Ways to Soothe your Newborn Baby

I am very blessed to be a popular choice as photographer of newborn babies for many new parents and expectant mums from Tonbridge Wells. I  have decades of experience working with babies and children, a fantastic portfolio, as well as amazing reviews from so many pregnant mums and parents who think it’s a no brainer to use my services.

I specialise in maternity, newborn, baby, children and family photography serving London and the South East, including Kent.   I am based in a dedicated home studio in Orpington, outer London, which is an easy journey of approximately 20 minutes up the A21 from the Tonbridge Wells area.  I tend to arrange my shoots around peak traffic times so that my clients arrive unstressed and relaxed and are able to enjoy a lovely day in the studio.

All babies are different: some are very mellow and sleepy whilst others are far more awake and inquisitive. Some find it easy to wind and others really struggle, which can cause a lot of discomfort. In this article I will be telling you about some of the tricks I have learned over the years to soothe your newborn baby both in the studio or at home. Items you should bring to your Newborn Photography Sessions

My top tips for soothing newborn babies

Two of the most common phrases that are used by my clients in their reviews are ‘baby-whisperer’ and ‘relaxed shoots’.  Many of them say that they use some of the techniques they picked up during the shoot to soothe their baby when at home.

Let’s start by saying, I do photograph newborn babies when their eyes open and they are awake as well as when they are asleep: I love these shots, as do my clients.  One of the joys of newborn photography is the ability to safely mould a tiny baby into amazing positions but to do that safely we need that baby to be asleep.

Over the years I have learned techniques to soothe them, get them to sleep and keep them sleeping whilst I move them around to get all those amazing shots which my clients love.

They say you should never work with babies or with animals and I work with both!  I am so pleased that I do: it really is such an amazing job when it all comes together and it’s such precious and authentically rewarding work! You never know what sort of mood a baby will be in when s/he arrives at the studio. I also have to be relaxed but be able to turn things around fairly quickly if things are not ideal when baby comes into the studio.

Aim for a Calm Environment

Babies are like little sponges and will soak up the environment they are in. If the people and the environment are lovely and calm you are likely to have a more peaceful baby.

I aim for an even temperament when in a shoot and have learned to remain calm when babies are restless or crying.

I try to arrange my newborn session to start around 10 a.m. as this means that my clients can generally avoid travelling to me in peak hour traffic which can be stressful and cause anxiety for the parents.

I want parents to have a lovely experience. As it is often the first outing after baby is born, I want it to be a lovely experience so they should feel relaxed about going out with their baby.

A good feed and wind

A good feed and a baby with a full belly is aways helpful when trying to get baby to sleep which helps make for a seamless shoot. I often encourage mums to give baby a good feed or large bottle on arrival in the studio.  We then encourage a nice big burp to get rid of all the wind and then, hopefully, we can use all the techniques listed to get them to sleep and keep them sleeping whilst I get those gorgeous, timeless newborn photographs for which I am well known.

White or pink noise?

White noise simulates the sounds of the womb and can be used to soothe babies.  I use white noise and it works really well.  I use it during the process of getting them to sleep and keeping them asleep whilst moving them into to different positions.

Rocking and Vibration

Does your baby/toddler snooze in the car? Its not only children but also adults who can’t stay awake in the car. This is usually due to vibration  which is somehow very calming. In the studio, we may spend long periods just rocking the baby to sleep.  I am often rocking baby and giving them a light massage on the forehead as I find this technique very successful.

I am blessed to have a business with loads of repeat clients who frequently come back and say that they adopted this technique which really helped with promoting sleep

Warmth

It makes sense that your baby would prefer to be warm since they have been nestled inside you.  I keep my studio very warm during newborn shoots, especially if we are taking nude shots. I do not want your baby to get cold and I need to have nice toasty hands so I can change their position without them being woken up by freezing hands.

I hope that you have found this article helpful and informative.

Newborn Photography with Sue Greetham Photography

At Sue Greetham Photography, I  know how much this newborn photography session means to you and how precious these images will be in the years to come. The safety and comfort of your newborn is my top priority which is why I am the preferred choice for so many in Tonbridge Wells, Kent and the rest of the South East.

For more details, please feel free to contact me at 079-0513-9007 or email me at contact@suegreetham.com.