The short answer: When you're ready!
(if you're here for cute baby photos, skip over my babbling to the images below)
So, you just had a baby, you're juggling feeding your baby, limited sleep, and trying to find clothes that fit and are easy to change out of (for mom AND baby). And of course, if you have older children, life needs to carry on as normal, or they will all lose their shit and hate on the baby for ruining everything.
Not a big deal. you got this.
Uh, also...don't forget your newborn photos 'should' be done before you're baby is 3 weeks old. That means, before you're your body heals, take your baby away from home, perhaps for the first time, and feed and fuss with your baby to get posed photos that could be of anyone's child.
Ouch, that was maybe a bit too aggressive. Sorry about that.
I guess it just hits a nerve for me. We are expected to do SO MUCH! And the pressures to get 'perfect' photos on top of it all, give us a break! I mean, you just made a human and sacrificed your body to get them into the world, that should be more than enough! Not only that, but these newborn pictures don't include your story. They're missing a lot of information!
So, how am I any different?
Well, I believe the right time for newborn photos is when you're ready.
That could be in the first few days after birth to capture the curled up legs, the sweet wrinkled, and peach fuzzy skin of your sweet baby. This fresh session will also capture the newness, the rawness of life at home. Just like a midwife, I come to your home. I don't expect that you've showered, or dressed in your finest. But I do expect to include you in the photos.
Or perhaps you're ready after 4 weeks. When you're body has healed, you and the family have a grip on this new life, and that sweet baby has started to show you some smiles!
Or, maybe it's at 3 months, or later!
You have a lot going on, and I'm ready when you're ready!
One last thing before I go. Your life may be in survival mode, but it is still worth documenting! The house is messy, the kids are fighting for your attention, that's your life and you'll want to remember it as it is. So when your kids look back to their childhood albums (which I'll make for you) there are answers to their questions. Like, what was my personality as a child? where did I sleep? Look at the old furniture! I remember that chair!
You're probably making these pictures on your phone - remember to print them! Send some to Walmart and toss them into a shoe box or pin them on the wall next to their beds. Photos are made to be seen (which is why all my packages come with an album, rather than digitals - so you'll look at them regularly).
cue baby pics: