It happens more often than portfolios suggest, and it is not a failure of anything.
What we try first
Warmth, then food, then quiet. Most unsettled babies are cold, hungry or overstimulated, in roughly that order. The room goes warmer, the lights go down, the white noise goes up, and we stop for as long as it takes.
Twenty minutes of nothing happening is a normal part of a newborn session, not a delay.
What we try next
Changing position — many babies who hate being on their back settle immediately on their front or upright against a parent. Some of the best frames in a difficult session come from abandoning the plan and photographing the baby in the arms of whoever they will settle for.
A parent-in-frame image is not a consolation prize. It is often the photograph the family keeps.
When we stop
When continuing would mean photographing a distressed child. There is no version of that worth having, and pushing on produces a gallery nobody wants on a wall.
We reschedule at no cost, at any notice, as many times as it takes. A set can be rebuilt. That is stated plainly in our booking terms so it is not a favour extended on the day.
Common causes worth mentioning in advance
Teething, a cold, a growth spurt, a vaccination the day before, or reflux that makes lying flat uncomfortable. None of these are problems if we know — the session gets planned differently. Whether your baby is well enough for a session is a question for your doctor rather than for us.
The reassurance
Nearly every family who has had a session stopped and rebooked has come back and had a straightforward one. It is almost never the same twice.