A Fresh 48 session is hard to put into words just how wonderful they are. The words that come to mind for these sessions are… magical, sweet, tender, emotional, joyful, and well, you get the idea. 

Fresh 48 Session vs. Newborn Session

How are fresh 48 sessions different from a newborn session? Fresh 48 newborn sessions take place when the baby is 24-48 hours old. These sessions occur in the hospital room or your bedroom (if it was a home birth) and are aimed at capturing those first few hours with your newborn before you leave the hospital. This session is all about your baby’s new little details and how you begin bonding with your precious newborn.

Not only Fresh 48 Newborn Sessions one of my favorite sessions to capture, they are one of the easiest types of photography sessions to prepare for. I’ve put together list of the key items you need to do to prepare for your session.

Let’s Prepare for your Fresh 48 Session

1. You need a comfortable, soft, light and neutral colored pair of pajamas or loose fitting dress, and possibly a robe. During your fresh 48 newborn session you will be hold your newborn very close to you during the majority of your session. You need to be comfortable, baby needs soft material, and the neutral colors will not distract from your dear newborn. Here is a great place to look for soft, neutral colored pajamas and lounge wear.
2. Two solid colored neutral  swaddle blankets. These blankets will be used to swaddle your newborn and can be used to provide a background on the hospital bed for your newborn to lay on.
3. Everyday makeup supplies, shampoo, hair dryer, and other styling tools that help you feel more like yourself. This session does not demand a perfect blow out and special occasion make-up. Simply giving yourself time to shower and feel ‘put together’ will make you feel more relaxed for your session.
4. Two solid colored neutral fitted onesies for your newborn. Keeping your newborn in the most simple of outfits will allow your images to show all their newborn features without being distracted by fussy outfits. Less is best!
5. For your spouse and older children who are participating in the session, you might have guessed, but they need to wear solid, simple pattern coloring. Dad can wear a solid t-shirt and jeans and siblings can follow your lead and wear neutral colored soft clothing. 
6. Preparing the hospital room. Your hospital room needs to be neat and tidy before I arrive for your session. Extra bags, food items, extra bedding, chargers, all can be placed behind the room dividing curtain or in the bathroom. There are not many places to hide things in hospital rooms, so placing these items out of sight makes the images less cluttered looking. Baby bottles, pacifiers, and other newborn tools are fine to leave out, after all these tell the story of those first 48 hours. 

No Regrets

My clients who have participated in these sessions ALWAYS tell me how glad they were to have done this magical session. You will never regret a fresh 48 session to capture all those beginning few hours with your beautiful newborn. you only need the most basic items to create a successful session.