Before you know it, your baby will arrive, and thus begins a whole whirlwind of emotions and taking care of a brand new babe.

If you are an expecting mom in the Portland area, it is important that you book your newborn session with a professional photographer before your baby arrives. This is one of the most important moments in your life, and I want to be able to capture it perfectly.

Newborn sessions take place during the first two weeks of a baby's life when they are still sleepy and squishy and flexible. Like most newborn photographers, I can only take a limited number of sessions each month and they often fill up several months in advance. I recommend reaching out when you are around 4-6 months along, during your 2nd trimester, so we have plenty of time to plan your newborn session and you can cross that off your "Baby To-Do List".

When the baby hasn't arrived, how will I know what date to schedule?

At this time, before your baby has arrived, we'll set your due date in the calendar, as a tentative arrival, which will give me an idea of when to expect to have your newborn session. Once your baby is here, we’ll schedule your photo shoot for sometime within the next week after you've had a day or two to adjust to this new and exciting journey. There's no need to be concerned if your baby comes early or late. I understand the unpredictable nature of babies and this is why we only take on 4 newborn clients per month.

Why do you need to schedule newborn photos when the infants are still so young?

Newborns change and grow so quickly! In those first few weeks, your baby will be growing and changing more than at any other time in their life. I love capturing all of the tiny details: the wrinkled skin, the long lashes, the itty bitty toes. All of those things that you want to remember forever.

If you wait too long to schedule your newborn session, you may miss out on this window of opportunity to capture all of those precious details. This is between 5-14 days. The younger your baby is, the sleepier they will be and sleepy babies are easier to pose and more flexible and will get into those squishy poses that everyone loves so much! The older your baby gets, they develop more sensory responses and light touch and sounds may wake them.

So if you are an expecting mom in Portland Maine or surrounding areas, reach out today to book your Portland newborn photographer!

I hope this has helped answer some questions that you may have had about scheduling a newborn with a professional photographer. As always, if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to reach out! I'm happy to help in any way that I can. :)

- Destinee Darling

Portland Maine Birth and Maternity Photographer specializing in newborns, babies, and families. Serving Portland, Falmouth, Biddeford, and all of southern Maine.