How to soothe a newborn / San Francisco East Bay Newborn Photographer

What Can Help a Crying Baby?

You can't spoil your baby with too much attention. To soothe a crying baby:

• Make sure your baby isn't hungry and has a clean diaper.

• Rock or walk with the baby.

• Sing or talk to your baby.

• Offer the baby a pacifier.

• Take the baby for a ride in a stroller.

• Hold your baby close against your body and take calm, slow breaths.

• Give the baby a warm bath.

• Pat or rub the baby's back.

• Place your baby across your lap on his or her belly and rub your baby's back.

• Put your baby in a swing or vibrating seat. The motion may be soothing.

• Put your baby in an infant car seat in the back of the car and go for a ride. Often, the vibration and movement of the car are calming.

• Play music — some babies respond to sound as well as movement.

Some babies need less stimulation. Babies 2 months and younger may do well swaddled, lying on their back in the crib with the lights very dim or dark. Make sure the swaddle isn't too tight. Stop swaddling when the baby is starting to be able to roll over.

When a Baby Won't Stop Crying

If a baby in your care won't stop crying:

• Call a friend or relative for support or to take care of the baby while you take a break.

• If nothing else works, put the baby on their back in an empty crib (without loose blankets or stuffed animals), close the door, and check on the baby in 10 minutes. During that 10 minutes, do something to try to relax and calm down. Try washing your face, breathing deeply, or listening to music.

Call your doctor if nothing seems to be helping the baby, in case there is a medical reason for the fussiness.

How to Choose the Best Newborn Photographer for YOU | San Francisco East Bay Newborn Photographer

Preparing for a new baby is a very special occasion and parents are often looking for the newborn photographer. There are a lot of decisions to be made at this time. Some include choosing a baby’s name, setting up the nursery, deciding on whether to breastfeed or use formula, finding and hiring a nanny, and making arrangements for maternity and paternity leave. All of those are important decisions as is choosing the best newborn photographer. The family and newborn portraits will be the one of the lasting souvenirs of this special and wonderful time.

Here are 6 things to consider when choosing the best newborn photographer for you.

1. Style

Each photographer typically has a distinct style and area of expertise. Check the photographer’s website for their work portfolio and decide if this is the style of photography you are drawn to. For example: Are you looking for posed newborn sessions with lots of props? Are you looking for a lifestyle newborn session in the comfort of your home? Or, are you looking for a hospital session within first 2 days known as “Fresh 48?” Make sure the photographer is consistent in their photographic style and has many examples of the style you are looking for on their website and blog.

2. Location and Timing of the Session

Do you want your session to take place in the comfort of your own home or do you prefer a studio? Each photographer provides has their own timing window of when they will photograph the newborn session. If you are looking for the posed newborn sessions then the photographer will usually do the session during the first 5-20 days. If you prefer to wait a few weeks to settle in as a new family and have a more relaxed session then 2-3 weeks mark is usually a great mark to schedule your session. Mom gets more time to recover from the birth.

3. Experience and Reviews

Ask around and check for the photographer’s experience. A good place to ask for references is your local mom’s group. You can also check the Facebook Reviews or Google Reviews for the photographer you have in mind. You want to make sure previous clients have been happy and their feedback resonates with you before you schedule your session.

4. Advance Booking

Most newborn sessions are booked when the Mom is still pregnant. The date is then adjusted/confirmed once the baby is born. In order to provide a great experience with amazing quality portraits and flexibility with the booking date, most photographers will book a limited number of newborn sessions per month. Additionally, booking the session while you are still pregnant is something  that can be taken care of in advance and one less thing to do once the baby arrives. Although there may be availability when booking last minute, booking in advance ensures the best experience and a secured session date. Check with your photographer on how far in advance you need to book your session.

5. Family, Siblings and Pets

Do you have younger or older children or do grandparents live in town? Wouldn’t it be nice to include them in some of the photos? Do you have a family dog or other pet that you would like to be part of the session? Find out how many people are included in the session fee and if there will be any additional charges with additional extended family.

6. Consultation

Does the photographer meet for the in-person or online consultation prior to the actual photo session? Every photo session should be custom tailored to each family. You want to make sure all the details are taken care of beforehand.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR 4 - 6 MONTH BABY PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION | Bay Area Newborn Photographer

During your baby’s first year, you will most likely see your baby photographer multiple times to capture all the awesomeness of year 1. Some parents like to come to the studio at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Others prefer 4, 8, 12 months. Both ways are wonderful and I would be happy to take you through the benefits of both.

As you think about what months you are going to get your baby’s photos taken, I would encourage you to consider what milestones you would love to capture. My most popular requests are: toe grabbing, newly sitting (but not yet crawling), and 1 year.

Toe grabbing has a short little window. The best time (in my experience) to get this pose is right around 5 and 6 months old. Typically these babies cannot sit on their own yet, but are fantastic rollers and love to make eye contact with the camera.

This is also a wonderful time for blanket over the head or peek-a-boo images. Babies love to hide under the blanket and be seen. They have wonderful arm strength and these images are always a WOW!

Why You Should Stop Being Afraid of the Camera | Bay Area San Francisco Newborn Photographer

Too often, people say the last time they had their portraits taken was for their senior photos in high school. Most people have changed a lot since they were 17 or 18, but there are years and decades that remain uncaptured, lost to time.

