Everything you need to know before your newborn session in the studio – read at your own pace, ticked off once, and the day runs by itself.
You do not have to get anything perfect. But a few small things decide whether your baby sleeps deeply during the session or we spend two hours soothing. Exactly those small things are listed here – nothing more.
The pictures are loveliest between the fifth and fourteenth day of life. In this time newborns sleep deeply, can be curled up softly and keep the rounded posture from the womb. After that they become more awake and stretch out more – it is still possible, just different.
It is best to get in touch already during the pregnancy and tell me your due date. I keep the window free, and we set the exact day once your baby has arrived.
If you are breastfeeding: nothing spicy and nothing gas-forming for 24 hours beforehand. A baby with a sore tummy cannot be settled – that is the most common reason a session becomes restless.
Trim everyone's nails short and skip bright polish, the siblings included. In close-ups your hands lie right beside your baby's face and are clearly visible in the pictures.
Pack the bag the evening before. A morning with a newborn leaves no time for searching.
This is the most important point on this page. Keep your baby awake for about an hour before the session, as well as you can – tickle, undress, change, talk to them. A baby that slept just beforehand stays awake in the studio.
Ein warm bath about an hour beforehand makes many babies pleasantly sleepy. Lovely if it fits – but not a must.
Feed right before you leave and change the nappy once more afterwards. A full nappy reliably wakes a sleeping baby.
If your baby falls asleep in the car seat on the way: simply leave them in ituntil we begin. We only take them out once everything is ready.
Beige, cream, grey, soft earth and natural tones. No large patterns, no logos, no strong colours – they pull the eye away from the baby, and that is not what the day is about.
Bring a second top with you. Muslins are called spit cloths for a reason.
For the close-ups: watches and bracelets off, matte make-up instead of shiny, dads freshly shaved or beard trimmed. Siblings ideally in the same light tone as you.
I do not keep dresses for mums in the studio – I only have those for maternity shoots. So wear something you feel good in and can comfortably sit and lie down in.
Something that can be opened without pulling it over the head – a wrap bodysuit or a romper with press studs. That way your baby comes out of the clothes without waking up.
Leave out tight cuffs. They leave marks on arms and legs that stay visible for half an hour.
Blankets, wraps, hats, baskets and all props are ready in the studio – you do not have to carry those. Everything else is here:
Depending on the package the session lasts 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Do not put anything in your calendar for afterwards that day. Time pressure is the only thing that really disturbs a newborn session.
The studio is preheated to 26 to 28 degrees so that your baby does not get cold without clothes. Dress yourselves in layers – it will get warm for you. There is a changing room on site.
Parking is easy: in Karl-Lade-Strasse you will find free spaces right on the street.
Your baby sets the pace. We feed, change and cuddle whenever it is needed – that is planned for and never a problem.
You receive your pictures within five working days in your own online gallery with a password, from which you can download them.
Baby acne, reddened skin, peeling skin on hands and feet, small scratches, marks from the nappy, the umbilical stump, hiccups. That is part of being a newborn and I gently remove it in the editing.
And one more thing to take the pressure off: a newborn session almost never runs exactly as planned. That is the normal case, not a problem. We have time, and we will get your pictures.
If you take away only three things:
Keep them awake an hour before. Feed just beforehand.
And plan nothing for afterwards.
Just write to me – I'll get back to you within 24 hours.
Request a shoot+49 157 528 899 87 · info@mlesemann.com