Do you know what most parents realize months after bringing home their newborn?
That fancy baby swing will only be used for three months. They’ll wear those cute outfits twice before they no longer fit. And that über-cool, techy bassinet? Half the time it’ll just become another laundry basket before the baby reaches one year old.
Yeah, we don’t want that either.
Here’s the issue at hand:
Parents pour thousands of dollars into baby gear that will eventually clutter up garage sales. Meanwhile, memories of those teeny tiny fingers and adorable sleepy yawns disappear long before you want them to.
The good news is more parents are seeing through the baby propaganda these days. They’re investing less money into things that won’t last babies typically outgrow them in one year. They’re spending more money on things that will, like studio newborn photos.
Photography helps tell your story.
What We’ll Cover:
- Why baby gear is expensive (but rarely worth it)
- How photography can become your new baby “gear”
- Photographers save you money by giving tips to prolong newborn photos
- Making smart decisions with your baby gear purchases
Why Baby Gear Will ALWAYS Be So Expensive…
Hold up.
How much money did you spend on baby gear last year?
If you have kids already then you know.
If you don’t, let me paint you a picture.
Baby-related purchases totaled over $20,000 last year alone. And we’re not even including the price of delivery yet! Strollers. Cribs. Video monitors. Baby swings. Baby bounce seats. You name it, there’s a $300 version that parents feel like they HAVE to buy.
Except…
Here’s the truth new parents don’t want to hear.
Baby gear goes unused. 85% of parents say their baby quickly outgrew baby gear faster than they thought they would. The gear that was used so little it ends up sitting in a garage, gets donated, or put on Craigslist.
Think about your baby gear collection.
- That $300 baby swing that only saw four months of use
- That $150 bouncer that mostly collected dust
- That closet full of baby clothes that were only worn once
Baby gear depreciates. It loses value as soon as you drive it home from the store. And no baby item can ever really capture those newborn moments you’ll want to treasure forever.
But professional newborn photography can.
Parents Are Choosing Baby “Gear” That Won’t Go Out of Style
Here’s a trend we’ve noticed with newborn clients over the past few years.
Parents are wanting more and more professional newborn photography. In-studio newborn portraits are becoming a must-have for families who want professional quality memories. In fact, newborn and maternity photography are two of the few photography niches that are slowly growing while the rest flounder.
Why? Parents are catching on.
Photographs don’t “go out of style”. Once your baby outgrows those photo-worthy months, you’ll always have those pictures to look back on. But you can’t re-buy a baby’s newborn stage.
Professional newborn photographers understand babies.They understand how to safely pose them. They understand how to capture their personalities in those sessions. They create art that families will cherish for decades to come.
Save Money with Photography Tips to Prolong Newborn Baby Photos
Most parents don’t realize it until it’s too late.
Baby changes SO much in the first few weeks of life. They go from helpless little newborns that can only curl up in a ball, to squirmy, little babies that you have to feed every two hours. It happens FAST.
That’s why newborn photographers recommend taking newborn photos within the first two weeks of birth.
- Babies are sleepier during this time making them easier to position.
- Their tiny features are much more pronounced during this time.
- Babies will only look “newborn” for about 2-3 weeks.
Newborn photographers understand this. They understand the fleeting nature of those newborn months and want to capture babies during that timeframe.
You know what else parents fail to realize?
When they ask parents for their top baby keepsakes, super expensive gadgets and gear are rarely at the top of the list. Instead, parents say photos and footprints are most important.
When parents are surveyed with what they love about their newborn photos, nearly all of them say it was one of the best decisions they made. And 5+ years later, they’re STILL displaying those photos. They’re STILL telling people how well worth it it was.
Garage sales? Babies won’t care about them one bit.
Are You Making Smart Baby Gear Purchases?
How should parents be thinking about spending money when a new baby is on the way?
Parents should be focusing more on what matters in the long run.
Newborn baby gear. Baby monitors. Fancy, techy bassinets. All these things serve a temporary purpose. But once the baby outgrows them, they’re gone.
Newborn photography is different. Want photos that last a lifetime? Hire a professional newborn photographer.
- Buy baby gear used when you can
- Don’t fall for useless baby gadgets
- Hire a professional newborn photographer
- Invest in moments, not things
Parents still need to buy baby gear. Of course they do. Baby seats, cribs, diapers, wipes, bottles. These are all essentials.
But that fifth outfit is the same size? The wipe warmer you heard can sterilize wipes? Stop and ask yourself if you really need that thing. Or would you rather put that money toward a professional newborn photo session instead?
The truth is newborn photography is BOOMING right now. Parents are catching on to what matters and what doesn’t.
Parents spend THOUSANDS of dollars on gear that will eventually go unused. But they spend money on professional photography that’ll last them a lifetime.
What will parents really care about in 20 years? Photographs. Photos of their newborn child that they can look back on and treasure. Not the baby gear that’ll eventually go unused.
Photographers take newborn babies seriously. They know how to pose babies to bring out their personality. They understand how important timing is with newborns. They understand how to capture memories for families.
Bringing It All Together
Parents are starting to realize baby gear goes unused. Babies quickly outgrow the tiny outfits and gadgets parents buy.
Let’s recap real quick.
- Baby gear will be obsolete within one year
- Newborn photos last a lifetime
- Professional photographers can capture newborns within the first two weeks of birth
- Memory based keepsakes are all parents will care about down the road
Parents are bombarded daily with the latest and greatest baby gear stuff. The problem is, most of it will go unused and eventually end up at a garage sale.
Instead, why not invest in professional newborn photography that your kids will cherish for the rest of their lives?
