Have you been thinking about booking an in-home newborn session? Below you will see my tips to prepare for your Thousand Oaks in-home newborn photography session. Over the last 9 years, I have found what works and will help to make your session run smoothly. Babies can be so unpredictable but with these tips we will ensure that we capture all of those beautiful newborn memories. We never know when baby will be hungry, tired, need to be changed etc. so it is always important to remind yourself to be flexible and go with whatever needs to be done, that will make for the best session over anything else.

Read Below for Details on How to Plan Your In-Home Newborn Session:

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOUSE FOR YOUR IN-HOME NEWBORN SESSION:
Your house does not need to be picture perfect, truly not necessary! You are having to balance a lot and I want my families (especially mamas) to feel super chill and relaxed for their session. By all means, if cleaning up makes you feel more relaxed, go for it! The bare minimum is to keep countertops somewhat clear, any areas that are exceptionally cluttered try to clear out just a bit, this will help to keep the focus on you and your family not on the background things. This can be done at the session just to clear out area by area a little bit. The main goal is to make sure the areas that have the best light are going to be a little less cluttered but you do not need to go redecorate your entire house.

HOW WE WILL CHOOSE WHERE TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SESSION AT YOUR HOME:
The places that we will focus on photographing and spending most of our time is the rooms that get the most natural light. Natural light will be our best friend. My favorite spots are a family room, master bedroom and shots of the nursery. If those don’t have great light and there are other rooms with better lighting, I will likely photograph there as priority and then a few shots in a couple other rooms if necessary.

LOGISTICS OF FEEDING BABY FOR OUR SESSION:
I always tell my moms to plan on feeding their baby right as I am arriving or right before. If your baby takes a bottle, that is always helpful in making sure that baby gets a little extra. If they don’t, do not worry, you can nurse a little before I start and throughout the session when needed. The goal is to never feel pressured to rush too much or feel like you can’t pause to handle babies needs, we will go with the flow! Babies needs always come first and will make for better images that way.

HOW TO PREPARE WHAT TO WEAR FOR YOUR THOUSAND OAKS IN-HOME PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION:
I know planning outfits for not only yourself but your entire family can be super stressful. I have been through it many times and I always over analyze what to wear and at the end of the day, something simple and comfortable always works best. My favorite spots to shop from are Nothing Fits But, Anthropologie, Altar’d State and good old Amazon for those last minute purchases. Also, for babies and children H&M and Zara are some of my favorites.

If you are wondering where to start, figure out what you want to wear first and plan everything around that. Don’t be afraid of some color, subtle prints and then match different colors with your husband and baby/children. For your babies, we start with a swaddle usually and then they can change into a special outfit you may have but can also stay in the swaddle the entire time if that works better for you and your family. I am always here to help with outfit coordination, so please reach out to ask any questions you may have on this aspect of the shoot.

HOW TO PREPARE OTHER SIBLINGS (ESPECIALLY TODDLERS) FOR YOUR IN-HOME NEWBORN SESSION:

If you have other children who you want to incorporate in the newborn session, plan to have snacks and treats ready (they are a life saver) and I am absolutely not above bribery. If you can have a babysitter, grandparent or someone else around to help that is always super helpful. Again, I am not above bribery so if you want to prep your toddler or child for a wonderful well behaving photo session by promising some ice cream after the session, that works wonders!

Your newborn session does not need to be stressful and these photos are so memorable and will be cherished for many years that they are so worth the little bit of planning and organizing. Always remember, I am here to help with any part of this as this is what I do all the time! I am hoping this blog about tips to prepare for your Thousand Oaks in-home newborn photography session were helpful for your upcoming session.

Here is a beautiful newborn session shot in home to provide some inspo!

I would love to document this special time in you and your families lives, let’s connect below!