As an Edmonton newborn photographer, I feel incredibly lucky to capture these precious early days and document every tiny little feature of a newborn baby. Surprisingly, the question I get asked most often during my sessions is:
“How does my baby listen to you?”
or
“Can you teach me what to do?”
After photographing more than 100 newborns over the past few years, I’ve learned that while every baby is unique, there are a few gentle techniques that can work wonders to help keep them calm, sleepy, and content during a newborn photography session.
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Here are four simple tips that can help create a smooth and successful newborn photography experience:
Tip 1 — Feed on Demand
One of the most common reasons a newborn becomes fussy is simply hunger. While many parents try to follow a strict feeding schedule, newborns often need more flexibility during their early weeks. Their appetites change quickly as they grow, and they naturally eat until they feel full and satisfied.
I’ve photographed babies as young as 5 days old who happily drank up to 80ml in one feeding. I’ve also met babies who only needed 60ml at a time but preferred multiple smaller feedings throughout the day during their first month. Every baby is different.
Rather than focusing too much on exact amounts or strict timing, it’s often more important to let your baby finish feeding fully before the photography session begins. A full tummy usually leads to a calm, sleepy baby, perfect for those cozy newborn portraits.
I don’t set time limit to all of my newborn sessions, as a luxury newborn session experience provider who foucsing on experience, I want your baby to feel gentle and soft care and also a relaxing and stress-free experience for you.
Tip 2 — Embrace the Comfort of Swaddling
For the past ten months, your baby has been safely tucked inside the warm and snug environment of the womb. Coming into the outside world can feel overwhelming at first.
While adults often enjoy open spaces and freedom, newborns usually feel more secure when they’re gently wrapped and supported. Swaddling recreates that cozy womb-like feeling and helps babies feel safe, settled, and comforted.
During my newborn photography sessions, swaddling is often my go-to technique for calming a fussy baby after feeding, and it works beautifully most of the time.
This doesn’t mean your entire gallery will only include wrapped poses. Swaddling simply helps babies fall into a deeper sleep first, making it much easier to transition them safely into unwrapped poses afterward.
Tip 3 — Use White Noise
Many parents believe complete silence is the key to helping a newborn sleep. After spending so much effort getting your baby to fall asleep, it’s natural to want to keep everything as quiet as possible.
But babies are actually very used to sound before they’re born.
Inside the womb, babies constantly hear their mother’s heartbeat, breathing, movement, and other soft background noises throughout the day. The womb is surprisingly noisy — and comforting.
That’s why white noise can be incredibly soothing for newborns. Playing gentle white noise or womb sounds during a newborn photography session recreates a familiar environment and helps babies relax more easily.
White noise can also help babies gradually adjust to the outside world, allowing them to sleep more deeply even when there’s gentle background noise around them.
Tip 4 — Gentle Movement Helps
Life inside the womb is full of gentle movement. As moms walk, work, and go about their day, babies are constantly being softly rocked and swayed.
Because of this, many newborns naturally find comfort in gentle motion after birth as well. Slow rocking or gentle swinging can help calm a baby and encourage sleep much faster. It’s the same reason so many babies drift off peacefully during a car ride.
If you’ve read my newborn preparation guide, you may notice that I often recommend parents take a short drive before arriving at the studio. The gentle movement from the car ride can help babies fall into a deeper sleep before the session even begins.
Of course, babies should always be handled carefully and supported properly. Never shake a baby. I always tell parents to treat their newborn gently: delicate, calm movements help babies feel safe and secure.
A Helpful Newborn Guide for First-Time Parents
If you’re a first-time parent and feeling unsure about caring for your newborn, I highly recommend the official guide from Alberta Health Services. This should include every basic things that you need to know for taking care of a newborn.
It’s a wonderful resource filled with helpful information to support you during those overwhelming early newborn days and help you feel more confident as a new parent.
By following these simple tips, you can help create a calm and peaceful experience for both you and your baby during your newborn photography session.
Samantha, the visionary behind Little One Photography, is a passionate photographer with a special gift for capturing the essence of newborns and families. As an awarded newborn photographer, she has honed her craft to create timeless, emotive portraits that families cherish for generations. Samantha’s warm personality and patient approach put even the tiniest clients at ease, allowing her to capture genuine moments of connection and love.
