When should you take newborn photos? This is a question we get asked a lot, and the answer can vary.  At our Pittsburgh newborn studio, we have everything to photograph brand new babies. Read on to find out about the ideal timeline for newborn photos!

When should you take newborn photos?

As a general rule of thumb, we like to photograph newborns within the first two weeks (ideally 5-14 days old). But why? Newborns are extra sleepy in the timeframe. They still like to be curled up like they were in the womb, which is perfect for wrapping them up and posing them in our props. We find that we can typically change the baby’s wraps and setups and they will generally stay asleep or fall back asleep easily. 

What if my baby is a preemie?

Maybe you’ve gotten a big surprise and your baby came a little (or a lot!) early. That’s ok! Whether they had a stay the NICU or had to have some extra care at home, preemies may not make it to us in the first two weeks. Generally, we suggest adjusting the two-week timeframe to fit their original due date. They may awakened a little more easily, but we have a lot of techniques to ensure that we get some good sleepy setups done! And because the babies are wrapped for their session, sleep comes a little easier!

Help! I just had my baby but we are past the 2 weeks

Totally ok! We always suggest booking well ahead of your due date, but if we have room in our schedule, we will fit you in. The session might go a little longer or have 1 or 2 less setups, but we can typically get just as many photos for a 3 or 4 week old baby.  We may even get some sweet awake shots. And if you’ve missed the newborn window completely, ask us for our 3-month or sitter session availability! We don’t offer a ton of these sessions, but we can sometimes make these work. 

So when should you take newborn photos? Our ideal window is within the first two weeks. This usually ensures the best, sleepiest session with the most options for props. But don’t stress if it doesn’t work out! We can adjust a few things and still get beautiful newborn studio photos after that time. More questions or ready to book? Email us at kellyadriennephotography@gmail.com. Want to see some examples of our wrapped sessions done within two weeks? Click here!