Category Archives: Babies
“My eyes are an ocean in which my dreams are reflected” Pope John XXIII
Sebastian certainly had beautiful big eyes and despite being a newborn you can almost see his personality and big dreams! What a gorgeous family!!!
Being a newborn photographer is not only about photographing newborn babies…it’s also about seeing them grow and getting to know their beautiful parents. Last year Chloe and her family came for their first newborn photo shoot and they were back when Chloe was about 8 month old and for her first birthday shoot! We organised a cake smash and it was extremely lovely seeing her dealing with this big cake! But most of all I believe she enjoyed the little bath she had afterwards! Chloe is a beautiful and happy little girl and I have to say that since her first photo shoot it transpired her sweet personality! I feel very honoured to have had the opportunity to photograph her and her family in different occasion. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me with your family’s memories!
Recently I have been very quiet … for the first time after starting my newborn photography business I was able to take some time off and concentrate on my family. It might seem an easy decision but running your own business requires you to be constantly on call and there is never a right time to go an holiday. Going away for such a long period means to turn down clients that would love their newborn being photographed and of course newborns are newborns only for their first few weeks of life…so yes I have lost some business but I have gained so much from spending time with my own kids and family. It has been amazing seeing them happy, free and full of joy! As you might already know our families live in Italy and the kids had the opportunity to get to know Great Grandma, the grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins and to feel part of a bigger family! Let me just say that one day granny organised a lunch and we were 27 at the table!
I have taken plenty of pictures with my Iphone to document our trip. I know the quality is not the best but I wanted to remember those special moments without scaring the kids away with my big camera. They will never be this little again so any image it is a precious gift for me and for them. They will be able to see how everybody looked like, how tiny and how loved they were. Photography opens the door into the past keeping memories alive in the future.
It’s a girl!!! I honestly thought that James and Angela would definitely have a boy…but how wrong was I!!! Beautiful Delilah came along and we took her newborn pictures when she was 13 days new.
Mum and dad were in awe of their little girl and sweet Delilah was just perfect during her photography session. When a baby smiles I always feel that the world stops for a minute to admire the beauty of this wonderful miracle. Baby Delilah had the world stopping a few times…as she gave us so many wonderful smiles which we were able to capture in some of her portraits below.
She looked fabulous with Little Olive‘s headbands and I couldn’t resist using Bobo Felt fluffy wool.
I usually suggest parents to book their newborn session when the baby is between 5 and 14 days as they are more sleepy and curly. The skin also won’t be too dry and baby acne should not show too much. Delilah had a perfect skin and was able to hold her poses perfectly. Please enjoy her session and her sweet smiles.
What I love about baby photography is how it allows me to show these beautiful smiles! Baby Skyla was such an happy girl during her photo shoot! And soon she will be a big sister! A new addition to the Clapham community 😉
Eilish Saba set up and runs The Baby Care Company locally in SW11. She gives 1st and 2nd baby preparation classes throughout London, with an emphasis on teaching parents how to care for their baby, or how to manage life with 2.
This is part 2 of some of the key baby milestones, and this time we’re looking at milestones from 6 months old.It’s important to remember that babies don’t all develop at the same rate, and so may pick things up faster or slower than others. If you’re worried about anything, it’s always worth going to see your GP.
The milestone: WeaningBy six months you’ll need to start introducing solid food. You may find that she is no longer satisfied by milk and that she’s starting to show interest in the food that you and others are eating. Your baby needs it to build up nutrients in her body, as well as to help develop muscles and coordination in her mouth, which is essential for talking.
The milestone: Separation anxiety
At around 7 months to a year, your child will start to become aware that you are a separate person from her and that means when you go away, realising that you don’t to come back, she will suddenly start to worry that you won’t and become more clingy. The only way to address this issue is to prove to her that you’re not going anywhere. Start by playing peek-a boo, then step out of the room for a minute to return a moment later. Encourage others to play and engage with her while you’re holding her and then let them hold her for a short while, taking her back if she’s feeling a little unsure. When you are leaving, make sure you say goodbye, and tell her you’re coming back later, don’t just leave. With practice, she’ll learnt to trust that you’re not going anywhere for long – and also that the world won’t end if you’re not in the same room.
The milestone: Sitting up by themselves
By 8-9 months babies have enough strength to be able to sit up by themselves. Help them master this skill by putting them on their tummy to help their neck and back to grow stronger. While they’re still unstable, put cushions around them incase they topple over.
The milestone: Pincer grip
The pincer grip is when your child can hold something between her thumb and index finger and shows much greater finger dexterity. This usually happens between 8 to 12 months. Help her practice this useful skill by giving her small items to pick up – leave peas on her highchair tray, for instance.
The milestone: Crawling
Not every baby crawls, but those that do tend to start at around nine months and will very quickly start shooting off all over your home. Many start to crawl backwards before moving forwards. Now is the time to get the baby gate out and start baby proofing your house. You can encourage crawling by putting your baby on her tummy for small periods of time even from a young age, and by putting her favourite toy just out of reach to entice her to crawl and get it.
The milestone: Standing/CruisingWhether your baby loved to crawl, or passed this stage in favour of ‘bum shuffling’, at some point she’ll get on her feet. Then probably fall back down again. This normally happens at around 10 months.
