Say hello to our newest Milestones Baby Plan members.  They were welcomed by their sister ... Grace.

Most of my blog posts come with lots of pictures.  This one, however, has none.  Nope - not a one!  I'm here to impart to you my all-knowing wisdom on babies.  No, seriously, I definitely don't know all there is to know about newborns but I did have 3 and I still come into contact with LOTS of babies in my studio.  Some seem like the perfect baby ... sweet and sleeping.  Others are a little on the fussy side. 

Now, there is this thing called "The 5 S's".  Dr. Harvey Karp observed it and wrote about it in this book here >>> The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep.  My advice? Buy it and read it! Seriously. You won't regret it. But wait! Finish reading this blog post first because I have a little tip for you!  The most common cause of fussiness that I've seen is just that baby needs to burp!  Although I've had a few offers to move in just so I can put babies to sleep, here are some helpful tips and tricks to try with your baby at home.

Gently pat your baby on the back while leaning him (or her) across your hand, shoulder, or on your lap.  If you are bottle feeding, burp every 1-2 ounces for newborns.  Breast-feeding mommies need to burp baby when switching sides.  Sometimes it can take up to 6 or 7 minutes for baby to burp so don't give up. Burping is a natural result of eating and drinking. We all need it whether we've consciously "swallowed air" or not ;)

Swaddling: Wrap that baby! Just not too tightly.  There are tons of videos on youtube about how to swaddle a baby.  If you don't know how, learn.  It's a lifesaver for those babies who have an exaggerated moro (or startle) reflex.  You can read more about natural baby reflexes here if you're interested.

Side or Stomach position:  I think we all know what this means.

Swinging:  If you don't have an infant swing or rocking cradle, you can always place baby securely in your arms and twist your body gently back and forth.  When used with the next 2 "S's" it seems like a miracle ;)

Shushing:  You know that sound.  Most of us are really gentle about this but there's no need to be.  The louder the better.  Just think about it.  Baby has just spent 9 months floating in water with the sound of mommy's heartbeat right there above her!  Can't you just imagine how loud that is?  It must seem awfully cruel to a baby to go from the gentle rocking of mommy's movements and the constant sound and feel of her to a cold baby mattress.  So yeah, pick that baby up and swing and shush her!

Sucking:  Baby's have a natural instinct to suck.  Of course it's necessary for eating but equally important is the exercise and comfort it gives to your little one.  So be it a pacifier or his fingers, let him suck.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT!  My all-knowing wisdom (just kidding) on comforting a fussy baby.  NOW, go buy that book and get to reading. 

Recently, I saw an image kind of like the one below (except there was an actual baby in it).  Set cost was around $500.  I thought, "Surely not!".  Well, I grabbed one of my least expensive sets and decided to do the whole "How much does a set really cost".  Turns out it's quite a bit.  I got my pricing from ebay to etsy which were the lowest prices I could find.  (Try to buy new or for a girl and see how much it costs!)

Considering a newborn photographer normally has at least 3 sets (we have 5 stationary sets and close to 20 "switch-outs")  you're talking an investment of around $750-$1000 just in startup set costs.  Wow!  This is JUST for newborns!  

NOW, that's not counting camera bodies, lenses, lighting, overhead, safety training, workshops, computers, software, additional props and backdrops for families, kids, seniors, and I could go on and on and on and on.  But I won't because I'm sure you get the picture ;) Well, that and because that was the longest run-on sentence ever.

You'll have a lifetime of wide-eyed wonder and goofy grins but you only get ONE chance for newborn pictures!
Make it count.

I sure wish I could find the other photographer's image!  I would link to her.  (Her name is Kimberly ? - if anyone wants to share her info with me, I'll be glad to post a link).