When a maternity shoot became a newborn one! Mosman, Northern Beaches, Sydney

Beauty brandsNorthern BeachesNewborn Photography

Feb 1

‘I had actually booked a maternity shoot with Elena but went into labour the night before! I was nearly 40 weeks but convinced I had another week to go’, says Jilly. Baby Leo had other ideas, so Jilly and husband Jacob rebooked for a newborn shoot instead.

Parents with newborn baby on Sydney skyline — ©Little Manly Photography

We live in Mauritius but I came back to Sydney to give birth. We were living in a rental house in Mosman which had a stunning view of Sydney harbour, so we decided to do the shoot at home and get a few shots with the background.

Elena made it work, even though it was raining. The shoot was such a lovely experience. I'm a little shy having my picture taken, but Elena made it such a happy and fun experience. It felt like we were just hanging out and chatting, having some laughs and then Elena got some amazing photos in the background! It turned out so well, better than either of us could have hoped for, despite being a rainy morning.

Baby feeding with mother — ©Little Manly Photography

To decide what to wear, I read Elena's guide on what to wear and found an outfit the day before that I felt beautiful in. I got a blow dry at home in the morning as well, which also made me feel special and added to the day.

My advice to another family considering getting photos done? Definitely get some newborn photos done and as soon as possible! Leo has already grown up so much, I'm so glad we did it early – he was a week old, and even now that he’s nine weeks old, he’s changed so much.

When I look back at these in five or ten year’s time, I’ll miss having a tiny little one that you can cart around anywhere, and the squishy little face.