What If My Baby Doesn’t Sleep During Their Newborn Photography Session?

One of the most common worries parents have before booking a newborn photography session is:

“What if my baby doesn’t sleep?”

It’s a completely understandable concern. Many of the newborn photographs you see online show sleepy, curled-up babies, so it’s easy to assume your baby must sleep the entire time for the session to work.

The good news is that newborn sessions are always completely baby-led, and there is plenty of time for feeding, cuddles and settling.

Newborn sessions are designed to be relaxed

During a newborn photography session there is no rush at all. Sessions are usually calm and quiet, with plenty of time for feeding, changing and comforting your baby.

Many babies drift in and out of sleep throughout the session, and those little awake moments can actually create some of the sweetest and most expressive photographs.

Every baby is different, and that’s completely normal.

What if my baby really won’t settle?

On very rare occasions, a baby may be particularly unsettled during their session. This can sometimes happen if a baby has a tummy ache, colic, or an undiagnosed tongue tie, which can make them uncomfortable or extra hungry.

This doesn’t happen often, but if it does, it usually means your baby simply isn’t feeling their best that day.

If that happens, there is absolutely no pressure to continue if your baby isn’t happy.

In these rare situations, I’m always more than happy to reschedule the session for a few days later or the following week. Often, by that point baby has settled, the tummy discomfort has passed, or feeding has improved, and the session becomes much easier for everyone.

Your baby’s comfort always comes first.

Even awake babies can create beautiful photos

It’s also worth remembering that sleep isn’t essential for beautiful newborn photographs.

Awake babies can give us wonderful expressions, curious looks, and sweet moments that parents love just as much as the sleepy poses.

Some of the most loved images in newborn galleries are actually the awake moments.

Booking your newborn session

Newborn sessions are usually photographed within the first 5–14 days after birth, when babies are still very sleepy and naturally curled up.

Because of this, many parents choose to reserve their baby’s due date during pregnancy, so everything is ready once baby arrives.

If you're expecting a baby in Eastbourne or the surrounding Sussex area, I am currently taking due date reservations for upcoming months.

You can reserve your newborn session with a small deposit, and once baby arrives we simply arrange the exact session date.