Cruising is when she takes this ability one step further and will ‘walk’ around while holding onto furniture. Cruising helps your baby learn to balance and helps to strengthen her lower body. It’s helpful to hold onto her hands while she practices standing and walking.
The milestone: Talking
From around 4-6 months your baby will have been babbling – copying the kind of sounds you make to practice for the real thing. Usually, you’ll only get real words at around 12-18 months when they’ll have about 20 words in their vocabulary. You’ll find that even though they can only say c. 20 words, they’ll understand many more.
The milestone: Walking
This is a huge milestone for most parents, who’ll want to capture the moment, and often happens around your baby’s first birthday, though any time from about 10 months til 18 months is normal. At last, your baby will have managed to coordinate her balance with the action of putting one foot in front of the other. Help her practise this life-long skill by holding her hands while she walks around the room. You can also help her practice by encouraging her to walk a few steps between Mummy and Daddy.
The milestone: Potty training
Many children start to be potty trained at 2.5years old, but some are closer to 3. Your child will need to be able to tell the difference between wet and dry, know when they need to go to the toilet and also be able to communicate this to you. Be guided by your child as to when they are ready to start, and try to approach it with a relaxed manner and when there aren’t other major things happening.
For night time dryness, there is a hormone which signals to your body to stop making urine at night and many only have the right levels of this hormone after the age of three. Up until the age of five, accidents are therefore common.
For further details on the classes Eilish runs at The Baby Care Company, please email her on info@thebabycarecompany.co.uk or visit www.thebabycarecompany.co.uk
The wonderful thing about being a newborn and baby photographer is that most of the time I have the opportunity to see the babies growing up. These twins, Francesca and Hendrix are always a joy to photograph…I still remember when I met their mother for her maternity session and they were still in her tummy! I will never get tired to take their pictures and record such precious and priceless memories.
I’ve met Eilish when I was pregnant with my second child. I was looking for a refresher course about newborn babies and I wanted to join a smaller and more intimate group of pregnant ladies…that were in my same position with an older child expecting their second one. I found Eilish details in a cafe and it sounded just what I was looking for. I attended the class and I couldn’t have asked for better advices and company. Her insights about life with two kids were so useful and they helped me coping with my new situation, I was well prepared, knew what to expect and how to address any issue about having two kids to look after.
I’ve asked Eilish to share some of her knowledge and write a blog about Baby Milestones up to 6 months and here it is:
BABY MILESTONES UP TO 6 MONTHS
As your baby grows she’ll develop new skills and these ‘milestones’ show she’s becoming more independent and growing the right way. Here is the lowdown on what to expect and how to encourage your baby to embrace these new skills in the first 6 months.
It’s important to remember too though that babies don’t all develop at the same rate, and so may pick things up faster or slower than others. If you’re worried about anything, it’s always worth going to see your GP.
The milestone: Smiling
At around six weeks, you should see your baby smile for the first time. Why now? Well, it takes this long for her to strengthen the muscles that enable her to do it! It’s a moment for parents to get excited – sure your baby feels happy to see you for weeks, now she can finally show it. Encourage your baby to smile by talking to her face to face, with lots of facial expressions.
The milestone: Babbling
From 4-6 months your baby will try and mimic the sound of talking where, she’s trying to communicate with you! Babbling is important for infants as it helps them learn the sounds of speech, Encourage her by talking – even if it’s just giving her a running commentary of things you’re up to. Repeat her sounds back to her so she can learn to copy you. Read to her – the more you communicate, the more she’ll pick up, and sing to her – babies love hearing nursery rhymes and songs – especially ones with actions.
The milestone: Rolling Over
Between 4-6 months when her neck and arm muscles are strong enough, your baby will start to rollover. First she’ll roll over one way, and then she’ll master being able to roll back again. To encourage rolling over, put your baby on her tummy for short periods to help her develop strength in her neck muscles. Position a toy just out of reach to encourage her to roll over to get it.
The milestone: Holding something
By 5 months your little one should be able to hold an object, but she may not be able to let it go again! A rattle can prove lots of fun at this age as she masters her new skill.
The milestone: Teething
Your baby’s teeth can come through anytime, but often it’s around the six month mark. The first tooth normally comes through in the front of the mouth, at the bottom.
The milestone: Weaning
By six months you’ll need to start introducing solid food. You may find that she is no longer satisfied by milk and that she’s starting to show interest in the food that you and others are eating. Your baby needs it to build up nutrients in her body, as well as develop muscles and coordination in her mouth, which is essential for talking.
In the next post, Eilish will be looking at milestones up to 18 months.
Eilish Saba set up and runs The Baby Care Company locally in SW11. She gives 1st and 2nd baby preparation classes throughout London, with an emphasis on teaching parents how to care for their baby, or how to manage life with 2. For further details on the classes she runs, please email her on info@thebabycarecompany.co.uk or visit www.thebabycarecompany.co.uk
When I met Diddie we were both pregnant with our second child. We attended a fabulous class “2nd baby preparation class” at The Baby Care Company . Nathaniel was born just few weeks before my boy. We have been waiting for the right time for his baby photography session…and here we are!
Memories are one of the most important things in life and I am so happy I was the one capturing this precious moments for Diddie’s family.