Three Reasons to Photograph Older Newborn Babies
Three reasons to photograph older babies
I hear it all the time, parents feel like they’ve missed the 1-2 week old ‘window’ for newborn photos so they end up skipping photos all together. The 1-2 week old window became a trend with very posed newborn photography… it was important for babies to be completely asleep to bend them into positions with props. While I do photograph many newborns in the 1-2 week range for parents who want to capture those fresh first weeks, there are actually several advantages to holding off on newborn photos until about 6-8 weeks.
More time to recover from birth
As a postpartum doula, I can’t stress enough how important it is to get good rest in those first weeks of recovery. You will be in adult diapers for weeks or you may be healing from surgery. Many parents feel less overwhelmed inviting me over after having more time to recover and they’re able to move around better.
Babies are really awesome around 6 weeks old
Babies have woken up a bit and are more alert. There is a good chance you can get photos of your baby’s open eyes. Baby acne that usually makes an appearance around 3-4 weeks has usually cleared. Babies may even start smiling between 6-8 weeks!
Finding your groove as a family
The biggest lesson I learned with my own baby is that everything comes in phases and everything will always be changing. The routines and needs of your baby will look different in a few weeks. The first few weeks after bringing home a baby are a huge adjustment period. While they’ll still be eating every few hours and you won’t get consolidated sleep for some time, there is a groove you’ll find around the one month mark that will feel more manageable.
“You will never have this day with your child again. Tomorrow they’ll be a little
older than they were today. This day is a gift. Breathe and notice. Smell and touch them; study their faces and little feet and pay attention. Relish the charms of the present. Enjoy today, mama. It will be over before you know it.”