Newborn Photos - How to Soothe a Baby

Congratulations! If you are reading this, you are probably pregnant or have a newborn baby. Having a brand-new baby is such an exciting time. It's also an exhausting time as well as an anxious time. If you are like so many other new parents, you'd love the opportunity to document your baby while they are still in the newborn phase, but you might have anxiety about the session. Are you able to trust the photographer? What will the photography do to help soothe and comfort the baby during their newborn photos? Here's a list of ways I keep baby calm and content during their newborn session.

Warmer Temperatures Newborns are just itty bitty things and they are unable to regulate their body temperatures well. This means the temperature of the room needs to be comfortable for them. I may bump the temperature up a notch 1-2 degrees warmer than I'd prefer it in my own home. I am also going to have a space heater to warm the space if I am going to photograph baby unswaddled.

Pacifier

I ask that parents bring a pacifier for baby to have on hand during their newborn session. Some babies will need to suck to help soothe during posing. Other babies do especially well and don't take the paci at all during the session. I have some individually wrapped pacifiers available if parents forget. Having a pacifier is just one additional tool that I use.

White Noise Babies startle easily. Having a calming noise playing to drown out the outside noise helps the session move quickly with minimal interruptions. I utilize an app on my phone and will keep is close to baby during the session. My studio in in Downtown Des Moines--not far from Methodist Plaza. It's not uncommon to hear traffic noise or even an ambulance.

Swaddling Newborns have a moro reflex, or a startle reflex. If babies think they are going to fall, they will flail their arms and legs. This primitive reflex lasts several months. To prevent this, babies need to be swaddled. As much as we all love a naked baby shot, some babies just cannot settle for those pictures. We could keep trying, we could just pivot and get that baby wrapped up for some adorable photos.

Contact While I am transitioning a baby from one pose to another, I keep pressure on the baby or close contact to them. This may be settling a baby against my chest or keeping one hand on them while the second hand poses baby. I don't ever pose baby without a transition period. I oftentimes 'test the waters' by slowly removing the pressure to see if the pose will hold or not. Sometimes it takes me longer to pose baby than it does for me to grab the shots--and that's OK! I want the newborn photo experience to be a good one for everyone. Parents' Comfort

Parents are able to be as present as they want to be during the session. Some parents love to look over my shoulder while shooting, while others prefer to take a snooze on the couch. Either option works for me! I have some snacks and drinks on hand for you. A calm parent makes for a calm baby. If a parent is anxious about the pose, I swear baby will feed off that and become agitated easily.