I was reading through Shannon’s hilarious (and wise!) rules for people who want pictures of their babies but hate baby pictures… and I couldn’t help but think about what I wish I had known going into our newborn photo shoot with our little girl. You’d think I’d know this stuff by now—this is my third baby, y’all. We’ve done a newborn session with all of them.
But something happens to your brain the week after you have a baby. Now that I can look at these amazing pictures that I love love love and marvel at how much my baby has already grown, I’m glad we did it. But it was rough this time around—I’m not going to lie. Rachael reminded me to bring a few cute things (ok, my favorite blankets and a hat. I like newborn photos mostly naked!), but this is what moms with newborns should bring and expect at their newborn shoot:
1. Bring some things for you.
And by ‘things’ I mostly mean unmentionables. If you’re going to a studio for a shoot, you’re probably going to remember to bring diapers for the baby. Don’t forget that if you are trying to capture your newborn’s first few days, YOU are in recovery from a pretty major physical event in your nether regions. Bring pads. I hadn’t thought about myself when getting ready for the shoot. (That is, I hadn’t thought about myself beyond: What in the world can I wear on this no-longer-pregnant-but-still-sort-of-looking-pregnant body? and Do I have time to dry my hair and feed the baby in time to get in the car?) Let’s just say that the one(!!!) pad I had with me wasn’t enough.
2. Bring some things for your family
Here, I’m talking about food. I thought I had it covered. I had some cheese, some fruit, and a HUGE bag of goldfish. It was not enough, people. Our session started at 11 and by about 12:30 (right when my pad was getting particularly uncomfortable and the baby had pooped through all of the diapers I brought with us), my husband started getting hangry eyes.
I made a quick exit and drove to the nearest deli and convenience store to buy lunch, more snacks, pads, and diapers. They snapped some really cute pics while I was gone, and everyone was satisfied with my purchases. However, I hadn’t driven a car since labor and getting in and out of my SUV was not the wisest move for my lady parts’ recovery.
3. Bring some more things for your older kids
If you’re doing a newborn session with just your newborn, that’s great. You can feed her when she wakes up and rock her back to sleep to catch those angelic naps. But if you’re bringing, say, your five and three year old boys with you? You might want to bring some extra activities.
Again, I thought I had it covered with a deck of UNO and a dice game. The novelty of playing games quickly wore off. The boys did a great job for the most part, but they got antsy and staying quiet for a few hours so someone can snap pictures of a sleeping baby was (not surprisingly) pretty difficult. Luckily, the studio we were in was equipped with two humongous tubs of Star Wars Lego pieces. Once those were unleashed, my boys didn’t want to leave.
The major takeaway: You’re going to love your pictures, and it’s definitely worth it to capture those first precious days. Just be sure to find out how long your studio session will be—then bring more food, activities, and hygienic supplies for everyone than you think you could ever possibly need. Or, take Shannon’s advice and invite your photographer to your home!
 at a newborn photo shoot!){kind=link}