How to book a priceless newborn photography session for your baby when they haven’t been born yet

I take bookings for newborn photoshoots months ahead, but you might be wondering how I do that, when babies are notoriously bad at arriving when they’re ‘supposed’ to! My boys were born 10 days late and 6 days early respectively, and they’re hardly alone. Only one in 20 babies arrives on their due date.

That said, the vast majority of babies are born within a week or two of their due date, so I use that to my advantage! In any given week, I only book a limited number of babies. This gives me flexibility in my diary to ensure I can fit all my babies in. It’s also a reason why I can get booked up early!

My clients typically book in early to give them that peace of mind that their session is reserved, and to know that it’s one less thing to worry about once baby arrives. And of course, it’s something exciting to do to prepare while you’re impatiently waiting for you little one to make their appearance.

So when is the best time to book?

If you’re able to, I highly recommended reserving your session around your 20 week scan. This guarantees your space in my diary and ensures you won’t miss out on those irreplaceable photographs of your baby.

Generally you’ll want to be in the studio in the first 21 days. That’s because that’s when babies are sleepiest and allow us to get those amazing curled up images. But once your baby is here, days fly past in a blur and it’s so easy for that perfect window to slip away, so it’s definitely something to think about in advance. There are also so many things to think about during pregnancy and those first few weeks of your baby’s life. It’s nice to know that your session is organised and confirmed – in the bag, so to speak!

If you’ve left it late and your little one has already arrived, it’s still worth contacting me to find out if I can squeeze you in. Occasionally I might have space where a baby has decided to keep their mummy waiting a little longer!

I’ll always do my best to fit you in if I can, as you never get this time back. It’s also a time when you can be in photographs with your baby – somehow mums always seem to be the people holding the camera rather than in front of the lens, and one day our children want to look back at photographs of us with them, rather than only of them.

What happens when my baby arrives?

Once your baby has been born, I simply ask that you get in touch as soon as you can. Don’t worry – it’s fine to wait a day or two! I’ll never say no to a quick snapshot of your little one, and I’m always excited to learn the name you’ve chosen for them too.

Then once I’ve heard from you, I’ll suggest a date or two for you to choose from. Just let me know your preference and we’re all set!

From there, it’s just a hop, skip and a jump before I’m opening the door to the studio and welcoming you in for your amazing photographic experience. Your job at that point is simply to sit back, relax and let me take care of you and your little one, soak in the atmosphere and have a couple of hours without a worry in the world.

My goal is that you walk away with beautiful photographs of course, but also that you remember the experience with great fondness.

To book your session today, contact me via email, telephone or message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.