30 DIY Newborn Baby Photos Ideas for Hospital & Home
As someone who has birthed 3 babies, I can personally attest to what a whirlwind of an experience it is. In a very short period of time, you are thrust into a somewhat traumatic yet equally breathtaking experience packed full of events that seem impossible to comprehend.
Every moment is certainly worth remembering, but it never seems to work out that way when your brain is being clouded with newborn baby information and utter exhaustion.
Because the first few days with baby are already testing you physically, mentally and emotionally, it can be helpful to have things written down to help you with preserving those early memories. As moms, we are instantly drawn into caring for this new little creature that relies on us for everything, but we are also usually the keeper of memories.
“More often than not, mothers are the guardians of memory within the family. They’re the ones most inclined to organize photos, frame them, share them and make beautiful albums with them.”
- Gratiane, mootsh.com
So how do we balance the exhaustion and desire to remember it all?
With a list! We’ve put together a list of 30 must-take newborn baby photos in those early days (before/at the hospital and at home). Follow the list and you’ll definitely capture the sweet moments that encapsulate those first few days of newborn bliss – and you won’t even have to think about it!
[Scroll to the end to download the list so you can take it with you to hospital and post it up on the fridge for easy reference]
DIY Newborn Hospital Photo Ideas
(and some for before you go)
Before you head to the hospital, take a few photos of the calm before the storm. The completed nursery and your prepped hospital bag are good starters. Our Minimalist Pregnancy Milestone Cards are great way to help you capture these shots!
Enlist a friend or your birthing partner to take a specific list of shots during labor. You’ll be focused elsewhere (obviously) and it will give you peace of mind to know that the moments you want captured are already taken care of.
Not sure where all these photos will go? Our Baby Memory Books have plenty of pages to fill with newborn photos:
Use the following photography ideas to get great hospital shots of your newborn baby:
5. Clock at time of baby’s arrival
6. Baby on the scale
7. First photos with mom & dad
8. Tiny details up close: Feet, hands, lips, cheeks, eyes
9. Swaddled in hospital cradle with name card / name reveal
10. First feeding
11. Skin to skin
12. Meeting siblings/grandparents for first time
13. In carseat ready to head home
14. Hospital bracelet
15. First family photo
DIY Newborn Photos To Take At Home
Once you return home with baby, you’ll be plenty busy with feedings and trying desperately to catch up on sleep. Use the list of in-home newborn photo ideas below to capture life as it is.
If you want to take shots of baby beyond the ones listed below, check out this blog post on how to photograph your newborn. We’ll give you ideas for newborn poses, props and tips for how to get the perfect photo.
In-home shots to get:
3. Napping with mom or dad
4. In crib from above
5. Snuggled up in bed with mom or dad
6. Holding baby, shot over the shoulder
8. Through crib rails
9. Baby laying on bed, head or feet first
10. Baby in someone’s lap
12. First bath
13. Their wrinkles & rolls
14. Smiles & yawns
Download this list of Newborn Photography Ideas so you can pack it in your hospital bag or tack it up on the fridge!
The newborn days are the precious; now that my kids are older, I still covet them often, even though I know how hard they were. Immortalize them with photos so you won’t soon forget the beauty in between each moment.
What’s next?
- Now that you have all those adorable photos, let's paste them into a memory book that will last a lifetime. Browse our Baby Memory Books
