It's a common thing for me to hear about how nervous you are to have photos done in your home. I think social media plays so much into this because we are constantly bombarded with the highlights of other people's lives, not necessarily the real deal. But that's another post for another day. 
This post is to tell you how to prep for your in-home, documentary style newborn session...which honestly isn't much. It's more mental preparedness than anything!

After you have a baby, speaking from my own experience, the last thing you want to do is go somewhere. No matter how your baby came into this world, having a newborn is absolutely exhausting. So, with an in-home newborn session, you don't have to do anything or go anywhere. I come to you and I meet you just as you are. 

I'm not there to photograph your mess. I will photograph things as it pertains to the story, but I'm not there to shame you or judge you. When you're sleep deprived from keeping a little human alive, happy, and fed- things can get a little messy and that's okay. That's real life and it's all a part of the journey we are on. Don't worry about cleaning up too much, just focus on you and your baby. 

You can lay around nursing your babe, pumping, or cleaning bottles. You can fold laundry. You can cuddle your baby. You can play with your other kiddos while baby naps. We're after the organic goodness here, not necessarily the perfectly posed photographs (although I do a few of those at the end!). 

Think about yourself in 5 years when baby is starting kindergarten. In 18 years when they graduate. In 30 years when they have a baby of their own. What do you want your photographs to say? To yourself? To your child? To future generations? 
Think about that and whatever tugs at your heartstrings, that's what we'll do. 

Are you comfortable with skin to skin photos? Nursing? Do you want your stretch marks photographed? Do you want the real and raw of motherhood photographed (think mesh panties, pumping/nursing, etc.)? I think these hard moments are worthy and valid and beautiful. Let's talk about it beforehand and see how you feel. 

See?  Most of it isn't stuff you have to physically do. 
It's just things you need to think about and mentally prep for. 
I'm here to serve you and to help give you something tangible to hold onto in this incredibly brief, yet paramount season of life. 
Want to book a session with me? It's easy too. Just fill out the Contact Form and I'll take it from there. 

You've just had your baby. You've had your newborn session secured with me for months. You've been waiting for this moment. Your baby is the cutest, most beautiful creature you've ever seen. 
Your session day arrives, baby is about a week old, and I walk in the door and BAM! She's awake. Wide awake. She is awake like she's never been awake before. 
You start to get a little nervous.
He starts to cry.
You start to panic a little as you try to calm him down.
What do we do? 
Nothing. 

We carry on like normal. We just adjust slightly. 
When I'm coming to do your session, you need to know that it's relaxed as relaxed gets on my end. I'll even hold her for you while you go potty or have a cuppa tea! (Trust me, I won't mind a bit!) I'll throw the big kids some snacks. 
Your newborn session can still carry on with a fussy baby or awake baby. We are not waiting for the perfect sleeping angel shots. We're there to document your time together coming into motherhood and fatherhood. Some days just go like this. 
​And that's okay. 
Feed your baby mama. 
Cuddle your baby.
Walk outside with your baby. 
Sway your baby, 
​You do what feels right in that moment. 

In the months and years to come, when you reach back to recall the newborn days, things tend to get a little foggy, blanketed in a romantic haze.  These photographs will have you reliving these moments. 
So sit back, relax, have a little faith in me, let me do my thing and you do yours. 

Want to book your no-pressure consultation with me? Seriously no pressure because I absolutely hate that. I want to hear about what you envision your newborn photos to look like and I want to know what you've been dreaming of. 
Send me a message here or click on the Contact tab above. I'll send you some information and we will schedule a super informal video chat. 
​I can't wait to hear from you! 

Do you ever meet people and they instantly put a smile on your face? 
That's these folks and their dogs. Throw the cutest little freshie fresh baby in there and it's pretty much the algorithm for a perfect session. It's one of those where you just wish you had more time! 
This family had to delay their newborn session a little bit (almost 2 months) because one of their precious pups had to undergo a pretty big surgery and they of course wanted him to feel as best as he could before the session. 
I also really love it when people intentionally include the furrier members of their family into their sessions, because I think it's so important. (their dogs were the bestest boys, seriously!)
While I was there, I couldn't help but to think how lucky that sweet baby girl was to be born into this family and with these furry big brothers to look after her. She's going to have the grandest adventures with them!

Newborn sessions don't have to be stressful and we don't have to "do" much. I'm coming to you and hanging out with you in your home. This little lady was a bit fussy and needed to nurse in the middle of our session. No big deal, we just photograph that too and get on with our morning. 

A quick trip to the backyard to stand in the sunshine for a bit tired her right out and she quickly fell alseep in mama's arms. In between all of this, I/we of course made time for a few puppy snuggles too. How can you not? I mean, look at them? That fur is begging to be petted! 

To schedule your own family session, you can click here to be taken to the Contact page or you can just click on the tab above. 
To read more about why I think it's so important to include pets in your family sessions (and why it's a huge perk of in-home sessions!) click here. 
I can't wait to hear about your family and your story. 

PS: If you want to see some of this Mama's Etsy digital designs, visit her shop by clicking here!