The Best Time for Newborn Photos

Written by Amber Sehrt on April 2, 2019. Posted in Newborn.

Are you expecting your first (or second or third) baby and excited to get that newborn session on the books? Wondering when is the best time to capture that blissful newborn stage? Depending on what you are going for, there’s a pretty short window for capturing the true newborn look—as you probably already know, they grow so fast! Even more reason to reach out and schedule a tentative time frame around your due date for a newborn session.

When to schedule

Although I can photograph a baby as a newborn up to six weeks old, ideally, we’re aiming for 6-14 days old. Before six days is a little too early because they’re cluster feeding in order to gain weight or kickstart mom’s milk supply if breastfeeding. We would have to stop too often for feedings.

grey on grey subtle color tones
7 days old, gave me a few awake shots too
8 days old, and 3 weeks early
7 days old
11 days old
14 days old

On the other hand, after two weeks, they’ve had plenty of time outside the womb to stretch out, and they’ve gained some strength and energy to stay awake for longer periods of time. Older babies are more curious and attentive. Of course, baby photos are adorable at any age, but one to two weeks old is optimal for capturing those sweet curled-up poses, sleepy faces, and tiny features. They sleep through just about anything (many of my babies sleep through the whole session, outfit changes and all)! They still look like they just arrived, and it’s easy to do precious womb-like poses.

Almost 4 weeks old
3 weeks old
6 weeks old, has already filled out quite a bit
6 weeks old and only slept the last 20 minutes of the session
blue grey
3 weeks old

Wanting to capture it all? No worries, schedule a newborn session and a baby milestone package so you don’t miss out on a single stage. Between birth and two years, your baby will change so much. Having a collection of photos throughout the journey allows you to capture the beautiful transformation that takes place as your tiny newborn develops into a toddling child full of personality!