“What if my baby is fussy during the session but I don’t want to introduce a pacifier?”
While some babies are a dream to work with, others can be a little more challenging – yet not impossible. There are a lot of methods to help soothe a fussy yet fully fed, healthy baby, the most common being – the Pacifier.
Do I encourage bringing a pacifier for a newborn photoshoot? Yes.
Do I force parents to use one? Absolutely not.
A Pacifier offers temporary distraction. Some babies find the sucking process very soothing and it keeps them happy, others don’t. However, I do understand if parents are against introducing one to their baby for latching purposes or for the fear of dependency on a pacifier.
I am not a RN nor a NICU nurse, nor do I have any medical background to tell clients about the pros and cons of introducing a pacifier to a newborn baby.
I am a Newborn Photographer, hired to take beautiful pictures and deliver a quality gallery which reflects my portfolio. However, in order to maintain a consistent quality of final images similar to the portfolio I display on my website or social media accounts, I need to have a way of soothing a baby.
If rocking, singing, shushing and feeding don’t work in soothing a baby, and if the environmental factors such as proper heating are taken care of and the baby’s not ill, parents need to understand that there is so much I could do in those 3-4 hours. Now, do not mistake my words with the fact that ALL babies cry at some point during their session, and that is PERFECTLY NORMAL I am very patient and I find pride in the fact that I normally do a great job in helping to soothe baby, assisting in feeding, burping or changing. However, some babies need an extra hand when it comes to soothing, and giving them a pacifier for just a few minutes to get that one shot is definitely worth it in my opinion.
In a few words, yes having a pacifier with you in your diaper bag can come in handy, however it is totally up to the parents if they want to introduce a pacifier or not and I will respect that decision, and in return, I do expect parents to kindly understand that I cannot guarantee an outcome even as a professional photographer because in the end babies run the show, right?!
Love,
Seta
