What if my Newborn Baby Doesn't Sleep During the Newborn Session?

I get asked this question a lot at the start of newborn sessions when parents walk into the studio with a bright eyed, ready to party babe or in between setups when baby decides she/he'd like to take a peek around at her/his surroundings. Don't fear! I can still get great images even if baby doesn't want to sleep!

The studio is always warm to keep your newborn comfortable. Remember, newborns are used to a woman's internal temp of 98.6 degrees in the womb. We will be warm; but baby will be content. I also send a session preparation email before your newborn session to guide you on how to get your baby nice & sleepy prior to his/her session.

A lot of the time, babies will come into the studio with eyes open, I wrap babies for the family portion of the session, so once baby is swaddled, most babies will drift into dreamland pretty quickly. Sometimes newborns are awake for the entire portion of the family poses, which is totally OK! Awake newborns can make for some adorable images!

So what happens if we've done the family portion & baby is STILL awake?!

I have been photographing newborns for over 11 years, so I always, always have a backup plan on any setups I plan for. If we finish the family portion & your sweet curious newborn still doesn't want to drift into dreamland, we work with it!

A lot of my prop setups are wrapped poses anyways so when newborns are awake it simply adds more personality to their shoot! Most newborns will eventually fall asleep after being swaddled for a few setups.

I also do not watch the clock - I truly work on baby's time. Newborns need lots of mom/dad cuddles & tend to eat more during sessions as they are being handled differently than just being held. Newborn sessions with me typically run between 2-3 hours. My ultimate goal is a happy, calm baby whether that be wide awake or zonked out. Newborns surely run the show!

Honestly, I try to get a few awake shots either in the beginning or at the end of a session. Nothing better than seeing those bright eyes filled with wonder! I even adore the shots of baby cross eyed!

Same baby, same session day.

More adorable wide-awake babes!