I promised myself I’d try to blog more this year. Yet, here it is, and I just typed the words Washington DC Lifestyle Newborn Photographer and it’s mid-June and this session took place in February. Granted, this was not the easiest of years professionally in my teaching job or in my life, in general. The pandemic hit everyone differently, and while *maybe* we are coming out on the other side of it, this spring and winter were a complete whirlwind.
Luke came rather early, so he spent some time in the hospital. I’ve actually had a number of NICU babies this year, and I recommend to all of the parents that we do the session as quickly as possible when the baby gets home. Usually, the babies will still be all sleepy and act their gestational age, not their actual age. Luke did exactly that. He slept and was so easy. I was able to capture tons of photos of him solo, with his siblings, and with mom and dad.
I had wanted to refresh my newborn gear, and some of the outfits I bought specifically to use on Luke didn’t come till the day AFTER our session. I knew he was too tiny to fit into them still. I came back a few weeks later when he was traditional newborn size, and as you can see from those last images, he didn’t act anything like a newborn any more even though he fit in the clothes finally! He was awake and a complete rolly polly. This is why I always recommend trying to have a newborn session when the baby is between days five and twelve, especially if you want solo posed portraits. It’s much harder to get them to cooperate the older they get. It’s still fine to have a lifestyle session with a baby of any age, but it’s much harder to capture those sleepy, snuggly baby photos so many people love.
It’s also best to book me for a newborn session when you hit about 20 weeks. I put your date in my calendar, and as your Washington DC lifestyle newborn photographer, I will make sure I leave enough time open around your due date to accommodate a baby that is early or late. If you want a maternity session, I recommend having that session between the start of the third trimester and 35 weeks. I know from my own pregnancies, I just felt HUGE after that point.
If you want to book a newborn session, head on over to my Contact Page or e-mail me at teresa@tcjdesign.com. Be sure to tell me your due date and anything else you think I need to know about your pregnancy. I’m still being very covid conscious even though I’m vaccinated, as none of my children are yet and my youngest is immune compromised. I learned this week that all students at my school will be required to get the covid vaccine, so that makes me feel even safer for my newborns that are born during the school year. I still wear a mask for indoor shoots, and I can even give you info on how to wrap if you prefer I don’t handle your baby. All newborn gear is cleaned and sanitized between use. Just don’t want to email me if you want me to be your Washington DC lifestyle newborn photographer.
