What's the Difference Between In-Home Newborn and Hospital Fresh 48 Sessions?

As a newborn and family photographer who offers both in-home lifestyle newborn sessions and hospital Fresh 48 sessions, the number one question I receive from clients is: “which one should I book?” 

At first glance, the two types of sessions seem almost the same. They're both just pictures of a tiny little baby, right? 

Well, yes.

And no!

There are quite a few differences between the two sessions, with advantages and disadvantages to each, and after reading this you may come away with a clear preference for one over the other! Or, you might end up like many of my clients who can’t choose and want the best of both worlds— and book both! There’s no right or wrong answer, and no matter which you choose, you’ll come away with a keepsake of that precious new time in your baby’s life that you cherish forever.

Let’s dig in, shall we?

In-Home Newborn Sessions

These sessions, also referred to as “lifestyle” newborn sessions, take place in the comfort of your own home. These are usually scheduled within 2 weeks of birth, while baby is still in that newborn sleepy stage. Sessions are about 2 hours long, and involve mom, dad, siblings, and the four-legged members of the family too!

Advantages of this session are a more relaxed timeline, and the ability to take breaks for feeding, diaper changes, outfit changes, etc. There is also a lot to be said for giving your body a little more time after birth to recover before getting in front of the camera, mama! The biggest advantage of in-home newborn sessions, of course, is the location: when you’re in your own home, everything you could possibly need is within reach. 

"Honey, can you grab the light pink muslin swaddle Aunt Myrtle sent us? No, no, the OTHER light pink swaddle! Oh, and a burp cloth…and a new diaper…and a new onesie."

Newborn life, man. Get ready to buy lots of detergent! 🙂 

A big pro is that we get to use the home you built together and where all your special family moments take place as the backdrop for your baby’s photos. Getting photos taken can sometimes feel uncomfortable for people, but there is nothing more comfortable than curling up in your own bed with baby snoozing contentedly against your chest. We also get to feature parts of the home that are extra meaningful to you, like the nursery you lovingly created for your little one, and special props that would otherwise be too difficult or cumbersome to bring to the hospital, like mementos from your wedding or special family heirlooms.

Pros: Comfort of your own home, extra time to heal from birth, fur babies included, proximity to the washing machine.

Cons: Baby will have changed so much already!

Mood: Relaxed, tender, joyful, and can aesthetically be either dark and moody or more on the light and airy side depending on the lighting in your home! 

Fresh 48 Sessions

Hospital sessions, or Fresh 48 newborn sessions, take place (as the name suggests) in the hospital right after birth, typically in the first forty-eight hours of life. Sessions are usually an hour long, but can sometimes be a little longer because we’re likely to be interrupted at some point by doctors, nurses, lactation consultants, etc. There’s a lot that goes on in the hospital after birth, and Fresh 48 sessions can sometimes feel a little chaotic to schedule. 

But trust me, they are ALWAYS worth it! 

Fresh 48 sessions are an incredible opportunity to capture baby just the way he or she is when they entered the world. You don’t appreciate it until you’re a parent just how fast your little one will change in those first few days and weeks, but it can take your breath away. The baby I encounter at two weeks old at in-home newborn sessions may look completely different from the baby you birthed fourteen days ago. To be able to capture the first few hours of your baby’s life is a gift! 

These sessions are also usually a little more emotional, and less “polished" than an in-home session (there’s no professional hair and makeup available for hospital calls!). The focus is heavily on new baby and all their perfect, wrinkly features, and on the brand new role as mom and dad that you have just taken on. Mama, you just gave birth! You are INCREDIBLE! I think Fresh 48 sessions really highlight how amazing mamas are. These sessions capture a truly fragile but powerful moment in time, and eternalize that transformative time when you met your son or daughter for the very first time. 

Pros: Capture baby the way they are when they first arrive earth side!

Cons: Scheduling can be tricky, you may not feel “up” to pictures immediately after birth.

Mood: Intimate, raw, delicate, often moodier than in-home newborn sessions because hospital rooms are so dark! But oh my, are those shadows delicious….

No matter which session you choose, you will be thrilled with the gallery of images we create. And if you choose both, you will be amazed with the variety and how truly different all of the images are! They really have such different aesthetics, and you will not find the sessions redundant at all. The hardest part of each will just be narrowing down your favorites. 

I’ll leave you with some kind words from clients who have worked with me on in-home newborn sessions and Fresh 48 sessions alike. My own words may just be letters on a page, but the real experience of fellow mamas is powerful, and will give you a real idea of what you can expect working with me! 

Christene, Fresh 48 Session:

"I don’t even know how to express how amazing these photos are! Every single picture is incredible!!! I love all of them and I can’t stop looking at them. You managed to capture the perfect details and made that tiny hospital room look beautiful! 

I really appreciated you taking the time to take all of the photos and being flexible with our situation. Thank you for listening to me talk about my birth experience. It has helped me a lot to talk through it with people. 

Part of my disappointment with how my birth went was also that I didn’t really feel present for the birth. I didn’t get that birth family photo or even really any labor photos. I don’t have pictures of her right away and didn’t get to capture Ben and I as we became parents. I had it in my mind that I would have just a few cell phone photos to remember the experience by - nothing professional. But, everything was so chaotic and traumatic that I felt like I had such a difficult experience that I missed out on something. 

These photos completely made up for all of that - and more! As I was looking through them I was so thankful that we booked the session. So grateful that you knew exactly what to capture to bring back the good memories of the experience. And I’m so happy that I now have hospital photos even though my experience was definitely not normal. It made everything feel a lot more normal. It’s kind of awesome that photos can do that. But I just wanted you to know how grateful I am! You truly helped with our healing process.”