Over the years, I've found some very useful steps that help to ensure your family has an enjoyable experience at your newborn session.

1. Give baby a nice warm bath in the morning. Then, try to stimulate her as much as possible for a while to keep her awake. No swaddling or snuggling allowed 
2. Dress baby in a simple, snap-front sleeper. Hopefully she’ll be sound asleep upon your arrival, so we don’t want to wake her by pulling a onesie over her head.
3. Feed baby before leaving home. A full belly makes for a happy baby, and she’ll most likely fall into a nice deep sleep on your car ride.
4. I always suggest simple, solid colored tops for parent/sibling poses. Either all darks, or all lights (think cream, tan, light grey). Lighter colors tend to look better on the neutral wall that we’ll use for family poses. Try to stay away from zippers, sequins, buttons, or anything that would be uncomfortable for baby to lay on.
5. It will be toasty warm here, so dress yourself in layers or bring a comfortable tshirt to wear once we’re done with parent posing.
6. Feel free to bring coffee, snacks, a magazine, whatever you need to stay relaxed and comfortable while you’re here.
7. If older siblings will be included in the session, please plan to have a friend or family available to bring them home (or, at least out of the studio) after the family poses. It's important the studio remain a calm, quiet, relaxed environment for the duration of our session.