When should you schedule your newborn session?
When should you schedule those newborn photos? I always say that the sooner you schedule them, the better. But generally, the beginning of the third trimester is a good timeframe.
For scheduling purposes, I encourage expecting moms to reach out no later than their third trimester. At that stage in your pregnancy, you start to focus on tying up loose ends with the nursery, your baby registry and doctor's appointments become more frequent. So, the last thing I would want is for the newborn photos to fall through the cracks. You've got a lot on your plate!
So, what date should you choose for your session? To keep things simple I like to schedule sessions on the actual due date. After you give birth, you can simply email me and let me know that your baby has arrived and we can go from there.
If your baby comes early, then it's likely we will keep your original due date as our target photoshoot date. If you go past your due date, we can easily adjust the date and push it back a week or two. Holding your due date on my calendar ensures that I do not overbook myself so that I can have the wiggle room I need in case we need to adjust things.
Here’s a timeline to follow:
Beginning of 3rd trimester - Reach out to me for availability
Schedule your session - I will hold your due date as our target session date. Remember, the target session date is not set in stone as it will need to adjust according to when you give birth.
Baby has arrived (yay!) - Shoot me an email and let me know
Baby has arrived 1-2 weeks early - We will likely keep your original due date as our target session date (may adjust a day or two later depending on how you're feeling).
Baby has arrived on or past the actual due date - We will move your session date to the future week or so according to how you're recovering.
Last thoughts: Don't stress at all about the date we schedule for. I’ve even had clients who have already had their babies contact me and I’ve been able to work them in. I know things come up. Pediatrician appointments. Issues with feedings. And sometimes there's just a little bit of troubleshooting those first few days after birth that needs some ironing out before you feel comfortable having your session. I'm very flexible and understand the importance of adjusting to motherhood!
