You may have read or heard that newborn sessions must always take place within the first two weeks after birth. Luckily for in-home lifestyle newborn sessions – which is what I offer - this is not the case. My sessions are flexible and sometimes for various reasons it is not possible for you to have a newborn session in those early weeks – or you simply don’t feel ready for it and that is totally okay. So if your baby is already a few weeks old please don’t worry, you absolutely haven’t missed the boat for a newborn session. I’ve written this blog post about an in-home newborn session with an 8-week-old baby and her parents in South East London to show you what your session may look like with a slightly older newborn.
Why consider a newborn session a few weeks in
Doing a newborn session with an older newborn does have some great benefits. By 8 weeks, parents often feel more settled at home, routines are starting to fall into place, and feeds are generally a little longer apart — which allows for a calmer session. Additionally, babies are usually more alert, giving you more opportunity for eye contact and, in some cases, those magical first smiles.
Traditional early newborn sessions vs. later sessions
Traditional 1–2 Week Sessions:
- Baby is at their sleepiest, allowing lots of photos of cosy cuddles
- Opportunity to capture those classic curled-up newborn shots
- Perfect for capturing tiny, delicate features in the very first days
- Ideal if you wish to capture your baby at their tiniest
6–8 Week Sessions (like this one):
- Slightly longer gaps between feeds allow for a more relaxed pace
- Parents have had time to settle into life at home
- Baby is more alert, offering more natural expressions, eye contact, and sometimes early smiles (although this is obviously not guaranteed)
Both approaches have their unique advantages — it’s all about what works best for your family and your priorities for those first memories.
A calm, home-based session
This newborn session took place in the family’s home in South East London. My newborn sessions always take place in your own home where you are most comfortable and have everything you need at your fingertips. Your home is also where a lot of your family memories are made so it’s important for me to capture some of that environment in your photos too. After a quick look around the house, I chose to shoot the majority of the session in the couple’s master bedroom and downstairs living room which offered the best natural light for photos. I focused on creating a calm and unhurried environment so that baby and parents could feel completely comfortable.
Capturing connection and details
We captured a mix of images: baby with both parents, mum and baby together, dad and baby, and solo portraits of their little girl. I also made sure to highlight tiny details — her delicate fingers, tiny toes, and sweet expressions that change so quickly in these first weeks. The result was a varied gallery of heartfelt, natural images that truly reflect this family’s love and the precious early weeks of parenthood.
If you’re currently expecting a baby or have recently given birth, and like the sound and look of my approach to newborn sessions do download my pricing guide here and get in touch to enquire about booking a date.
Pauliina is a London-based lifestyle family & newborn photographer and a mum to two boys. Find out more at https://www.prootsphotography.co.uk/ or follow @prootsphotography on Instagram.
