A mom and dad snuggle their newborn baby during their photo session.

when to take newborn photos

Congratulations! If you’re reading this then it likely means that either you are expecting a new baby in the near future or that your little one is here…way to go Mom and Dad! But when is the best time to take them? Read on to get some tips on when is the best time to schedule your newborn session!

Whether you are preparing for the birth of your new baby or you are adjusting to the *ahem* unusual and unscheduled routine of your newborn, you have already realized that getting this special season of life photographed is a must do. (if you’re trying to decide what type of newborn photography you might want then go check out this post…)

After you have decided what type of photographer you will hire then likely your next question is when are supposed to take newborn photos? You’ll find that most people – whether it’s moms in your local facebook group or a studio photographer will say it has to happen between 5 & 10 days old. But my answer as an Oklahoma newborn photographer is a little different….

lifestyle newborn photography gives you flexibility

For lifestyle newborn photography the window for newborn photos is so much larger ranging anywhere from a few days old to up to several weeks. Since my focus for newborn photos is on capturing the love, emotion and beauty of you and your precious new baby, I’m not concerned about the baby needing to be sleeping in order to make certain photos works or so super tiny to fit on a tiny little bed.

I want you to see those photos years down the road and be instantly washed with thoughts of love and awe. Which means right away might not be the best fit for you…

Things to consider

Your delivery and recovery experience will dictate much of the timing for you. If it’s been a really rough strenuous delivery you might need a few extra days to heal up before you are able to consider when to take newborn photos. Postpartum is also a time full of emotions as your body heals and adjusts to baby outside the womb. There can be nursing issues which means your sole focus must be on latching little one and making sure they are growing.

For me, my first child was born full term but did end up spending 2 weeks in the NICU making us fly past the normal studio range before we were ever home. Lifestyle newborn photography allows for so much more flexibility to work with all these challenges.

So in taking all these things into consideration…it means my typical recommendation of when to take newborn photos is anytime between 5 days  to 4 weeks old. But there’s a lot of wiggle room in that….It could be as soon as 3 days or up to 3 months if you really need it. Book your session before baby comes and then the exact date of when to take your newborn photos can be figured out after baby arrives.

In the newborn's nursery, a dad rocks his newborn son.
A mother holds her children during her newborn photo session in Edmond, OK.

if baby has arrived

If your little one has already made it’s appearance then let’s chat and get your session set up! You don’t want to miss out on the darling tiny details of this time…the way they snuggle deep into your chest, the itsy bitsy toes, the tuff of hair, the adoration you feel for this baby.

When should I book my newborn photography session?

Book it as soon as you know your little one is coming! Then you can take advantage of special pricing for booking and get a maternity session at a special rate too! 🙂 To make sure your favorite OKC newborn photographer has a slot for you try to book it before 26 weeks.

what time of day do I take newborn photos?

For my newborn sessions I recommend doing your session between 10-2pm. Most newborn babies are at their happiest during this window of the day as well I work with all natural light and that is often the better time to take photos. Occasionally depending on your home setting and desires we can do them early evening too but often little babies are not very happy about that arrangement. We want everyone to be as happy and relaxed as possible!

Related post – is my baby too old for a newborn photo session?

Hey! Charis here – your OKC family & newborn photographer i.e. memory catcher! I’m so glad you stopped by to check out this post. I’d love to hear your thoughts below in the comments and if you have any questions or want to book a session – reach out!

Other posts for further reading…

– Newborn Photo Session

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