After I had my first baby, I was surprised and a little annoyed at all the things nobody warned me about. The amount of laundry was so surprising that it’s the thing that sticks out to me even more than 4 years later. I was not expecting the laundry.

But veteran parents know that there are SO MANY things that will surprise a new parent, that it’s hard to know how to prepare a new parent (if they even want help preparing). And you, as the new parent, don’t know what you don’t know. (This is another excellent reason to rely on those experts I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, by the way.)

I am now one of those veteran parents, and while I can’t (and won’t) presume to lecture you on how to expect a mountain of laundry, I am also an expert on one particular subject: lifestyle newborn photography.

I can (and will) help newborn clients prepare for our photography session, because me showing up at your house without preparing you is like popping a quiz on someone who didn’t sleep the night before and doesn’t know the subject matter. Kind of like having a newborn.

Anyway, I have a whole guide for prepping for your newborn session, which I send in an email along with a questionnaire to get you thinking about your session. The guide includes a section on prepping your home for the session, and getting mentally prepared (most important), as well as a section on wardrobe.

The section on wardrobe prep used to include words like “neutral” and “light.” But then I realized that not every family has, or even likes, a “neutral” or “light” wardrobe. And instructing families to grab their lightest, most neutral outfits goes against my goal of making things simpler, when families have to scramble to find those types of outfits. In fact, it might even make things more stressful for those families, and that’s actually the opposite of what I’m striving for here.

So now, my prep guide says things like “coordinated” and “textures.” But most of all, it says “comfortable,” because that’s ultimately what I want you to be. I want you to be comfortable in your home, with your new baby, not pulling at hems and underthings.

I give Do’s and Don’ts, like “do have an extra outfit ready for each person, just in case” and “don’t wear neon colors because they’ll turn your skin weird colors in your photos.” But I also want you to enjoy the process of newborn photography, including choosing how you want each person in your family to be remembered during this moment. So, my list of do’s and don’ts are both vague and specific.

For example:

Do coordinate your clothes together, much like a family photo session.

Do take off your Fitbit/Apple watch.

Don’t dress everyone in the exact same outfit.

Don’t wear neon colors (like I said before).

The full guide goes over lots more, and includes a direct line to contact me with questions leading up to your session, including help deciding which outfits to choose.

The most important thing when deciding what to wear for your newborn photos, is wearing something that looks and feels like you. So as you look back at those photos as your baby grows, you continue to recognize yourself and your family.

Have questions about how to have a newborn session at home? Hit me up and let’s talk about it. I promise not to talk about the laundry. (So much laundry.)