Making memories: Should you make rules for your baby’s first photo?
There’s nothing more beautiful than those first snaps of a newborn baby.
Pride and Joy
When you’re on the receiving end, they can stop you in your tracks: how gorgeous!
When you’re sending them, it’s all pride and joy wrapped up at once – a tribute to the accomplishment of pregnancy and the wonder of birth.
My favourite photos are the ones taken in the immediate moments of post-birth glow, with the baby nestling into her mother’s chest and the loving partner looking on.
Sigh.
The raw beauty of these first photos are impossible to replicate, but given they’ll be a part of your family’s memory for years to come, should you plan them out?
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The waiting game
Two friends who gave birth recently told me they each waited at least three days before sharing their photo on social media.
“I just wanted her to be just ours for a little while longer,” said one friend.
“I didn’t have the energy to think about it!” said the other.
In the blur of the newborn haze there is just so much going on around you, the photo can seem like a task that can wait.
And of course, it can.
But before your baby comes along, it might be good to consider what kind of “rules” you want in place for the big moment.
Questions to ask yourself
Here are some potential things to think about:
- Do you want to set a time limit on sharing your first photo?
- Will you just text everyone or do you want to post it straight away?
- What’s your caption going to be? Will you include the name too?
- Are you going to get someone to check your photos before you send them?
- Do you want other people to share photos of your baby on social media?
- And in the cases where you are happy for others to share, do you want to be able to veto the photos first?
Point #4 feels most important to me. I sent a (what I thought was) blissful breastfeeding snap of my first son, Harry, without realising the whole of my left nipple was also in full focus.
It wasn’t until a (very candid) friend replied with a “nice nips” that I realised it was too late.
Er, whoops!
Planned or not, the point is your baby’s first photo captures one of the most important moments in the life of your family.
One that you’ll look back on forever and wonder, where did that time go?