Yay!  You have booked a Fresh 48 session.  I am beyond excited to capture this extremely precious time.

A Fresh 48 session focuses on the tiny details, first cuddles, and genuine emotions that happen after birth. These sessions are relaxed, natural, and focused on documenting your family’s newest addition.

What Is a Fresh 48 Session?

A Fresh 48 session takes place within the first 48 hours after your baby’s birth, whether you delivered in the hospital or at home. These sessions are documentary-style and focus on authentic moments rather than posed portraits. This is a story-telling session, and I can guarantee that you will want all of the images in your proof gallery.  If there is one session that I think is the MOST memorable, it is this one.  If you can, splurge on these memories!

Your Fresh 48 session focuses mainly on baby, mom and dad.  The first 45 minutes I will take pictures of you snuggling your new baby, looking at their tiny toes and fingers, wrapping them up, feeding them and more! I will most definitely capture baby in their bassinet with bracelets and umbilical cord clips. If you have a special name plaque ready to go, I would love to use it in the images.

In the last 15 minutes of your session we bring in the siblings.  The reason we only bring them in until the end is because chaos always ensues, especially if you have more than 1 sibling. I highly recommend this being their FIRST visit to see baby.  Then I can capture their genuine reactions to their new sibling.

What to Pack for Your Session (Mom’s Job)

The key to beautiful Fresh 48 images is keeping things simple and comfortable. I don’t want to load on a lot of extra work for Mom so here are the few things you need to do in advance, BEFORE you go into labour:

Select a bag separate from your hospital bag.  This will hold all the items you need just for your session. If you happen to forget this bag it won’t affect your hospital stay and it could be brought to the hospital later, for your session.

Now add to this bag the following items:

For Mom

Choose a neutral-coloured, comfortable, post-partem outfit. Simple colours photograph beautifully and help keep the focus on your connection with your baby. This can be a robe, pj set or comfy loungewear. Don’t plan to go full make-up or hair.  Just a freshen up after delivery is all you need.

For Dad

Jeans are just fine but make sure to pack a solid coloured shirt in neutral colours. Avoid bright colours, busy patterns, large logos, or graphic designs that can distract from the images. A fitted shirt is also a really great way to show Dad’s strong arms, next to their brand-new baby.

For Siblings

Hopefully you have someone at home with the older siblings that can get them ready to go, so you can rest.  You won’t need to pack something for them, but you can give direction to the person bringing them to the hospital (maybe even leave their items in a bag at home so everything is all together).  The children should have their hair done and be dressed in outfits that look nice together.  Soft of neutral colours are good as well as simple prints that don’t stand out. They don’t have to be fancy, we just don’t want them looking like they rolled out of bed.

For Baby

Please bring a simple outfit for baby.  This could be a sleeper, romper set or some other adorable neutral outfit.  They can even just be in a white onesie.  Also bring a small swaddle blanket.  Muslin or stretch jersey work great for this.  Make sure the blanket colour doesn’t clash with their outfit. The hospital provided blankets can also be used but they aren’t very nice.

Swaddles and simple clothing help create timeless photographs and keep your baby comfortable throughout the session.

Special Items

You may have a small wooden name plaque or letterboard you’d like included OR maybe a meaningful stuffy or an adorable hat or soother.  Remember think simple.  We want baby to be the focus.

I hope this short list of items doesn’t add too much to your plate.  The further in advance you plan, the less you have to worry about when labour begins.

Let Me Know When Baby Arrives (Dad’s Job)

Once labour begins, Dad should send me a quick message so I know your baby’s arrival is getting close.

After baby is born and you’ve been settled into your room, Dad will send another message to confirm details and timing. Fresh 48 sessions are scheduled around your recovery, baby’s needs, and hospital discharge plans. I live close to the Lloydminster hospital and can be there very quickly if needed.  Of course, mornings are more ideal for a sleepy baby.  They tend to be cranky later in the afternoon.  Also, lighting is a factor as Lloydminster hospital rooms are notoriously dark. Most of our session will happen by the window.

Preparing Your Hospital Room (Dad’s Job)

Hospital rooms can feel busy, but a few small adjustments make a huge difference in your photos.

Tidy Room

Toss all your personal items into bags and stash them in the bathroom or a corner away from the window.  This includes clothing, diaper bags, hospital trays, cups and jugs. We want to make the room as bare as we can, especially by the window.

I will double check this when I arrive if anything else needs to be moved.

Clear Window Areas

If possible, remove all items away from windows to maximize available natural light.

Open the Window Blinds

Natural light is always best. Opening the blinds allows beautiful soft light into the room and creates brighter more natural-looking images.

Limit Visitors During the Session

Fresh 48 sessions work best when the room is quiet and relaxed. If possible, schedule visitors after your session. This allows us to focus on capturing meaningful moments between parents, siblings, and baby. You may need to speak to the staff for permission to have me come prior to visiting hours which don’t begin until 11am.

After Delivery: Relax and Enjoy

The most important thing you can do is simply enjoy your baby.

There is no pressure to look perfect or have everything organized. Fresh 48 sessions are about preserving memories exactly as they are. I’ll guide you throughout the session while documenting those first precious moments you’ll never want to forget.

Those sleepy stretches, tiny yawns, and first family snuggles pass by so quickly. A Fresh 48 session allows you to hold onto them forever.

Ready to Book Your Fresh 48 Session?

If you’re expecting and would love to document your baby’s first days, I’d love to help you preserve these memories. Contact me early in your pregnancy to reserve availability around your due date.