Sara and Lee are Hertfordshire newborn photographers based in Hatfield Business Park. We want to share some baby sleeping tips with you.
In a recent survey conducted by Freshmint digital one of the biggest concerns expectant mums sited about a newborn photography session was what the photographer would do if their baby cried.
When you come to visit us, we find the session goes smoothly when your baby is really sleepy. Usually, a nice full belly and a warm room are enough. However, this does not always go to plan and baby sometimes finds it difficult to settle. Firstly, don’t worry if your baby is unsettled, sometimes that is just the way it is.
That is why we allow such a long time in our Hatfield studio to make sure we get you the best images possible. We find sometimes parents worry that their baby is being problematic but they are not at all. They are just being babies. Unless your baby is not feeling 100%, or is suffering from Colic or is just having a case of FOMO (fear of missing out), they usually go to sleep eventually.
If your baby is calm but awake, there are various baby whispering strategies that we use to try and settle your baby. It was only after today when a couple came back to view their images and said that they had taken tips from us on how to settle their baby that I thought this would be a useful post. We do not claim to be experts but here are our baby sleeping tips :
Swaddling
We usually begin our session by swaddling as we find this to be a really effective way of making your baby feel safe and secure as if they were still in the womb. Depending on what feels more comfortable for your baby, we either place the hands by their side or across their tummy. We pay attention to circulation, we want a firm wrap but not too tight.
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Rocking
A good, rock with a consistent and steady pace can be a good way to settle a baby into a settled sleep.
Gentle Pats
A gentle pat on the back can be effective. This can give reassurance but also may bring up any wind that might be causing an issue.
Light and Dark
We use this when rocking your baby. We rock them between our modelling light (on low power) and the darkness of the rest of the studio. This rapid change between light and dark can be enough for your baby to close their eyes and fall asleep.
Forehead stroke
A nice stroke from the forehead to the bridge of the noise is a relaxing soother. Also a gentle stroke across the eyebrows too.
White Noise
We have used various methods from creating our own ‘Shhhh’ noises to using white noise apps. We now, however, use a Baby Shusher. You have no idea how many dads have sat in our studio and ordered one there and then! There are loads of variations on Amazon but this is what we use
Hands away from the face
Once baby gets their hands near their mouth it can stimulate their desire to feed, even if they are not hungry. If baby is awake and their hands are working their way to their mouth, we gently hold their hands away from their face.
Upright position
We find once baby is swaddled that if we hold them in an upright position, this helps them work out any wind that might be preventing them from settling. We sometimes accompany this with a gentle bounce.
Warm room
A full belly and a warm room are usually enough for baby to fall asleep.
Warm surface/wipes
We have found that it helps to put baby down on a warm surface as placing them on cool material can wake them. We also do this with baby wipes by warming them first. This prevents a warm, sleep baby from startling with a cold wipe.
If it is apparent that baby really isn’t going to settle, we will not push on. The comfort of your baby is really our priority. If it doesn’t work out that day, we will simply reschedule so you do not need to worry.
Try some of these tips at home and see if they work for you!
If you would like to find out more about our newborn photography experience, please CONTACT US
Sara and Lee
