You may be wondering how to keep a newborn asleep for their portrait session. There are no guarantees of course. Newborns are going to do whatever their instincts tell them, but there are some things parents can do at home a head of time for a better chance of a sleepy baby!

One tip is to keep baby awake for 1-2 hours before the session. It’s important though that you don’t keep them awake longer. Newborns need to sleep and if they are awake for too long they may become over tired and really hard to settle! 1 - 2 hours is the ideal time!

I just love this simple newborn session that is filled with neutral earth tones for this sweet baby girl! Don’t get me wrong, I do love some bold colors, but I also love the simplicity of neutrals and this little lady really pulled them off! And can we talk about that hair? I get so excited when I see a newborn come into the studio with a head full of hair!

Richmond VA Newborn Midlothian Baby Photographer | Sarah Kane Photography

Fur babies are just as much a part of the family and I’m glad sweet girl was able to be included in a photo! They are often our babies before having babies!

The best time for newborn portraits is within the first 2 weeks of the baby’s birth. This is when they are most sleepy and cooperative and posable. It’s a good idea to reserve your spot with your photographer several months in advance to ensure they have room in their schedule for whenever you little one decides to make his or her appearance!

I say this all the time, but it’s so very true! I have the best job ever. Four years ago I photographed this couple’s engagement session and wedding. When they asked me to also photograph their sweet baby girl, needless to say, I was elated! This little lady slept through her entire newborn portrait session. She was such a sweet heart and made my job easy! Although I send parents a complete preparation guide before their newborn session to help keep baby asleep and happy there are never any guarantees. We are all at the mercy of the little ones! One tip for keeping a newborn asleep is to keep the baby awake for 2 hours before your scheduled session, but NOT longer. If a newborn becomes overtired they may have a really hard time settling down and become quite frustrated during their session which is the exact opposite of what we want! A happy baby makes for a great session!

The goal during a newborn posing portrait session is to have a very sleepy baby. I send every client a complete newborn preparation guide filled with tips to help keep baby asleep. Sometimes though no matter what you do, even if you follow the guide exactly there is no guarantee that your baby is going to stay asleep. What’s really great is when you get the best of both worlds. A sleepy baby and then right at the end they are wide awake and happy! Happy being the key word! That’s exactly what happened during this sweet baby girl’s session.

Midlothian VA's Top Newborn Photographer Baby Portraits in Richmond VA | Sarah Kane Photography

I’m absolutely in LOVE with these stunning newborn portraits with my black backdrop!!

Aren’t these twin newborn babies just the sweetest? I love that Mom and Dad brought in some items that had special meaning. Those cute bowties the babies are wearing belonged to their grandfathers which each are named after. The cowboy hat, buckle and bolo tie were warn by their dad at his wedding! These newborn portraits will be cherished by so many for years!