How to Prepare Your Home for an In-Home Newborn Session
Every family asks some version of the same question before their newborn session: "What do we actually need to do to get ready?" It's a fair question, and most of the answer is simpler than people expect. Here's what actually helps.
You don't need to deep clean. You need to tidy three rooms.
I'm not photographing your whole house — I'm photographing the room we're actually in, which is usually the nursery, your bedroom, and wherever your family naturally spends time, like the living room. Clear surfaces you can see from the doorway: nightstands, dressers, the top of the changing table. Everything else can stay exactly where it is. A lived-in home isn't a problem. A cluttered nightstand in every frame is the only thing worth fixing.
Light matters more than tidiness does.
Before I arrive, open every curtain and blind in the rooms we'll use. Turn off lamps and overhead lights — they cast a warm yellow tone that fights against natural light rather than helping it. One good window is worth more to your photos than an hour of cleaning.
Feed your baby on their normal schedule, not an earlier one.
A lot of guides tell you to feed right before the session so baby is sleepy. I'd rather you feed on whatever rhythm you're already in. Newborns are unpredictable no matter what we do, and a session that has room for a feeding, a diaper change, or a few fussy minutes in the middle of it is a session that still gets great photos.
Keep clothing simple, not matchy.
For baby: a soft, simple outfit or wrap works better than something with a busy pattern. For the rest of the family, soft neutrals — cream, white, muted earth tones — photograph beautifully together without looking coordinated on purpose. Skip logos and busy patterns.
Bring in whatever's actually meaningful, not just what's photogenic.
A handmade blanket, a hospital bracelet, a grandparent's baby blanket, a favorite stuffed animal — small, specific objects tend to matter more in five years than a perfectly styled nursery corner does.
Older siblings and pets aren't a variable to manage. They're part of the story.
This is the part most newborn prep guides skip entirely, and it's the part I think about the most. If you have a toddler or an older child, don't over-prepare them or promise they'll "get to hold the baby." Let them be exactly as interested, or uninterested, as they actually are that day. Some of the best images I've ever taken came from a sibling who wandered off mid-session and came back on their own terms. The same goes for dogs — they don't need to perform. They just need to be there.
You don't need to perform, either.
The best in-home sessions aren't the ones where everyone holds still and smiles. They're the ones where a family just exists together for an hour — feeding, changing, pacing the hallway with a fussy newborn, sitting on the floor because that's where everyone ended up. You don't need to manufacture a moment. You mostly just need to let the real ones happen.
If you're getting ready for your own in-home newborn session, take a breath before you start scrubbing the whole house. Tidy a little, let the light in, and trust that the rest of the story — the mess, the dog, the toddler doing their own thing — is exactly what belongs in the photos.
Booking an in-home newborn session in Chicago or the North Shore? Reach out here — I'll send over a full prep guide once your date is on the calendar.
FAQ
Do I need to deep clean my whole house before a newborn session? — No, just tidy two or three rooms.
- What should everyone wear for an in-home newborn session? — Soft, neutral tones; avoid busy patterns or logos.
- Can I include my other kids or pets in the session? — Yes, always.
- What if my baby is fussy or needs to be fed during the session? — Completely normal, and part of the real story.