Bringing home a newborn is magical—and exhausting. But doing it with toddlers or small children in the house? That’s a whole new level of chaos. You’re not just managing sleepless nights and cluster feeds—you’re also answering "Why?" a hundred times a day and refereeing battles over snack cups.
It’s intense. But it’s doable. Here’s how to keep your sanity (mostly) intact during this beautifully messy time.

1. Lower the Bar. No, Lower.
The dishes can wait. The toys on the floor won’t kill anyone. Let go of perfection. If everyone is fed, safe, and mostly clothed, you're doing great.
Your house might look like a toy tornado met a laundry volcano—and that’s OK. This isn’t the season for spotless counters. It’s the season for survival.

2. Prep “Yes” Zones
Designate safe areas where your older child(ren) can play independently. Think soft mats, puzzles, picture books, or bins of rotating toys. These are areas where they can go wild without constant redirection—so you can feed or rock the baby without panic.
Pro tip: rotate toys every few days to keep things fresh without buying more.

3. Tag Team When You Can
If you have a partner, coordinate shifts. One of you handles bedtime with the toddler, the other gets baby duty. Even small chunks of alone time—like 15 minutes to shower or scroll in silence—can recharge your spirit.
And if you're flying solo? Don’t be afraid to phone a friend, hire a sitter, or lean on family. This isn’t the time to do it all alone.

4. Let the Big Kids “Help”
Toddlers love to feel important. Give them baby-safe “jobs”: bringing nappies, singing songs to the baby, helping with muslin cloths. It gives them a sense of inclusion and reduces jealousy.
Are they actually helping? Maybe not. But their enthusiasm is worth it.

5. Snack Stations & Busy Bins
Keep easy-to-reach snack baskets and water bottles for older kids to grab themselves. Pair this with “busy bins”—prepped activities like colouring books, stickers, or magnetic tiles they can pull out during feeds or fussy baby moments.
Minimal effort, maximum peace.

6. Get Outside (Even If It’s Just the Patio)
A change of scenery works wonders. Fresh air calms babies and kids. Don’t aim for a big outing—just stepping into the back garden or going for a short walk can shift everyone’s mood (especially yours).
Bonus: outdoor time = better naps later.

7. Screen Time is Not the Enemy
This is your permission slip. Paw Patrol can help. Bluey is your co-parent. This is not the time to stress over screen limits. You’ll get back to your usual boundaries later. Right now, you need rest, recovery, and sanity.

8. Rest However You Can
You might not be able to “sleep when the baby sleeps” when you’ve got other kids. But can you lie on the couch while they play? Can you nap with cartoons on in the background?
Rest doesn’t have to mean sleep. Give your body downtime in whatever form you can.

9. Grace. So Much Grace.
You will have moments when you cry with the baby. Days where everyone eats cereal for dinner. Times when you feel like you’re doing everything “wrong.” That’s normal. You’re not failing—you’re just in the trenches of one of the hardest and most beautiful phases of parenthood.
Give yourself grace. And snacks.

Final ThoughtsThese early days are intense—but they’re temporary. The chaos will calm. Your bigger kids will adjust. Your newborn will sleep (eventually). And you’ll look back and marvel at how you did it all—even when it felt impossible.
Until then? Deep breaths, coffee if you like it, and remember: you’ve got this.

Those two little lines on that test really is a wonderful moment! There's so much to think about, what do babies even need?! It can be an overwhelming time for parents to be, and you'll be told a lot of "make sure you get this" and "don't bother getting any of that". It's very much a personal choice of what you feel like you need to buy to prepare for your new arrival.

Something a lot of parents question is - "do we really need to book a newborn photo shoot?" The answer is no, you don't need to book one! However, if it's something you'd like to book, it can be a minefield out there! You do a search for Newborn Photographers, find the prices vary wildly, pictures of cute little bundles are everywhere, and you just don't know where to begin!

I recommend you decide on a budget first - there's photographers to suit every budget! You don't want to overstretch yourself once you see those adorable pictures of your little one, and feel disappointed that you can't afford to buy them - I've been there myself!

Of course you will most likely find the quality of work will improve as the price increases, but at the end of the day, as long as you have pictures you're happy with, then stick to your budget! We all look at big expensive houses online right? (It can't just be me!) Ones with sprawling lawns, saunas, cinema rooms and fancy kitchens! They're nice to look at, but we know they're out of budget, so we wouldn't consider putting an offer in!

Some photographers, like myself, offer payment plans which help with the affordability aspect of choosing your photographer - if you can't see it advertised as an option, there's no harm in contacting the photographer you like and asking!

The next (and most important) thing to consider is your newborns safety; babies are very delicate, and you must ensure your photographer has had newborn posing training of some sort - it is currently unregulated within the industry, and I hope one day it will be something that needs to be certified before photographers can work with tiny babies. It's not a case of 'fake it 'til you make it' with newborns! You should also ask if your photographer is suitably insured - just in case!

Once you've covered that part, and you have a list of possible photographers, you need to look at their portfolios! Not every photographer has the same style; some do 'lifestyle' sessions, others more posed. Do they have props such as baskets, headbands, little outfits that you like? Do you like the style of their images? Even better, if you know of someone who's used them you could ask them how they found their experience, you could read reviews online too!

After considering those points, it really is just down to personal preference as to who you choose!

Once you've made your choice, contact the photographer as soon as you're able to; a lot of us get booked up quite quickly, and you wouldn't want to miss out on your preferred photographer by trying to book in after baby has arrived, although most of us will try to squeeze in last minute sessions if we are able to!

The recommended time to book your newborn photo shoot is after your 20 week scan, and don't worry if baby is early or running a little late - we expect that, and ensure we only book a certain number of due dates in a month to guarantee we can fit everyone in!

If you've done your research and you've decided to book your session with us, you can use the 'contact' tab at the top of the page to send an email to get things started. We also take bookings via our social pages too!

I hope this post helps you with your photographer search, and hope to meet you and your little one soon!

​Emma x