Newborn babies can sleep up to 18 hrs /day in first few weeks of their lives. They grow, process and change constantly. During newborn photo shoot – depending where they are in their sleep cycle – they would be awake/asleep/ eat. Babies don’t sleep for more than two to four hours at a time, day or night, during the first few weeks of life. You can imagine how tricky the whole photo session can be!
Some call me a baby whisperer. I call it preparation, a good workflow and a lots of patience. These few things help me to keep baby sleepy and relaxed:
1. I allow the right temperature in my snuggly little studio. Your skin is very used to temperature changes, but imagine, that baby spend 9 months in very warm environment.
2. I swaddle baby as soon he/she arrives. Newborns loves being wrapped – it gives them sense of security – just like being in mummy’s womb.
3. Scheduling feedings – I ask my lovely clients to schedule baby’s feed either before coming to me or just after arriving. It helps to get in that sleep cycle.
4.White noise – I use Baby Shoosher which produces shhh… sound. babies are used to constant sounds inside mummy’s womb. It wakes them up when there is complete silence.
5.Keeping parents relaxed – happy parents – happy baby, simple as that. Babies can really sense parent’s stress.
6.My workflow – I start with swaddled shots, then props, leaving plenty time for feeds and cuddles. By the time we move to beanbag poses baby is normally fast asleep.
7. Rhythmic movement and holding baby close. Every baby is different and I can tell which baby likes which sort of motion.
8. I move babies in very calm, gentle way, so they are not waking up. If they do – I try to keep them assured and contented. It is also great to get those open eyes shots!
Comments