For the most part, the right age for a newborn session is a personal choice for your newborn photographer. Some will say under 7 days, some will say under 10 days, some stick to under 2 weeks. For me, I like them between 2-3 weeks old, with dad’s work schedule, I rarely get them in at 3 weeks, so it’s usually sometime under 21 days. I do however avoid the 10th day. I find babies cluster feed and fuss so much more on that dreaded 10th day.
Now if baby is a premie, I choose for the most part to adjust accordingly to the due date. Many premies have some form of NICU stay, and that may delay them getting in for newborn photos in the ideal 3 week window.
The reason I like them around 2-3 weeks is simple. They are pudgier 🙂 In all honesty, baby’s are going to cooperate if they want to cooperate. Yes, a different day might help, but who’s to know which day that baby wakes up in the best mood. At 14-21 days, they are getting the hang of nursing, Mom has had a small chance to recover, and hopefully get some rest.
Now, I will always tell parents, there is a chance, once we’ve passed the 3-4 week range, that baby won’t be as curly. Once they’ve stretched those legs, they do not want to curl back up. They begin to be more alert and awake also. These factors can sometimes play a role in the right age for a newborn session. So I always consider those factors.
Go into your session knowing that my patience and attention to detail is going to get us the best images of your adorable little one. And their age is only one piece to the puzzle.
Meet Kru, at 4 weeks old, and only 4 pounds. She was complete perfection for me, I don’t think she made a single peep the entire session.
