The top ten photos you want to capture of your newborn baby
When your baby has finally arrived you want to capture all the moments that matter, the things which you want to look back on later and show your child as they get older. This article gives you my top ten photos of moments you might want to capture. Don't forget to take your phone or your camera with you to the hospital.
Entrée into the world
The time your baby has finally arrived. Make sure you take your phone or your camera (including chargers) with you to the hospital, so once the baby arrives you are ready to take photos. It might be a time that you are not really thinking about picking up a camera, so you can choose to ask a person who is going to be there with you and who can take pictures. It is also possible to hire a birth photographer or a 48 hour fresh photographer - they will come in and take the pictures for you. Nice and stress free.
On mum's chest
Soon after the baby is born, he or she will often be placed on mum's chest, a beautiful moment where mum is overcome with lots of emotions. Happy, tired, scared and exhausted.
In dad's arms
Another beautiful moment is when dad is holding his baby for the very first time. During a c-section he might even be the first parent to hold them. That is what happened to us and I love the look of love and fear on his face that comes with holding such a fragile little person and wanting to get back to me as quickly as he could.
First feed time feeding
Feeding your baby for the first time is such a special moment and deserves to be captured. Breastfeeding is rarely an easy process since both you and your baby need to learn what works. For me it was quite a long process but it was such a lovely way to bond with my daughter. Looking back at the photos brings me so much joy. She also was bottle-fed with expressed milk and formula which also made for adorable pictures. This also gave other family members the opportunity to feed her and for me to snap away.
The crib
The crib in the hospital was see through and I absolutely loved that. I could have a look at her any time I wanted. I had brought in a blanket and a bonnet - slightly to big - and made sure they were in the image. Some parents even bring in a little sign where they write the name and other birth details which they use as part of the birth announcement.
Medical staff
Have you got a favourite nurse or other staff member, make sure to ask them to have their picture taken. We were fortunate enough to have Esther Ten Have as a constant during our entire journey. She was incredibly calm midwife in training, I was able to speak to her in Dutch and I know she has a great future ahead of her.
First Bath
Have the camera ready when giving your baby a bath. Most babies will be crying, my daughter did, since it is a shock to their system to get into the bath. So it might be a good idea to hand the camera to someone else so you can give your little one your full attention and comfort.
On the scales
When your baby is being weighed keep your camera ready and try to include the number on the scales. Be prepared to be peed on so don't get too close.
Little details
Take some time to make photos of your little ones toes, hands, eye lashes and what else is lovely. To get a sense of how small they are it is nice to place something else in the picture like for example your own hands or a stuffed animal.
Visitors
Make pictures of your baby with the visitors that come around. In my case most of the family is overseas so we actually made some pictures
of their reaction when we showed our daughter to them via facetime.
Bonus - Video's
Although as a photographer I love taking pictures, one of the best advice one of my close friend gave me was don't forget to make video's. It is so amazing to look back at them, you can hear their noises, you can see little movements, the direction of their eyes, that unexpected smile. It is really lovely to be able to look back on them.