Yana Skakun
When Is the Best Time for Newborn Photos? A Week-by-Week Guide
By Yana Skakun·25 June 2026·6 min read
The best time for newborn photos is within the first 14 days after birth — and most professional newborn photographers prefer 5–10 days. This is when babies sleep most deeply, curl most naturally, and are pliable enough for the posed setups that define classic newborn photography. Miss this window and the session still produces beautiful images, but they look quite different.
Why the first two weeks matter
Newborns in their first week spend most of their time in deep sleep — the kind where gentle movement and repositioning doesn't wake them. This is the window that professional newborn photographers use for wrapped poses, curled positions, and the sleeping-on-hands or sleeping-in-basket setups. After around 14–16 days, babies spend more time awake, are harder to settle into Sleep, and their newborn reflexes (the automatic curling and tucking) begin to diminish.
Parents who book a session at 3 weeks will still receive wonderful images — alert, expressive, awake portraits with personality — but they'll look different from the deeply-asleep, tightly-curled images associated with the newborn style.
| Age at session | What's possible | Character of images |
|---|---|---|
| 3–7 days | Deep sleep poses, wrapped setups, all curled positions | Tiny, tightly curled, totally peaceful — the classic newborn look |
| 7–14 days | Sleepy poses, most setups achievable with patience | Still very small, settled, deeply asleep between feeds |
| 14–21 days | Mix of awake and sleepy — adapted session needed | Expressive, alert moments alongside settled sleep |
| 3–4 weeks | Primarily awake/alert — lifestyle and family portraits | More personality visible; staged poses less reliable |
| 6–8 weeks onwards | Full awake sessions, smiling starting ~6 weeks | Milestones approach; different but equally beautiful |
How to make sure you're ready in time
Book during pregnancy — ideally at 20–28 weeks. This is the single most important practical step. Many newborn photographers have waiting lists, and the session window (5–14 days after birth) is narrow enough that trying to organise photography after the baby arrives frequently means missing it. Book provisionally, with the exact date confirmed once the baby arrives.
Most photographers book on an "estimated due date ± 2 weeks" basis — they hold the dates around your due date and confirm the specific session once you're home from hospital. This is standard practice and any experienced newborn photographer will be familiar with it.
What about the "100 days" milestone?
100-day baby sessions — at around 3 months — are a growing trend in the UK, borrowed from East Asian traditions where the hundredth day is a significant cultural milestone. These sessions capture a completely different stage: the baby is awake, responsive, beginning to smile, and has dramatic growth visible since the newborn period. They're not a replacement for a newborn session but a natural complement — documenting the first chapter and the hundred-day milestone as a pair.
Frequently asked questions
What if the baby comes early?
Contact your photographer as soon as possible. For premature babies, the session timing shifts — most photographers work from the corrected due date rather than the actual birth date when calculating optimal window. A baby born 4 weeks early may be ready for a newborn session around 4 weeks after birth, not 10 days.
What if we missed the window?
A session at 3–6 weeks is still beautiful — just approached differently. An experienced newborn photographer will adapt their approach and still produce images you'll love. The style will be more alert and expressive rather than deeply sleepy and curled.
Can we do the session if the baby has jaundice?
Mild jaundice is very common and doesn't prevent a session. Severe jaundice requiring phototherapy treatment does — the session should wait until the baby is clear. Ask your midwife or health visitor about the state of the jaundice, and communicate with your photographer.
Should I time the session around a feed?
Most newborn photographers advise feeding the baby about 30 minutes before the session begins — not immediately before (so the tummy isn't so full the baby won't settle) and not too long before (hungry babies don't sleep). Your photographer will guide you on this.
Book your newborn session now
Based in Cambridge, I photograph newborns across East Anglia and surrounding counties. Book during pregnancy to guarantee your session window — the earlier the better.
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Newborn & Family Photography
Yana Skakun
Photographer · England
Professional wedding, family and portrait photographer based in England. Passionate about capturing authentic emotions and timeless moments.
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Newborn Tips — Newborn & Baby Photography in Cambridge & England
Newborn and baby sessions with Yana Skakun take place in the comfort of your own home — unhurried, led entirely by your baby's timings, and focused on the quiet intimacy of those first weeks. Sessions are available across Cambridge and the wider East of England. This guide — When Is the Best Time for Newborn Photos? A Week-by-Week Guide — is part of the photography journal: practical, experience-based advice drawn from real sessions across England. Whether you arrived searching for best time newborn photos or when to take newborn photos, the same care and attention shapes every session Yana photographs.
Newborn & Baby Photography sessions are available year-round, with bookings open across Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon, Peterborough, and further afield — East England, London, the Midlands, and beyond. If you have specific questions about newborn photography timing, mention it in your enquiry. Get in touch through the contact form above to check availability and discuss your session. Enquiries are welcomed from anywhere in the UK.
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