If you don’t already know from personal experience or from friends or family members who’ve given birth, the first few weeks – if not MONTHS – of raising a newborn can turn your brain to mush. I’m pretty sure this is an established scientific fact by now. Parents of newborns just don’t get enough sleep for their brains to function all that well. I don’t mean to worry any expectant first-time parents – you’ll be fine, really. Just expect some normal cognitive skills – like doing simple math or remembering to put on pants – to be slightly diminished for a while. Who needs pants anyway?

I remember the not-remembering, having raised two kids myself, so I thought I’d try make things a little easier for any parents-to-be out there. This is a quick checklist to help you remember some of the basic items to bring to your newborn’s photo session. If you’re thinking about having newborn photos taken or already have a session booked with a photographer, just bookmark this page and come back to it a couple days before your baby’s shoot. Your photographer may have some other specific items they want you to bring, but this list will cover your essential things to bring to a newborn session! 

1. A TON of diapers and wipes

Sometimes a baby just poops through several diapers during a session. This doesn’t happen all the time. Sometimes its only 2 or 3, but for those special occasions when your baby decides it wants to use up 12 diapers back-to-back, you’re going to want to be prepared. There will be a time in your new baby’s life when she will shock you with the amount of poop she can generate, and it may just be during her newborn session. Believe me – I’ve seen it multiple times.

2. A pacifier

Even if your baby is not using one consistently yet, a pacifier can be invaluable if we can not get her to sleep. Many newborns will be sleeping most of the time at this age, but I do pick them up, re-dress them, re-pose them, and move them around quite a bit, so they may wake up several times and get cranky about it. Pacifiers are a great soother, obviously, and for fussy babies, every little bit helps.

3. Feeding supplies and any necessary equipment

If you’re using formula, bring more than you think you’ll need. You’ll be here for a while, and we may try a bottle several times to help calm and get your baby to sleep. For breastfeeding moms, bring your boppy pillow, burp cloths, and a nursing cover if you’re shy about nursing. For my clients who come to my studio, we’ll be in a private, locked space, so you won’t need to worry about covering up unless it’s your preference. Shyness wasn’t an issue for me when I was nursing – I would whip out a boob anywhere to stop my kids from crying. 😉

4. Extra clothes for the parents

This is pretty much exclusively in case someone gets pooped or peed on, particularly when we’re doing shots where parents are holding their naked baby. Again, it happens – best to be prepared.

5. Plenty of water and snacks for mom

I always have water in my studio for nursing moms (and chocolate), but you may have your own special hospital big gulp mug, or prefer a different drink. Nursing makes moms super thirsty, and burns calories, so keep yourself hydrated and recharge with some snacks regularly.

6. Reading material

Taking all these pictures is a long process – usually 3-4 hours from start to finish. For my clients, I spend a lot of time with the baby and can take care of diapering and soothing her. Parents can be prepared to spend time with a book or magazine or your phone while I’m working. Some parents choose to take this opportunity to sleep on my couch! Believe me, you’ll want to rest when you can, and replenish all those lost brain cells.