5 Beautiful Mom and Baby Poses for Your Upcoming Newborn Photoshoot
One of my favorite things to do at newborn sessions is to capture beautiful images of baby with mom. It is so important to me to get pictures of mom that she will love.
Oftentimes, moms are lacking from photo memories because they’re usually the ones behind the camera or phone. I try to always make sure to prioritize showcasing mama with her new baby at my session for this exact reason.
Despite maybe them not feeling their best after such an incredible accomplishment, these images are incredibly special for both mom and baby as they grow up.
Here are some of my favorite poses for mom and baby for your upcoming Newborn Photography Session. So be sure to show them to your photographer as inspiration! (And don’t forget to also check out some of my absolutely darling dad and newborn poses as well!)
Baby Resting on Moms Shoulder
This pose is not only an easy one technically, it is just such a gorgeous pose. It focuses on baby while capturing the love and connection in the mama-baby relationship. It's sweet and elegant, working well for both awake and older babies, as swaddling helps keep them sleepy and content. You can also do this pose with baby in an outfit! This pose perfectly balances showcasing the baby and the tenderness of motherhood. I absolutely love this pose, and it works beautifully on any backdrop!
This darling mom welcomed her sweet girl a few weeks prior to this session. I love how the soft neutral colors on both mom and baby worked so well again my white backdrop!
Same exactly pose, just with my boho lifestyle backdrop. Make sure baby’s entire body is facing the camera. This ensures that you get to see both mom and baby’s faces easily.
This is the same newborn on mom’s shoulder, but I had to include it because oh my gosh that little smile! I was SO thrilled to get this image for mama.
Another great part about this pose, is that it is super easy to include a partner! After I take images with just mom, I usually have their partner come up and snuggle in with their hands on baby, and forehead on mamas. It makes almost a heart shaped image!
2. MOM HOLDING HANDS WITH BABY
This image below is actually me with my twin boys! And this is one of my favorite pictures of me and them. I love it so much. I have it printed up in their nursery. It is such a great way to include mama if maybe she is more comfortable not having her face in pictures. But what a beautiful treasure for me and them to have.
An image of mom holding both hands of baby is such a beautiful memory. This is always one of my most purchased images.
This is me holding hands with my tiny newborn twin boys. I love this pictures so much. Such a sweet image for parents to have with their newborns.
In this image, I have mom positioned at the top of baby’s head, and then slowly wiggle out her arms to try to keep her sleepy. It’s tricky to keep them asleep but if you can do it, it’s worth it! Keep the bottom half of baby wrapped up, and that helps to keep baby asleep.
You can also pull out your macro lens and get a photo of baby grabbing momma’s finger! Their little fingers and hands are so tiny, and their is just the most perfect way to show that! For this image I used my Canon RF 100mm f 2.8L lens.
3. BABY CURLED UP or SWADDLED UNDER MOMS CHIN
This pose is so special because it captures the connection between a mom and her newborn. Holding her baby close, especially with her eyes closed, she looks completely in the moment—soaking in that new baby scent and tiny features. I’ve had many a client break into happy tears during this pose. The way baby’s little hands and feet peek out of the swaddle adds such a sweet touch, showing just how small and delicate newborns are. It’s a simple yet powerful way to freeze this fleeting stage of becoming a mom and I love that I get to creating these important images for a mom with her newborn. Truly a memory that will be cherished forever. My newborn portfolio includes more examples of parent and newborn photos as well.
This pose is a classic for Newborn Photography with Mom. Baby Ellis was so darling, and we did this same pose for all of her 4 children!
This image prompt it essentially the same, but baby is wrapped up here. Wrapping a baby can be helpful if they are awake. This keeps them content, and also keeps their arms from moving around.
For this image, 3 week old Cade was wide awake, so in order to help settle him, I wrapped him up, and tucked him right next to mama. I just happened to get this moment where he looked right at me! I love when I can get eye contact from a newborn!
4. BABY’S HEAD IN MOM’S HANDS
This pose is perfect for moms who feel more comfortable without having their face prominently featured in the pictures but still want to be included in the photoshoot. It captures the tender and intimate moment of holding their tiny newborn, highlighting the delicate size of the baby in mom’s hands. This perspective creates a powerful image that beautifully conveys the connection and love between them. It's a timeless and touching moment that becomes one of my favorite images to capture. And bonus is that this image is perfect for awake newborns too!
Isn’t this baby gorgeous? She was so sweet and tiny in moms hands. We also did a picture of dad holding her tiny toes. The best!
This image is exactly the same pose as above, but just shot at an angle from the side! Try to have mom keep her wrists together to keep focus on baby.
5. MOM KISSING BABY
What is more perfect than a mom kissing her brand new baby? For a new mom, this is something they do a thousand times a day. So this prompt asking mom to “kiss her sweet baby” is always the most natural thing. It not only shows the deep bond and overwhelming love that a mother feels for her newborn, but it also creates a moment that will bring back all the tender memories for mom for years to come. If I stop right now, I can remember kissing my twins as newborns. This pose captures this moment in a way where their connection is preserved forever. It's a poignant and touching image that speaks volumes about the unbreakable bond between mother and child, making it an essential shot in any newborn photography session.
For this image I had mom sitting down, so I could angle my camera down. This is always the most flattering angle for new moms. How darling is baby Whitaker with his mama? Oh i could just squeeze him! I absolutely love the connection and beauty between them. What a lifelong memory for mom, and a special image for baby whitaker as he grows.
I had mom sitting for this image too, and had her bring baby up to her face for kisses. You want to make sure one hand is under baby’s bum, and one hand supporting their neck and head at all times.
This is exactly the same pose, but for this image I really got in a lot closer…If you can, use a zoom lens! This is a great time to really get those close ups.
What mom doesn’t kiss their baby a thousand times a day? Make sure you capture this moment when you’re photographing mom and her newborn. It’s always a client favorite!
EXTRA BONUS POSE: Snuggled on Moms chest 🤍
What newborn doesn't love snuggling up on their parent's chest? This pose captures a beautiful, intimate moment, especially when the baby needs some extra time with mom. I've found that this pose works best when the newborn is in an outfit rather than a wrap, as it showcases their little arms and legs, emphasizing just how tiny they are.
I did both a studio and outdoor maternity session for this mama! She was so excited to meet her sweet boy. I love how her green dress works again my boho lifestyle area of my studio.
I hope these 5 Newborn Poses with Mom Ideas give you some inspirations to take with you when you go to your next Newborn Session! Congratulations on your new baby!
~ Lindsay | Salem Oregon Newborn Photographer
