New Parent Jitters and Booking a Newborn Photo Session

So you’re expecting your first baby and you’re considering booking a newborn photo session. Great! I’d love to chat! But first, let me tell you a story about my personal new parent oopsies and new parent jitters.

When we left the hospital with our first baby boy we were thinking “Holy crap, they just shuffled us out the door and on our way with this tiny needy human to care for all by ourselves!!”

We carefully buckled his car seat into the backseat and very cautiously drove home. As we pulled up in front of our apartment I suddenly burst into tears. I had just realized that I totally forgot that I was supposed to sit in the back seat WITH the baby!!  (at least that is what the baby books told me to do)

I instantly felt like I already messed up parenting on day three and that I was going to be a horrible Mom. My husband consoled and calmed me and noted that it had only been a 10-minute drive from the hospital and the baby slept the whole way.

Although I had a lot of experience with newborns and babies, I still had the new parent jitters and my biggest fears were coming true that I was going to get everything wrong raising my new son.

I think all new parents to some degree have the new parent jitters and fear they will mess up and do everything wrong. I mean between learning to comfort them, feed them, bathe them, and the worst, clipping their tiny fingernails (btw, I messed that up and made him bleed and I sobbed again) there’s just so much to learn and figure out in those first few weeks! 

This is why I encourage my new parents to wait until the baby is older than a couple of weeks before they schedule their at-home lifestyle newborn photo session. 

I not only want to give mom time to rest and recover after birth, but I want both parents to have time to navigate this whole ‘caring for a tiny needy human’ thing. 

You JUST had your first baby and you may have read all the books and you may have experience with newborns, but after having three babies of my own I know that the first couple weeks of having a new baby at home are not easy!

Of course, there are those super sweet moments where you just gaze at the sleeping baby in your arms but I also know the reality of the situation! You and Dad are tag-teaming for diaper and clothing changes, trying to master baby swaddling, figuring out feedings and burpings, with lots of rocking, pacing, and bouncing the baby to sleep.

Also, add in that you haven’t slept more than two hours at a time in weeks and you probably do not feel like yourselves.

I’ve had many new parents tell me they could not imagine doing the session within the first two weeks and they were very grateful that I was so flexible with scheduling. I tell parents it’s ok to wait until after the baby is here and to wait until they are ready to book a session date. 

Also, know that it is a learning experience, you’ll have some new parent oopsies but I know you’ll do just fine! So relax your mind and just keep doing your best!

Have a look at my newborn gallery to get an idea of what your session will be like!

Have more questions? Concerns?
Please get in touch to ask me anything!

HERE ARE SOME OTHER BLOG POSTS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN!

Are you on Instagram? I’d love to connect with you there!

All images by Mary Beth Miller Photography ~

Mary Beth Miller Photography specializes in lifestyle and documentary family, newborn and Fresh 48 photography in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and many of the surrounding areas. Mary Beth has over ten years experience photographing families, newborns and babies in the Regent Square, Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Greentree, Point Breeze and Highland Park.  Her style is very relaxed and natural and your family session will feel like a stress-free Sunday afternoon with your family!