You're pregnant, you're planning everything, and somewhere between the registry and the nursery and the birth plan, someone mentioned newborn photos. And now you're wondering -- are they actually worth it? Is this something I really need to do?

I've been a newborn photographer in Seattle for 15 years. I've been in hundreds of homes in those first tender, exhausting, magical days. And I’m also a mom to two little ones myself. Here's my honest answer.

The newborn window is real -- and it's short

The newborn phase lasts approximately 7-21 days. That's the window when babies are sleepy and curly and still smell like the beginning of something. After that, they change so fast you'll wonder where the weeks went.

I'm not saying this to scare you. I'm saying it because most moms don't realize how quickly it passes until it already has.

What moms actually say afterward

In 15 years, I have never had a mom tell me she regretted getting newborn photos.

I have had moms tell me they wished they'd done it. Moms who assumed they'd remember every detail -- and then found, somewhere around month three, that the early days had blurred into a beautiful, sleepy haze. Moms who meant to book someone and then the window passed before they had time to think.

The photos aren't just for Instagram. They're for the 2am feeding when you need to remember why this is all worth it. They're for your partner, who will look at them years later with tears in their eyes. They're for your kid, who will one day hold a photo of themselves at six days old and understand something about being loved before they even knew what love was.

But are they worth the money?

This is a fair question and I want to answer it honestly.

Newborn photography is an investment. A good newborn photographer -- someone who specializes in this work, who knows how to work with brand new babies, who will show up to your home and make the whole experience feel calm and easy -- is not cheap. And that's because this work takes skill, experience, and genuine care.

What I'd ask you to consider is this: in five years, what will you wish you had spent money on? The extra items on your registry that your baby outgrew in three weeks? Or the images that live on your wall and in your heart for the rest of your life?

What to look for in a newborn photographer

Not all newborn photographers are the same. Here's what matters:

Specialization. Look for someone who focuses on newborn work specifically -- not a generalist who also does weddings and headshots and everything else. Newborns require a specific skill set and a specific kind of patience.

In-home experience. In-home newborn photography captures your real life -- your light, your space, the place where your baby is actually coming home to. It tends to feel warmer and more authentic than studio work.

A calm booking process. You're going to have a newborn. The last thing you need is a complicated, stressful booking experience. Look for a photographer who has a clear, simple process and who makes you feel taken care of from the very first email.

A portfolio that makes you feel something. Look at their work and ask yourself: does this look like my life? Does this feel like the kind of photos I want to have?

The honest answer

Yes. Newborn photos are worth it -- if you work with the right photographer and if you book early enough to actually make it happen.

The newborn window doesn't wait. The good photographers book out 3-4 months in advance. Which means if you're pregnant right now, this is the moment to start looking.

If you want even MORE of my personal validation - check out this post I wrote on Instagram. If I hadn’t booked a professional newborn photographer for my own family, I wouldn’t have had any good pictures of myself with my baby.

And if you're not sure where to start -- I made you something. A free guide for expecting moms that cuts through all the noise and tells you what actually matters before baby arrives. Including exactly how to handle the newborn photography piece without any scrambling or stress.

Get the Guide

I'm Meredith McKee, a Seattle newborn and maternity photographer with 15 years of experience photographing families in their first days home with a new baby. I'd love to be your photographer. You can see my work and check availability at meredithmckee.com.