This month, September of 2022, I finally got to do a Fresh 48 after most hospitals not allowing non-family visitors for over 2.5 years thanks to the pandemic. And to be honest, during that time where I had no Fresh 48s and very few in-home newborn sessions, I considered letting that part of my business go so I could focus on other session types. BUT TO THINK I could ever give these sessions up now is ridiculous because I am SO in love with getting to capture the first couple days, and then first couple weeks, of a newborn's life. All the sweet little details that change so much so quickly; all the scrunched up cuteness of a Fresh 48 that then goes to BIIIIIIIG stretches during an in-home newborn; all the curious one-eye-open looks between sleeping spells that then turns into eyes wide open for short periods of time when they're 2-3 weeks old.
So yes, I truly love and will forever offer Fresh 48s and in-home newborn sessions. But here's what I love most about Fresh 48s and why I think every baby born needs one.
If you're a parent, you know how much your baby changes just from the time they're born to the time you take them home and have 2-3 weeks to figure things out before an in-home newborn session. Their head shape, their facial expressions, their awareness, their stretch-ability, ease of nursing, routine, sleep schedule - the list goes on and on.
When you're still in the hospital, you're still in a bubble. You haven't taken your baby out of that bubble yet. You haven't put your baby in a car, taken your baby home, gone to the grocery store with your baby, had a bunch of visitors to your home to see your baby, tried to sleep through the night without the help of nurses for your baby, worked on nursing your baby without a lactation consultant. There's something beautiful about that bubble, and a Fresh 48 session captures that beauty.
What do you have to do to get ready for a Fresh 48? Have a baby. That's all. If you want to have matching outfits with your baby, that's great. If you want to have a cute robe or nursing dress or whatever, that's great. But if you want to be in your hospital gown and have your baby in their hospital-issued blanket and hat, that totally works too! You don't have to clean your house. You don't have to make sure your space is de-cluttered. You don't have to have cute outfits for your newborn, yourself, and others. It's all about the hospital room and the people there. That's all. And that's enough.
Truly. Honestly. Babies change SO MUCH so quickly. If you've had a kiddo, think about how they were in the hospital as opposed to how they were at 2-3 weeks old. Those details at 48 hours old deserve to be preserved because they're wonderful, but they also happen to change the quickest. If you want to freeze those moments, those early details, a Fresh 48 is absolutely necessary.