How ?new? does a newborn have to be for a Newborn Shoot?
January 21, 2015
I often get asked, ?is my newborn too old for a newborn shoot?’ The answer is never quite straightforward and varies from baby to baby, but I believe there is an optimum time.
Your newborn is only actually ?newly born’ for a few hours. As soon as you’ve survived your first night together you feel like she’s always been there, but although she’s already so familiar there’s still so much to be discovered.
For the first day or three you are in a haze, a daze, a crazy bubble- not quite seeing the world clearly and only focusing on your new arrival. You spend your time frantically analysing every twitch, blink, snort and squeak. While she is pretty oblivious to everything?
Then after a few more days when your body starts accepting it’s sleep deprived state, and you realise that your little one is actually more robust than you first thought, you begin to feel more human, reattaching yourself to the real world and looking towards the next stage ? venturing out with your not quite so newborn. Who is still pretty oblivious to everything!!
In my opinion, this is the best time for a Newborn Shoot.
At about 7-10 days most new mums are feeling brave enough to pack up the overflowing and shiny new changing bag and tackle the travel system for an outing into the world, whilst baby is still mostly sleeping and oblivious to anything except her tummy rumbles!
Past about the 2 week mark your baby will be aware of the ever-changing lights, sounds and smells surrounding them and will be way too excited to sleep on demand. And he will insist on stretching out those growing legs rather than being all ?scrunchy’!
However, this is not to say your baby is too old?. as the scrumptious Olivier has shown us it is still possible to have a super successful ?newborn’ shoot when you’re not quite so ?new’ born- it just takes a little more patience, a lot more cuddles, and the right photographer!
Katherine x
