One of the most common worries parents share before their newborn session is:
‘What if my baby doesn’t sleep?’
I get it – if you picture newborn photography in your head, you’re probably thinking about a tiny baby, curled up perfectly, wrapped up snugly – and almost certainly fast asleep.
But anyone who’s been around newborns knows it’s rarely that simple – they wake up, they fuss, they wriggle and they have their own opinions about what they do and don’t like!
Experienced photographers won’t be fazed by any of it. Over the years, I’ve learned lots of gentle ways to help babies settle – from how I handle and wrap them, to the pace of the session, to knowing when to pause and really let baby lead the way. Nothing is rushed, and we’ll always work around your baby’s needs rather than forcing them into anything.
This article will talk about what happens in a newborn session with me if your baby stays awake – and why it’s not something you need to stress about.
Awake Babies Are Completely Normal
Most newborn sessions involve a mix of awake moments, sleepy moments, feeding breaks, wriggling, stretching, burping, and the odd protest – that’s all completely normal.
Usually, after a big feed, babies will drift off into a nice deep sleep that allows me to capture a variety of poses on their own and with parents and siblings.
The temperature in the studio will be toasty warm to keep your baby comfortable, even when undressed. Other methods I use to keep babies settled and sleepy are to mimic the familiar womb-like with:
- White noise
- Gentle vibrations
- Swaddling
Some babies fall asleep straight away, others take a bit longer. Very occasionally, some won’t sleep at all during the session.
Basically, as long as a baby is comfortable, we can absolutely create a gorgeous gallery of photos with a wide awake baby. I’ll just focus on capturing things like:
- Their big, bright eyes
- Their little (and sometimes hilarious!) expressions
- Interaction with parents
- Their big stretches and yawns
- Simple, wrapped poses that keep them comfortable without relying on sleep
After sessions like this, parents often comment how glad they were that we captured those beautiful awake moments too.
It’s only when babies are unsettled – usually from digestive issues like reflux – that it becomes more challenging. This is because it usually limits me to positions that keep baby upright and comfortable, so the gallery may focus more on parent connection and wrapped portraits rather than a variety of curled up, solo poses.
But there’s a big difference between a baby who’s awake and one who’s uncomfortable – and most babies fall firmly into the first category.
No one has ever left a newborn session without any photos. Even on those rare occasions when baby stays unsettled throughout, parents are almost always surprised by how many beautiful moments we still managed to capture.
Planning Your Newborn Session?
This guide is part of a collection of articles I’ve written to help parents feel confident choosing a newborn photographer – covering pricing, common worries, and what to expect from a session. Here are some other useful guides you might enjoy:
- When to book your newborn photoshoot
- Newborn Photography Pricing Guide
- Newborn Photography Worries
- Maternity Photography Pricing
If you’d like to find out more about me and my newborn photography studio in Gloucester, click here, and if you’d like to see more of my work, including behind-the-scenes content, check out my Instagram profile. You’d also be very welcome to book a visit to the studio to get a feel for me and chat through everything; please get in touch – I’d love to meet you!
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