If you're looking for an in-home newborn photographer in London, it's a good idea to get in touch while pregnant. I recommend booking during the second trimester or early in the third trimester so we can pencil in a session shortly after your due date, while keeping some flexibility for when your baby actually arrives.
At this stage, we of course don't need to know exactly when your baby will arrive. We'll simply choose a provisional date based on your due date, usually within around two weeks of it. However, babies don't always stick to our carefully organised plans! That's why I always keep some weekdays free in my diary around my newborn bookings. Once your baby arrives, we'll confirm the best date for your session depending on when they were born and how you're all doing. This means you don't need to worry if your baby arrives early or decides to make you wait a little longer. The date we initially pencil in is flexible.
Why is it worth booking in advance?
Although I keep some flexibility in my diary for newborn sessions, I can only guarantee that I have space for you within the first few weeks after birth if you've booked in advance. If you’d like to capture those early days with your tiny, sleepy, scrunched-up newborn while everything is still new, I recommend doing the session in the first 1-3 weeks. Because I limit the number of newborn sessions I take on, I make sure I have enough availability around each family's due date rather than filling my diary completely months ahead. You can of course have a newborn session past the first 3 weeks but your baby will start to get a little bigger and become more alert.
Booking during pregnancy means you can have your session arranged before the baby arrives, without having to think about finding a photographer and doing all the research while you're recovering from birth and getting used to life with a newborn (which can be a big change especially for first-time parents!).
A baby girl at 2 weeks old
A baby boy at four weeks old
I’m having a C-section – does this change things?
If you’re booked in for a C-section then choosing a date for your newborn session is usually fairly straightforward. For planned caesarean births I typically recommend booking the session roughly two weeks after the surgery to give you both time to recover. Recovery from a C-section varies a lot from one mum to another; some feel fine within days while others take much longer. If your recovery is slow and you need more time then we can of course push the date of your session back, just like with the more unpredictable births.
What if I've left it too late?
If you're reading this with a very full-term bump - or even with your newborn already in your arms - please don't assume you've missed your chance. If your baby is due very soon, or you've already given birth, get in touch anyway. I may well still have availability, and I'll always do my best to fit you in where I can. I just can't guarantee that I'll have a suitable date available at short notice especially if you are restricted to certain days of the week for example.
Please don't worry if your baby is already a few weeks old. While many people associate newborn photography with those first sleepy days, my relaxed, natural approach doesn't depend on your baby being a particular age or sleeping through the whole session. Here are a couple of sample photos from older newborn sessions.
A baby girl at eight weeks old
A baby boy at 3 months old
When will our actual photoshoot take place?
For most families who book in advance, the session will take place within the first couple of weeks after your baby arrives, but there isn't a strict deadline. Because I photograph families naturally in their own homes, rather than relying on elaborate posed setups, I can work with your baby whether you are still in those early weeks or a little further along.
Your baby might sleep for most of the session. They might need lots of feeding breaks. They might be wide awake and curious about everything going on. All of that is completely fine and normal. The aim isn't to make your baby behave like a perfect newborn model. It's to capture you, your baby and your family as you are in those early days or weeks together.
Can I also book a maternity session?
Of course! Pregnancy is such a unique chapter in your life, and I'd love to capture it for you. A maternity photoshoot is also a lovely opportunity for us to meet before your baby arrives, so that by the time we get together for your newborn session, we're already a little more familiar with each other.
I recommend scheduling your maternity session between 28 and 35 weeks of pregnancy, when your bump is usually nicely visible but you're hopefully still feeling relatively comfortable. However, this can be flexible depending on your circumstances.
You can read more about when to book your maternity photography session in my dedicated blog post. If you're planning to book both a maternity and a newborn session, I also offer a discount when you book the two together. Get in touch for more details!
Thinking about booking?
If you're expecting a baby and would love relaxed, natural newborn photographs at home in London, I'd love to hear from you. The best time to get in touch is during your second trimester or early in the third trimester but if you're further along - or your baby has already arrived - please get in touch anyway. I'll always do my best to find a date that works. To find out more, check out my newborn photography portfolio, download my pricing guide and get in touch to enquire about booking.
Pauliina is a London-based lifestyle newborn & family photographer and a mum to two boys. Find out more at https://www.prootsphotography.co.uk/ or follow @prootsphotography on Instagram.
