One of the most common questions I get in my Inbox is: “What if my baby doesn’t sleep during the newborn session?” I just want to assure you straight away that this is OK!
Lots of babies decide that their newborn session is far too exciting and they don’t want to sleep in case they miss anything! I LOVE capturing their cute little expressions when they are still awake! And I love it when they give us HUGE yawns because they are fighting sleep so much!
I take the opportunity while they are awake to lay them on my posing beanbag to get some awake shots. This also helps your baby to get used to the smell and texture of the blankets I use. Underneath my blankets I use a heated blanket to keep your baby super warm too.
While your baby is awake I don’t pose them on any props. This is because your newborn is still learning about their limbs and won’t stay put on a prop for long! Newborn safety is SO important and needs to come first during your session. Check out my newborn safety blog!
If a newborn still isn’t asleep 2 hours into their session this is when parents start to say “But I really REALLY wanted asleep shots!” Don’t worry! I always allocate up to 4 hours for a newborn session. This is in the event that your baby really REALLY fights sleep!
When your baby does eventually fall asleep I work fast to get as many posed asleep shots as I can. I find that once your baby wakes up from a deep sleep they tend to be a little grumpy and want some cuddles from a Mummy or a Daddy. My sessions are all baby led and a grumpy baby often signals the end of a session!
I never let parents leave without them being 100% happy that we captured everything that they wanted. I only schedule one newborn session a day so that we have enough time to get all of the important photos.
Emily Munday Photography
