late for newborn portraits?

I’ve had many parents come to me worried that their baby is more than a few weeks old and sad that other photographers have turned them away. They ask me, “Is it too late for newborn portraits?”

And my answer is always, “It’s never too late for newborn portraits. Whether your baby is 3 weeks or 3 months old, now is a good time for your session. Your baby is the smallest now that they’ll ever be again, and now is the perfect time to capture their tiny little features, your family’s connection and love, and their perfect little newborn face.”

But, what’s so magical about those first two weeks?

Babies are very sleepy and flexible in those first couple of weeks, and they are still tiny and close to their birth weight. Their cheeks haven’t filled out yet, which completely changes the look of their face, and they haven’t started losing any hair yet. Their beautiful newborn skin has those precious flakes that are so classically newborn.

Around 3-4 weeks, many babies (but not all!) tend to develop “baby acne.” It’s hormonal and temporary, and it usually lasts for a few weeks. We can still schedule your newborn portrait session during that time, and I’ll just spend a little extra time retouching your images to clean up their skin for you.

For me, I typically try to schedule our newborn sessions between day 7 and 21, but I’m flexible with that timeline. The 1-3 week timeline is usually best for families that reserved their session with me while they were still pregnant, but for families that have that middle-of-the-night revelation when their baby is already a few weeks old, we can do their session any time up to around 3 months old.

So why do we wait until after day 7?

The reason we wait until day 7 is because their stomachs are a little bigger by then, so they can hold more milk, which helps them feel settled for longer periods of time. In those first few weeks, they’re very sleepy and flexible, and usually easy to pose for our studio sessions.

What are the benefits of scheduling an older newborn session?

By “older newborn”, I’m talking anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months old. I actually LOVE these sessions because babies are more alert and more expressive. They make eye contact with their parents, which makes for some truly beautiful and emotive portraits. They make direct eye contact with the camera with a melt-your-heart gaze that looks right into your soul. Many babies begin smiling (real social smiles, instead of just gassy smiles) around 2 months, and that’s a wonderful time to capture those interactions with their family.

Another benefit of scheduling an older newborn session is that as parents, you’ve had a couple of weeks to adjust to your new routine. Moms are feeling less bloated, everyone is feeling less like a zombie (ooohhhhh, the sleep deprivation in those early weeks!), and toddlers have had more time to get accustomed to their new sibling. Everyone is happier!

But are there challenges to scheduling an older newborn session?

Yes, but nothing we can’t handle! Babies are a little less flexible after those first couple of weeks, so we may not be able to get them into all of those tiny curly poses, but I promise we’ll still capture beautiful portraits that showcase them at this stage they’re in. Some babies are more alert and they have discovered how much they love flailing their arms and legs around, which means we may need to keep them swaddled or held in arms for most of the portraits to keep their body calm.

In the end, it’s all about knowing what the babies need at each stage, and understanding the beauty and development of each weekly milestone so that we can capture that in portraits during your session. There is no “right” or “wrong” age for a newborn session, and I would love to capture your baby’s first portraits no matter how old they are.

---

Save this post for later: