You’re pregnant, you’ve decided you want maternity photos, and somewhere in the back of your mind you know newborn photos are coming too. Most people book those as two separate things, months apart, as if they have nothing to do with each other. Booking maternity and newborn photos together is the easier path, and it usually makes both sessions better.
I’m Kelli, a Connecticut maternity photographer in Farmington, and I walk a lot of families through this exact stretch. Here’s why planning the two sessions as a pair saves you a headache, why the images look better as a set, and where the First Year package fits in (no pressure, it’s just there if you want it).
Why does booking maternity and newborn photos together work so well?
Because the two sessions land only a couple of months apart, so planning them as a pair means you prep once instead of twice. Your maternity photos happen in the third trimester. Your newborn photos happen in the first couple of weeks after your baby arrives. That’s a short runway, and trying to find a newborn photographer while you’re home with a days-old baby is not when you want to be researching anything.
When you handle both at the start, that whole scramble disappears. You book once, you know what’s coming, and you get to enjoy the newborn fog instead of problem-solving through it. If you’re still figuring out the first session, here’s what to expect at a maternity session.
How far apart are the maternity and newborn sessions?
Your maternity session usually happens around 28 to 34 weeks, and your newborn session typically happens in the first two weeks after birth. So you’re looking at roughly two to three months between them, sometimes less. Close enough that booking one and ignoring the other means circling right back almost immediately.
Those early newborn days, when photos are typically done, can pass quickly in a fog of middle of the night feedings and endless diaper changes. That sleepy, curled-up stage fades fast, which is why I book newborn sessions around your due date and photograph in those first couple of weeks. For the full breakdown, I wrote a whole post on when to schedule newborn photos. And for the bigger picture on the newborn session itself, my studio newborn photography guide walks through how it all works.
Do the maternity and newborn photos really look better as a set?
Yes, and it comes down to consistency. Both sessions happen in the same studio, in the same soft light, edited by the same hands in the same creamy, neutral style. When the images come from one photographer instead of two, they are a cohesive set rather than two unrelated shoots.
That matters most when you put them somewhere. A maternity portrait and a newborn portrait that match hang together beautifully on a wall or in an album. After your session, those products are right there in the studio to look at, so you can start picturing what you’d actually want before you decide anything. No pressure, no hard sell. For more on the studio setup, here’s studio vs outdoor maternity photos and what to wear for maternity photos.
What is the First Year package?
The First Year package is a membership that covers up to four sessions across your baby’s first year: maternity, then newborn, then the sitter session (when baby first starts sitting up) around six months, then the first birthday. It’s built for the natural pattern most families fall into anyway, just without leaving the savings on the table. The package costs less than booking the four sessions separately.
You don’t have to commit to all four up front. Most people start with maternity and newborn (the two already on your radar) and add the sitter and first birthday sessions later. If you want to see how the full year looks, I broke down baby’s first year milestones and made the longer case for why the newborn photo package is worth it. You can also see the full details on the First Year package page.
How do you book both without overthinking it?
Reach out in your second trimester and we’ll get both dates on the calendar in one conversation. The studio is the default for both sessions, the wardrobe is included for the whole family, and hair and makeup is available as an add-on if you want it. One email handles the planning, and then you can stop thinking about logistics.
Your partner and any older siblings are welcome at both sessions, so the newborn photos can be the whole family and not just the baby. Booking maternity and newborn photos together really is the low-effort way to get this done because, trust me when I say, the logistics of booking a photo session will be the last thing on your mind once the baby arrives. You decide once, early, and the rest takes care of itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Babies don’t read the calendar, and that’s fine. If you deliver early, your deposit moves to your newborn session or another session within the same calendar year, so nothing is lost.
The second trimester is the sweet spot. It locks in your maternity date and gives us a rough window for your newborn session before the calendar fills up.
No. You can start with maternity and newborn and add the sitter and first birthday sessions later if you want them.
Yes, at both sessions. The studio wardrobe has options for partners and siblings too, so the whole family is styled and not just mom and baby.
Kelli Dease is a Farmington, Connecticut newborn and family photographer specializing in timeless, light-filled maternity and newborn portraits, baby and children’s photography, and family portraits. She offers a relaxed, full-service experience for growing families, creating in-studio and outdoor portraits with a focus on simplicity and ease. Clients receive access to a curated studio wardrobe, thoughtful guidance throughout the planning and session process, and digital images, with the option to add fine art prints and albums. Please contact Kelli Dease Photography today to find out about session availability.
Kelli Dease Photography serves families throughout Farmington, Avon, Simsbury, Canton, West Hartford, Burlington, Granby, and the surrounding Farmington Valley, Hartford County, and central Connecticut areas.
To see more of Kelli’s photos, please follow her on Instagram.
