Annan’s Newborn Session
Sweet Annan did not want to sleep during is newborn sessions. We tried all 5 techniques for soothing a newborn but he just wanted to know what was going on. He was very content on being awake and took some very handsome photos. I was even able to get some detailed shots of his lips since they change so fast. We were also able to get pictures with dad and mom with a wide awake baby. Mom, Meredith, is the owner of The Dance Lab in Ashland, VA.
Soothing a Newborn
The 5 techniques I use to try soothing a newborn for my photography sessions are: shushing, sucking, swaddling, side lying and swaying. These techniques can be used at home to help in soothing your newborn. For shushing I like to use The Baby Shusher which can be found on Amazon. I keep the shusher on during my sessions to provide a white noise to assist soothing a newborn. For sucking you can utilize a soother, such as a pacifier, to help baby with their desire to suck even when not hungry. Once you know baby is full, using a soother can help whisk them off to sleep. When trying to get baby to take the pacifier, try pushing the nipple up towards the hard pallet in the roof of their mouth to mimic when they take a nipple for feeding. Be cautious not to push the nipple too far back to the soft pallet and avoid gagging baby.
The third method for soothing a newborn is swaddling. Babies love the secure feeling of the swaddle and often once they are swaddled the fall right to sleep for their photo session, unless they are Annan. The fourth and fifth methods I use for soothing a newborn is side lying and swaying. At home you can hold your baby in a “football pose” in your arms and sway back and forth to help soothe baby. Make sure baby’s head is above their bottom so not to upset their tummy. These are some of the techniques I use for my sessions but, of course, each baby is different (see Annan). I hope some of these methods work for you!
If you are interest in scheduling a Newborn session with me, contact me here!
