When To Book Your Maternity and Newborn Photo Sessions

You’re pregnant! Congratulations! You have so many amazing things to look forward to…and so many things you will need to get done before your sweet little baby arrives.

In addition to things like setting up the nursery, purchasing baby essentials, doctor appointments, and making sure you are prepared in every way possible, you know you would like to get newborn photos taken. But do you look for a photographer now or wait? Where does photography fall on the spectrum of things to do before the baby arrives? Maybe it’s not as important as other things so you think you will figure it out later in your pregnancy or maybe after you’ve had the baby. I’m here to tell you…don’t wait until you have your baby to book!

When To Book Your Newborn Photo Session

For me personally, I encourage my clients to book as early as they can. I think somewhere between 18-28 weeks is a good time (or as early as you feel comfortable). The earlier the better. When you book early, you will have a better selection of photographers…if you wait until the last minute, or worse- after you’ve already had your baby, you may run into problems booking your favorite photographer…or any photographer depending on the time of year. There’s such a small window if time where your baby is considered a newborn, you want to make sure you can find a photographer who can come during that short time frame.

Finding a Newborn and Maternity Photographer

Hiring the right photographer is important. Before deciding on a photographer to do your session, it's always a good idea to do a little research to see if you're a good fit. Check out their portfolio, their social media, and read their website and blogs. Not every photographer and client will fit well together, so it's important to find someone to capture your family that you trust and feel is a good fit for you.

There are many different styles of photography. You can’t expect to get ‘light and airy’ photos when you hire a photographer with a ‘dark and moody’ style. So it’s best to spend some time on Google and Instagram searching for photographers in your area. If you are in Chicago and you are looking for a photographer, I would search ‘Chicago newborn photographer’. Figure out the style of photography you like and go from there.

Another thing to take into consideration is if you want a lifestyle session at home, or a posed session at a studio. I am obviously partial to lifestyle home sessions, and you can read about why by clicking on the button below.

Maternity Photo Session?

I have many clients that intend on only doing a newborn session when they reach out to me, and then once I mention a maternity session, they decide they want to do that as well. It’s never a bad idea to document your family before the baby comes, or to get photos of yourself. In fact, being pregnant is a rare occasion for most women (some only experience it once in a lifetime), and it’s one of the most important times in your life! So why not capture that?

For my business specifically, your maternity session will take place anytime after you are 30 weeks. It’s a nice way to get know your photographer and create a rapport before doing newborn photos. Again, just remember to book early. I would make sure to get it booked by 26 weeks at the latest.

Not sold on a maternity session? Allow me to talk you into it…Click the button below to read about why you should do one.

After you have your baby

When you book your newborn session I will mark your due date on my calendar so I have an idea of when your baby will be born. Then once your baby is here, you will contact me to schedule the session. I prefer to photograph newborns before they are 14 days old, but I can be flexible with that. I usually schedule morning sessions as the light tends to be best in homes at that time, but afternoon can work as well if you have very well lit home.

I keep slots open every weekend for newborn shoots, so don’t worry about not being able to find a date.

Ready To Book?

Now that you’ve decided you’re ready to book your session…and chosen me as your photographer :)…you can click the button below to get started!