You're expecting a new baby! Congratulations!
Welcoming a newborn is an exciting and miraculous time for families. It's also busy and sometimes overwhelming as you prepare your home and family for the new addition. There is so much to do in the 9 months leading up to your due date. The to-do list seems endless between doctor's appointments, daydreaming about baby names and researching car seats. Unfortunately, newborn (and maternity) photography can sometimes get overlooked until it's too late. Every parent deserves newborn photos to capture those brand new baby details. Somewhere between determining nursery colors and buying diapers, scheduling your photography session with your newborn photographer is essential. Here are 5 reasons you want to book your newborn photoshoot well before your baby arrives:
Reason #1: Newborn Sleep Deprivation is Real
I sincerely hope you are one of the lucky parents of a child who immediately loves sleep. However, the ugly truth is that many newborns just don't sleep through the night. Their bellies only hold so much food, and they're busy growing, so it's natural that they get hungry throughout the night. So while you adjust to the cat naps between feedings, snuggle times and trying to be an operational human being, finding a newborn photographer in Mt. Pleasant, MI, simply isn't going to be a top priority.
Booking a newborn photography session before your baby arrives is a gift you'll thank yourself for later. Choose a photographer who fits your style and budget with a clear and rested brain. They grow a little bit more every day. Cherish their seemingly impossibly perfect little details for a lifetime.
Reason #2: Money Doesn't Grow on Trees
Anyone claiming that babies don't cost much is either a financial genius or hasn't shopped the baby section in a while. Of course, clothes, diapers, food (even if you're breastfeeding, you have to eat more), and medical bills all have a financial impact. But, it doesn't mean that you have to forgo potentially the most important photos of your baby's new life.
It may seem like a stretch of the budget to splurge on baby pictures, but booking your photography session in advance lets you plan for it in the budget longer. These are once-in-a-lifetime photos. It isn't like extra clothes, toys, and playpens that can wait a few weeks. You can't freeze time, but you can take photos to cherish the moments longer.
Scheduling your newborn photography session allows you to break up the payments. Plus, you won't have to settle for the photographer you can afford. Instead, you can get the pictures you'll genuinely treasure for a lifetime.
Reason #3: Try Photography Services Before They're Irreplaceable
Contacting your Michigan newborn photographer before your due date allows you to get comfortable with them before picture day. You can even try their photography experience with maternity photography. The last thing you want is to get your baby's pictures back and they're not what you hoped.
If you can, try doing a test run with your photographer before your baby's photoshoot. All photographers have a unique style and personality. What we do in one photography session is reminiscent of what we'll do in all others. You'll get to know your photographer well during a maternity photography session. Do your personalities work well together? Are they patient/accommodating? Is their photography studio clean and comfortable? If anything feels off, you still have time to find someone new.
Once you've gone through the maternity photography experience, you'll also have an idea of the quality of photos you'll receive. At the very least, you'll get to see sneak peeks before your baby arrives. If you wait until your newborn is here, they'll be out of the posable newborn stage before you see the proofs. You want to ensure you have the right newborn photographer the first time; there are no "redos" in newborn photography. Plus, you can often bundle maternity and newborn photography together to save!
Reason #4: There is a Small Window of Pose-Ability
You need to act fast if you want those adorable, bundled poses of your baby sleeping sweetly. Once your little one is about 14 days old, they'll begin to realize that they aren't in the warm (and confined) space of their mama's womb. They'll instinctively start to stretch out, and once they do, it's more challenging to get them to squeeze into those picture-perfect poses. If you book your baby's photography session in advance, you're more likely to get the photographer that you want during the time frame you want.
You may be wondering what happens if your baby doesn't arrive on time or comes early. You've spent money on the session; you don't want to lose it because your baby decided to stay put a little longer. All newborn photographers realize that due dates are primarily suggestions and accommodate the circumstances.
Newborn photographers leave the time available in the schedule to flex to your baby's arrival, but we can only do that if you've gotten us involved in advance. Unfortunately, we haven't mastered the art of mind-reading yet (at least I haven't), so you'll need to contact us to let us know to keep the room in the schedule because you're expecting! Schedule your photo session early to ensure that you get the photos you want, no matter what happens.
Reason #5: You're More Likely to Book Your Favorite Newborn Photographer
That leads us to our last and final reason to schedule your newborn photography ASAP. Photographers, especially newborn photographers, tend to book up quickly. Although they may not be in a session 24/7, many infant photographers only take a limited number of sessions, so we have that flexibility for arrival dates.
We also don't love to crowd too many sessions into a day, either. We know that babies cry, spit up, get hungry, you name it during their newborn photography studio sessions. It happens. Newborn photographers know and expect this, so we give extra time for sessions. For us, it's about quality, not quantity. Unfortunately, this also means that spaces are limited, so booking in advance is necessary to ensure you work with the photographer you want.
When Should You Book Your Newborn Photography Session?
So, how far in advance should you book your newborn portraits? A day? A week? The best time to schedule your newborn photography session is as soon as you enter your second trimester. By week 13, you and the baby have safely overcome many of the health concerns of pregnancy and are well on your way to a healthy baby. It's a great time to celebrate!
Contact Your Newborn Photographer in Mt. Pleasant, MI
Are you ready to secure your maternity and newborn photography sessions? I've owned and operated a newborn photography studio in Mount Pleasant, Michigan for more than a decade. I love getting to know local families and capturing these moments for you to enjoy for a lifetime. Send me a message today to schedule a free consultation to create a picture day as memorable as the photos themselves. Then, you can check this off of your to-do list!
External Resources:
The Postpartum Party | The Best Time to Take Newborn Photos
University of Michigan | Newborn Growth and Development