I know how it feels when you’re pregnant, or you’ve just had a baby. Life is somewhat upside down. There are so many things to prepare or handle. And somewhere on your to-do list sits ‘sort out the photos’, quietly stressing you out. You’re not alone. Most parents I work with feel exactly the same.
The good news? Planning photographs across milestones doesn’t have to be another thing weighing on you. With a little flexibility and the right guidance, it can actually feel calm, enjoyable, and genuinely yours.
Why a rigid timeline is not necessary
Most advice you’ll find online follows the same formula: maternity session around 28-32 weeks, newborn photos within the first two weeks, and so on. There’s some logic to that. But after nearly 14 years behind the camera, I can tell you the best sessions rarely follow a rigid schedule.
Every woman experiences pregnancy differently. Some feel vibrant and full of energy right up until the final weeks. Others need more rest along the way. When it comes to the bump itself, I often find it looks most beautifully round and full closer to the end of pregnancy. Sometimes well past that 32-week marker.
So rather than restricting yourself to a specific week, it’s more helpful to think about how you’re feeling and what your body looks like, with a little guidance from me along the way.
The session that reminded me why flexibility matters
I photographed a family in the park recently. Their two-year-old had absolutely no interest in slowing down for anyone. He ran, threw himself onto the grass, jumped, played football and simply had an amazing outdoor adventure.
What made that session special wasn’t anything I had planned. It was the parents. They stayed relaxed and let him just be himself: his energy, his personality, his unstoppable enthusiasm for life. Because they trusted the process instead of trying to control every moment, we walked away with photographs that are so genuinely him. That kind of authenticity can’t be manufactured.
And in the moments their son wasn’t up for it, we used that time to take photos of the parents as a couple and the pregnant mom all by herself.
The timing mattered too, as it turned out. The pregnancy hasn’t been that easy for the mom and only in the last couple of weeks she felt fit enough for photos. Only two weeks later she gave birth to a beautiful little girl. We’d captured everything just in time, without even knowing it. That’s one of the quiet advantages of planning ahead while staying open to what life brings.
A gentler approach to think about your photo timeline
Rather than a strict week-by-week schedule, here’s how I like to approach this season with the families I work with.
Maternity: when you feel ready and radiant
There’s no single perfect week. If you’re having a harder day or week, we can reschedule without any stress. Your comfort and wellbeing matter far more than sticking to a date.
You don’t need to look a certain way or feel perfect. You should feel fit enough to enjoy the process. This is about capturing something truly wondrous. Your body is growing a whole new person! That deserves to be remembered.
Newborn: at home, on your terms
For your newborn session, I come to you. You don’t need to pack a bag, bundle up a newborn, or find parking. We do the session in the comfort of your own home, where your baby is most comfortable and where the surroundings and details of your real life become part of the story.
A little tidy-up is all the preparation you need.
And because I photograph babies in a lifestyle way by gently resting them on the bed to capture all those tiny details like lashes and little feet, there is no need to rush it within the first two weeks. A slightly older baby can be just as beautiful to photograph. Your baby doesn’t necessarily have to be fast asleep. And honestly, a new mom who’s had a few more weeks to settle in is often in a much better headspace for it.
My background in nursing helps here too. I’m comfortable and confident handling a tiny newborn, which means I can work closely and gently with your baby without you ever needing to worry.
If the first few weeks feel like a blur (and they often do), we have more flexibility than you might think. The most important thing is that you feel settled enough to enjoy it.
HERE you can find out more about newborn sessions.
Milestone Sessions: capturing who they are becoming
Whether it’s getting those gorgeous interactions and cute squishyness at around 3 months, sitting up for the first time at around 6 months, or taking wobbly first steps towards reaching one year, milestone sessions are best planned around your baby’s natural development rather than a fixed date.
The more relaxed you are about it, the better the photographs will be. That’s not just something I say. It’s something I’ve seen proven again and again.
The one thing that changes everything
Across all of these sessions, the single thing that makes the biggest difference is TRUST.
Trust that you don’t have to have it all figured out. Trust that your children don’t need to be perfectly behaved. Trust that your bump doesn’t need to look a certain way. Trust that even the messy, lively, imperfect moments are exactly the moments worth preserving.
When families come to me relaxed and open, something shifts. The photographs stop looking like photographs and start looking like memories. That’s what I’m always working toward.
These seasons – bump, newborn, first year – go by so fast. They deserve to be held onto.
Let’s plan your timeline together
If you’re expecting, or you have a baby and you keep thinking ‘I really need to organise a photographer’, now is a good time to reach out. We can have a relaxed conversation about where you are in your journey, what feels most important to you, and how to build a timeline that fits around your life.
You don’t need to have all the answers before we speak. That’s what I’m here for.
Get in touch HERE and let’s start planning something beautiful together.
