Booking newborn photos is exciting, but as your session gets closer, it's easy for the questions to start creeping in.


What if my baby cries the whole time?


What if they won't sleep?


What if we have to stop to feed them?


What if my toddler wants absolutely nothing to do with pictures?


If you've thought any of these things, I want you to know one thing before you ever walk into my studio:


Your baby does not have to "cooperate" for us to have a beautiful newborn session.


Newborns are unpredictable. That's kind of their thing! My job isn't to expect your brand-new baby to follow a photography schedule. My job is to work around them.


So, here are five things you absolutely do not need to stress about before your newborn session.

1. "What if my baby cries?"


They probably will at some point!


And that's completely normal.


Your baby is in a new environment, being moved around, wrapped, unwrapped, and posed. Sometimes they simply decide they've had enough and need a minute with Mom or Dad.


We stop.


We soothe.


We snuggle.


And then we try again.


A crying baby doesn't mean your session is going badly, and I promise I'm not behind the camera thinking, Oh no, this baby is difficult.


They're a newborn. Crying is literally how they communicate!


There is plenty of room in a newborn session to slow down and figure out what baby needs.

Newborn baby girl swaddled in purple knit wrap with bow headband, sleeping peacefully on lavender background.

2. "What if my baby won't sleep?"


This is probably one of the biggest worries I hear from parents.


Everyone pictures newborn photos with a perfectly sleepy little baby curled up in adorable poses, so naturally parents worry when their baby decides session day is the PERFECT day to stay awake and look at everything.


But awake newborn photos can be absolutely precious.


Those wide eyes staring up at you, tiny expressions, yawns, stretches and curious little looks are part of your baby's newborn stage too.


We'll always do what we can to help baby get comfortable and sleepy when we need to, but your entire gallery isn't ruined if your little one decides they're interested in what's going on.


Sometimes those awake photos end up being favorites.

Newborn baby swaddled in a soft beige knit wrap, lying on a fluffy cream fur blanket during a professional photo session.

3. "What if my baby needs to eat during the session?"


Then we feed them!


Please don't ever feel like you're "wasting session time" because your baby needs to eat.


Newborn sessions are intentionally designed with babies in mind. Feeding, diaper changes, soothing and cuddling are all normal parts of the experience.


Sometimes a full belly is exactly what we need to get baby settled and ready for the next part of the session.


Whether you're nursing or bottle feeding, we'll simply take a break and continue when baby is ready.


There is absolutely no need to apologize for taking care of your baby.

A mother in a tan dress sits on a chair bottle-feeding her newborn baby against a white backdrop.

4. "What if my toddler doesn't cooperate for sibling photos?"


Ahhh, toddlers. 😂


If you're bringing an older sibling—especially a two- or three-year-old—please don't spend the morning begging them to "be good for pictures."


I don't expect your toddler to sit perfectly still, smile directly at my camera, gently hold their new sibling and follow every direction I give them.


They're little too!


We keep sibling photos relaxed, work quickly, and make things as fun as possible.


Sometimes the sweetest sibling photo isn't the perfectly posed one anyway. It might be big brother leaning over to check on the baby, a quick kiss on the forehead, or a tiny hand reaching over to touch their new sibling.


Those little interactions are part of the story.

Young blonde boy smiling while playing inside a classic wooden baby crib with spindle rails.

5. "What if there's a poop, pee, or spit-up accident?"


I'm going to let you in on a secret:


It happens ALL. THE. TIME.


Seriously.


If you're worried your baby is going to pee on a blanket, poop during an unwrapped pose, spit up on something—or even pee on me—please don't be embarrassed.


When you work with naked newborns, you know what you're signing up for. 😂


Everything used during newborn sessions is cleaned appropriately between babies, and accidents are something I'm fully prepared for.


We'll clean it up, grab something fresh, and keep going.


No big deal.

Newborn baby swaddled in beige knit wrap, wearing bear ear hat, holding tiny teddy bear on fluffy fur rug.

Your Only Job Is to Enjoy Your Baby


You don't need to come into your newborn session worried about whether your baby is going to "do well."

There is no grade at the end.

There is no perfect newborn session.


Some babies sleep almost the entire time. Some want extra feeds. Some love being wrapped. Some would rather have their little arms free. Some give us approximately three seconds to capture a pose before deciding they're done with it.


I work with the baby you bring me.

That's part of what you're hiring me for.

Your job is to sit back, love on your baby, and let me worry about the rest.

Peaceful newborn baby swaddled in a soft white knit wrap, sleeping soundly against a light gray background.
Newborn baby girl sleeping peacefully wearing a purple bow headband, wrapped in a soft lavender blanket.
Newborn baby swaddled in white wrap sleeping peacefully on black and white checkered background.
Newborn baby girl sleeping peacefully wrapped in lavender, holding a tiny knit bear, wearing a purple bow headband.

You Don't Need a "Perfect"

Baby for Beautiful Photos

If there's one thing I want expecting parents to take away from this, it's that your newborn doesn't need to behave a certain way for me.


Please don't spend the days leading up to your session worrying about whether they'll sleep, whether they'll cry, or whether everything will go according to plan.


They just need to show up and be exactly who they are.


We'll take care of the rest. 🤍


If you're expecting and looking for a Middle Tennessee newborn photographer, I'd love to help document those tiny details, sleepy snuggles, and everything in between.

INQUIRE HERE