Why are so many of us so reluctant to step in front of the camera? For many parents, they would rather focus on capturing memories of their children, and with cell phone cameras, it’s easier to take photos of the kids than to include themselves.

For others, it’s concern about how they look—a fear that they’ve gained too much weight, that they don’t know how to smile, that they will look less put-together than they wish they were.

Regardless of the reason, it’s time to step in front of the camera and show the world the strong, amazing person you are.

Do it for your loved ones.

Have you ever been to a funeral where all the photos of the person who had passed were decades old, where there were no images that captured who they were in the years before their death?

Now, imagine your own funeral. It may sound morbid, but bear with me. What photos will your friends and family have to show of you? Will they be able to look back on your entire life, watching you mature and remembering cherished memories? Or will they only have a few cell phone photos snapped here and there on the rare occasions when they could capture you before you got away from the camera?

You may not want photos of yourself, but I guarantee you that your loved ones do. They will want to remember your smile, your humor, and every moment they spent with you. And they certainly won’t be thinking about your wrinkles or your weight or any of the things that stop you from having your photo taken.

Do it for yourself.

“I don’t need to have my photos taken. I’d rather have photos of my kids. I’m just not photogenic, and it will feel like money wasted.”

Sometimes we need someone else to tell us we’re beautiful before we can really believe it—someone with an outside perspective who doesn’t pay so much attention to the flaws that we focus on when we look in the mirror.

A professional portrait session allows you to see yourself in a whole new light. You may snap a few selfies of yourself and think you look awful. But a professional will see the beauty you don’t see. They’ll know how to light and pose you and how to produce images that you will love. Seeing how glamorous you look in your portraits can help you feel glamorous, and that’s a confidence boost we could all use!

Do it for your kids.

Regardless of how much you love your own body and appearance, chances are you want your kids to love themselves, to feel confident as they grow and move about in the world.

But here’s the thing: children pay more attention to what you do than what you say. You can tell them to love themselves all day, but if they see how you avoid having photos of yourself and how you frown at your reflection, they may internalize those feelings and start to see flaws in their own appearances as well.

Show self-love by example. Bring them along to your portrait session and make it a family event! You can all be glamorous together and have beautiful images to look back on and enjoy for years to come.

It’s easy to avoid having your photo taken, to say you’ll get professional images made when you’ve lost 20 pounds or spent more time working out. But one day, you may have no photos to show for the life you’ve lived, no way to remember how you’ve changed, grown, struggled, and thrived. You deserve to celebrate each day of your life, to show the world, your loved ones, and yourself just how strong you are.

Tips for Coping with a New Baby During COVID-19 | Bay Area Walnut Creek Newborn Baby Photographer

Usually, new parents can seek out social supports and external help—but what happens when we are restricted in our movements and our contacts? What happens when grandparents can't come over to help out, or when neighbors don't stop by for a cup of coffee? What happens when families face job loss, childcare challenges, and more lingering fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Here are a few suggestions:

Try all the soothing tricks. 

Crying babies want to be soothed. You may need to try a few things, over and over, before they calm. Try holding them, feeding them, swaddling them, gently rocking them, singing to them. If these don't work, put the baby down and take a break. Be sure your baby is in a safe sleep environment (on their back on a firm sleep surface with a tight-fitting sheet, away from soft blankets, toys, pillows, and other bedding materials). While some babies cry for a long time, many parents are surprised at how rapidly babies will cry themselves to sleep.

Pay attention to your own needs. 

The challenges of new mothers can certainly feel overwhelming sometimes. Rest as much as you can—try sleeping when the baby does. Find time for yourself when your partner or other caring adult watches the baby. Put on your headphones, give a friend or relative a call, have a cup of tea, or just relax.

Connect with others. 

Social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak can be isolating. Try video chats or social media to stay in touch. If you're a friend or relative on the receiving end of these calls, listen first before offering suggestions. Imagine you are with the young parent, they are crying on your shoulder, and you are offering reassurance without any words. Keeping this image in mind can help you provide the social support that all new parents need.

Use your “helpers." 

Engage older siblings as much as you can by encouraging them to be your special helpers, so they can help out in developmentally appropriate ways.

Seek help. 

Depression is the most common mental illness in the United States. If you had a history of depression before your baby was born, you may be at higher risk for postpartum depression. Speak with your provider sooner rather than later to help foresee this potential condition. Many doctors, nurses, and mental health providers are now set up for telehealth visits and may be able to help you by video or phone.

Reach out. 

If you are a friend, relative, or neighbor to a family with a newborn, this is the time to reach out. Think about ways you can help. In addition to social support, can you buy diapers or other baby supplies? Can you drop off food or treats for the siblings or adults? Can you safely supervise older children outdoors? Maybe they could come along with you when you walk your dog!

Help a co-worker out. 

If you are a co-worker of a parent returning to work (especially during social distancing) after parental leave, be kind and supportive. If you see or hear the baby on the call, say Hi!

Find a forum. 

New mothers may find it helpful to discuss their experiences with other new mothers. In addition to seeking help from friends, relatives, neighbors, and medical professionals, look for discussion forums and communities of moms dedicated to sharing problems, stories, and tips with each other online (see the list of resources below).

Your pediatrician is here to help. 

Never hesitate to call for advice. Your pediatricians is an excellent resource for understanding your baby and your own needs, including those related to postpartum depression.

I am a Bay Area Newborn Photographer.