5 Reasons to Document Baby's First Year!

You may be thinking, do I actually need a reason to document their first year? I mean come on! Look at those tiny toes! Well here are a few reasons you may not have thought about and why the documentary approach might be the right fit for you.

  1. They change so fast. No seriously they do. If this is your first baby, ask anyone who has older children. That first year, one day you wake up and realize they’ve grown and changed seemingly overnight. You can’t go back in time. By the end of their first year they will be a drastically different small human.

  2. You won’t be in the photos you take everyday on your phone. Read that again. Yes, I know you’re taking a million photos of your baby on your phone, what parent doesn’t?? But beyond the occasional selfie, are you in those photos? Will your baby be able to see you and how much you loved them, held them, cuddled them, and perhaps even superhuman multitasked with them, when they are grown and looking back at photos? Documentary photography allows you to get in the frame.

  3. You’ll be busy. We all live busy lives, throw in a newborn and it goes up a huge notch. Planned documentary sessions throughout the year allow me to pop in, document, and let you keep on doing your own thing. There’s no outfits to coordinate, location to drive to, or stress of if baby will be in a good mood that day. You get to release all that for the entire year and just be a present parent.

  4. The Baby Book dilemma. How many of us buy/bought a baby book for baby’s first year and never finished it? [Raising my own hand.] Think of this as a made-for-you baby book. Highlights from your sessions will all be printed in a book for you at the end of the year. Meaning no homework for you! If you are a journaler, upon request, I can even leave room for you to write notes in your book for each session, milestones that have happened, or things you’d like to remember about that time.

  5. Your child will thank you later. Yup. Some day when they are older they will look through the photos taken and get to see YOU and THEM during that first year of their life. If you are like me, those photos of our parents and our family only grow more valuable over time. Not only will you be enjoying the photos as your baby grows into a child, a teen, and then an adult, but they will someday be thanking you for the photos that allow them to see a time they do not remember.

Whether you chose to only document those newborn days or opt for a larger First Year Package that includes multiple sessions throughout the year, you won’t regret having the time documented to relive later down the road.

Ready to document your baby’s first year?
I offer not only a First Year Milestones Bundle but can also customize any Year in the Life package to a First Year in the Life package.

Birth of Baby Leland - Empowered Cesarean - Swedish First Hill - Seattle, Wa

I’m so excited to finally share this birth story! It’s a true testament to the fact that YES you can have an empowered cesarean.

This was Kaci’s second birth. She hoped to have a different experience this time around, wanted support, and hired me as her doula. When she made the decision that a scheduled cesarean was the best option for her for this birth, we made sure that every step of the way it was a completely different experience from her first. The hospital staff were all so very supportive and left her feeling completely in control during the entire process. In fact the words, “This is your birth; we’re just along for the ride.” were said to her very soon upon admittance. And from then on it was so very clear that they meant it.

As you’ll see scrolling through, this was such the happiest of births. Thank you to the staff at Swedish First Hill that made sure her birth left her feeling empowered.

Documentary Newborn Sessions: What to Expect

 
 

The newborn days are one of my favorite to document. Why? Because they really truly are a blur. Without photos, videos, or strict journaling, you’ll reflect in a few years and wonder: “How’d we do it?” and “What did we really do during those days?” If you’re considering a documentary newborn session but wondering exactly what to expect, here’s a quick run down of what you need to know!

  1. We’re on Baby Time. This means, whatever happens, happens, I don’t arrive with a schedule, instead I just go with the flow. Photos happen naturally as you go about your new routine.

  2. Don’t stress about “getting the shots.” I have a mental checklist I go through of things and moments to document in a natural way. I also love to capture those moments that just can’t be scripted, so when those happen I’ll be ready! I’ll also ask ahead of time if there are any must have memories you want documented.

  3. Two hours allow for a good mix of you going about your normal family routine. When I see some nice light and I also see a quiet moment, I may ask you to move into the light for a family portrait. If you all happen to cuddle together in some beautiful light all by yourselves I may not even need to step in!

  4. This is not a photoshoot you have to prep or clean for. Seriously. I know you just had a newborn. Embrace the rawness of this time. It is fleeting. Let the mess be. On a similar note, just wear comfortable clothes. Or if you really want to embrace the rawness I do not mind you wearing the same clothes you’ve been in for the past two days. That’s very often part of newborn life and I do not judge! However you want to remember this time I’m here for.

  5. I’ll arrive, chat about how your morning is going and then start taking photos when it feels natural and I see you in your normal routine. We’ll just go from there. Easy peesy!

  6. Think of this session as a friend with a camera is coming over. And do not “host” me! You have a new baby and I show up already caffeinated.

  7. I’ll check in with you ahead of time if you’d like me to document you nursing or pumping.

  8. Due to being vigilant about germs and newborns, I won’t be touching baby at all. And by default I always mask up for newborn sessions as well.

  9. I love to start newborn sessions around 9am or 10am because babies are often ever so slightly more alert at that time of day. I can get some natural interactions and photos with their little eyes open and also some of them fast asleep as well.

  10. Trust the process. I know documentary isn’t the normal pose and smile for the camera photo session, so you might be still wondering if it’s this simple. Often people remark afterwards that their documentary session was the least stressful of any photo session ever. My job is to let you see the beauty in these hazy newborn moments. Because like everyone says, it really does pass by faster than you can imagine.

 

P.S. - I love pets! I always make sure to include them in your story as well.

 

Ready to book a newborn session or have a few more questions? Let’s chat!