3 Tips to Soothe Your Newborn

Your new baby is crying, and you have already attempted the obvious. Clean diaper, check. full tummy. check, not too warm or cold, check. Despite your earnest attempts to calm your fussy newborn, they are still crying. What do you do next, or what can you try next?

Hi! I am Whitney and while most of the blogs and Pinterest posts floating around are from seasoned mothers, nurses, or child care providers, I am a newborn photographer, and my literal job, is to capture your newborn in the most precious way, and that requires them to sleep. Over the past 4 years of being the go-to Billings newborn studio, I have learned a trick or two to soothe an irritated fussy baby.

So here are 7 tips to soothe your fussy newborn baby.

Dim the lights

Imagine being face up staring into bright overhead lights, when you are overly tired. Ya, not fun. It’s not fun for babies either. So turn off the overhead lights and try a low lit lamp or other soothing lighting. Bonus if its a yellow/red hue. Studies have shown these colors mimic sunset and can increase natural melatonin in people of all ages, including your new baby!

White noise

I have had my fair share of white noise machines and apps. This baby shusher is a fan favorite in my studio. So do yourself a favor and order it asap! It plays consistently for 1/2 hr and has an adjustable volume. The bonus is that you can turn it on/off with one hand.

Swaddle them

Seems like I am stating the obvious BUT I have had parents come into the studio saying the newborn does not like to be swaddled. This is usually not the case. What I see is that new babies don’t like the act of being swaddled but once they are wrapped and cozy they settle quite nicely. I prefer a nice stretching wrap, like this one. The traditional muslin wraps will work too, but they aren’t as parent-friendly. I find the stretchy wrap gives babies enough wiggle movement so they can find a comfy position and feel secure ( just like in mommy’s tummy).

I hope these tips help you get some much needed stress relief. As always if your baby won’t settle don’t feel bad about reaching out to your health care provider. We never should ignore our parental instincts!

xoxo - Whitney

Newborn's First Photos: Should you hire a professional or DIY?

So you’re pregnant, and your weighing your options on what to do once that tiny human decides to show his or her face. Well, you’ve come to right place…

You could, ask Uncle John with the nice camera to come snap a few of your new little baby, but they deserve better than that! Alternatively, your iPhone does have a pretty dang good camera, but still, it is not the same. What if you went and bought a DSLR yourself ? But then you’d have to learn to use the thing and endless hours of how-to photography videos on Youtube, a giant, wordy camera manual, and editing software to buy… never the less, learn to use!

Ugh. That sounds painful. You’re busier than a bubble bee in spring dang nabbit!

Light bulb 😅 you could hire a professional to have these memories preserved in the right way, capturing your child while they are at the tiniest they will ever be. This never happens again, your child will never be this small, and in just a few weeks, they will be so different.

When you make the decision to hire me, you will have images that will never go out of style, timeless, and custom to you and your new baby. No guesswork, just come to the studio, or let me come to you.

I will promise you, you will NEVER regret investing in your baby.

Let me take care of keeping these memories for you. I’ve spent over 5 years now perfecting my craft for newborn photography and it would be the ultimate compliment to allow me to take photos of your new little baby.

When you know your due date, connect with me, so we can get you on the calendar, usually in your second or third trimester. I can’t wait! xo Whitney you’re curious photographer for cheeky mamas who want to relive the magic of their littles.