Hello hello! I will take a guess that you’re here either because you’re expecting a little one or you’ve already booked a fresh 48 newborn session with me!

I wanted to take a little time to write a blog post about preparing for your fresh 48 newborn session.

Fresh 48 newborn sessions are one of my favorites because the first few days with your new baby fly by and I believe you deserve to have photos to remember those moments.

Let’s take a look on how to prepare for a fresh 48 session!

feed your baby right before the session

Newborns typically eat whenever they feel like it so it’s likely you don’t have a feeding schedule yet. I recommend making sure the baby has eaten within the last 45 minutes of your session to ensure a happy baby. Of course we can take feeding breaks during the session if additional feeds are needed!

Have your baby already wearing the hospital shirt & blanket

This is another way to ensure a smooth start to your fresh 48 session. I would actually recommend changing your baby into the hospital shirt & wrap with the blanket either right before or after the feed. That way the baby is warm and cozy and this also means we can take a variety of images during your session without having to make the baby cold or uncomfortable.

Clear the bed and window area

Lifestyle family photography falls between documentary photography and traditional photography. I want you to have the most meaningful photos documenting family connection so I will take some time to make sure that the areas we are photographing are clean.

If there is something in the background/window area that doesn’t help tell the story of your new baby’s birth, let’s move it out of the way.

The focus of a fresh 48 session is the new baby & family connection!

Wear a robe or comfortable clothing

Mamas - you just went through one of the most challenging things of bringing your baby into this world. You might not feel beautiful or feel like you need photos, but let me tell you - YOU NEED PHOTOS OF YOUR NEW BABY AND YOUR FAMILY.

A robe is typically something I recommend because it’s easy to put on, take off, and it’s loose which helps to make you look super beautiful!

If a robe is not your thing, wear something else that makes you feel comfortable and doesn’t limit you moving around or breastfeeding for example.

Let your nurse know ahead of time

One last way to prepare for your fresh 48 session is to let the nursing or staff members know you will have a short photoshoot. The nursing staff come in and out of the room frequently so it will be a good idea to let them know the time of your session so they can expect to check on you before or after.

I can’t think of a time that I did a fresh 48 session and the nursing staff didn’t come in, however, if there is testing/updates/monitoring they can do before or after the session it will be less distracting to your family.

Thank you so much for reading this blog post and I hope you learned some ways to prepare for your fresh 48 session!

Did I leave anything out? Leave a comment below!

I want to book a fresh 48 session!

With the COVID pandemic affecting so many parts of life over the last 2.5 years, it’s no surprise that the way people work and do business has changed. When this family reached out to me, the hospital was still limiting visitors which meant I wouldn’t be able to do their Fresh 48 at the hospital as planned.

The family wanted to make sure their sweet baby girl’s photos were still taken within a few days of birth so do you know what? We had to pivot to doing the Fresh 48 session at home! And the session was so beautiful!

So what does a Fresh 48 session at home look like?

It looks like parents soaking in every moment they can with their baby within a few days of being born.

She was a sleepy baby and we got the family all together, had her held delicately by mom and dad, and we had to make sure to get her in the hospital blanket & hat. This was actually the first time I did an in-home Fresh 48 and I’m so lucky I got to do this!

I loved how natural this session was and because baby girl was so laid back, we were able to get a variety of photos of her. I knew that I was going to see the family for a lifestyle newborn session in a few weeks so I wanted to keep this session focused more in the living room and nursery area.