The arrival of your newborn is a huge moment in your family’s life. Those first few weeks are a time of adjustment, bonding, and sleepless nights. Many parents feel rushed to schedule newborn photography sessions within the first two weeks of their baby’s life because that’s when many photographers say they need to happen. I have a different philosophy – you don’t have to have newborn photos taken before baby turns 2 weeks old. I’m sharing the benefits of waiting to have your newborn photos done until after your baby is older than 2 weeks.

Their personality begins to show when you have your newborn photos

While those early days are filled lots of sleeping, babies older than two weeks begin to share their little personalities. They start to make eye contact, react to sounds, and even flash little smiles. Capturing these emerging traits in your newborn session are details that you’ll want to remember of your baby’s early life.

You’re getting settled

The first few weeks of parenthood can be a whirlwind of exhaustion and adjustment. Opting for a newborn session when your baby is older than two weeks can give you time to settle in. If there are any older siblings, this is also a period of adjustment for them! Let’s give the older brothers and sisters some time to get used to the new baby in the house also.

You start to feel like yourself

No one really talks about this, but childbirth is a medical event! Give yourself some time to heal and start to feel like yourself. There’s no rush to have your newborn photos done within 2 weeks of birth. You’ll be much more comfortable in your own skin which will reflect in your pictures.

You can capture newborn milestones

The first few weeks of your baby’s life are filled with rapid changes and milestones. Waiting for a slightly older newborn session allows you to capture these significant developments, such as lifting their head, stretching their limbs, and being awake for longer periods of time. These are little moments that you’ll cherish being able to look back at for years to come.

The benefit of having a First 48 session and an in-home newborn session

Many of my Fort Worth clients hire me to photograph a First 48 session and an in-home newborn lifestyle session. Having these two very different sets of photographs is a special way to be able to see how much baby grows and changes in the first few weeks. The First 48 sessions are more documentary in style and are a great opportunity to capture you getting to know your new baby, siblings meeting for the first time, and just the rawness of those first few days. Being able to compare photos from a First 48 session to a newborn session several weeks later is a unique opportunity that my clients love to take advantage of.

Waiting until your newborn is older than 2 weeks offers so many opportunities of moments that you’ll want to remember. From capturing emerging personalities and having time to settle in to starting to feel like yourself again, there are numerous benefits to consider. Regardless of the timing that works best for your family, the key is to find a skilled photographer who specializes in capturing this fleeting time.

If you’d like to learn more about my in-home newborn sessions, I’d love to talk. You can reach out through my contact form here.