Move over Anne Geddes and the bewildering baby-in-a-cabbage aesthetic of the 90’s, we’ve now completely lost our minds over luxurious and meticulously crafted pop culture photo shoots for the newest, sleepiest members of the family. From a baby Ramone “passed out” in a nightclub, complete with half-eaten pizza and a cigarette, to a fresh-out-of-the-womb newborn curled up on the Iron Throne, people are shelling out mind-blowing amounts of money—upwards of $10,000—to achieve the next big thing in baby one-ups-manship, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

To be fair, the trend is delightful and hilarious, but it could also bring up some feelings of inadequacy for those of us who don’t have the time, money, or energy to capture our baby’s first few days—much less do it on the scale of a professional model shoot. Here’s the thing, there’s nothing wrong with going all out for your baby’s first photos, just as there’s nothing wrong with not doing them at all. The only thing that matters is what works for you. 

Here are some things to keep in mind before you get in too deep and find yourself scrambling to DIY a newborn-sized Barbie costume in the final hours before you go into labor.

It’s Okay to Not Do a Newborn Photoshoot 

If the thought of pulling yourself and your three-day-old baby together for a photoshoot is more anxiety-inducing than exciting, consider this: it might make more sense to take some candid photos with your phone, have your partner set up a tripod for a nice family photo, or—gasp—just not take pictures at all and focus instead on soaking up the fleeting snuggles of your newborn. 

It’s natural to want to capture memories of your baby’s earliest days out in the world, but it’s more than okay to buck the expectation that you have to do a full-fledged newborn photoshoot. You’re recovering from childbirth, your family dynamic is completely different, and you’re taking care of a brand new being around the clock. This is your permission to just kick that can down the road a few months. 

You Can Do Baby Photos on Your Own Terms

If you are firmly in the must-have-newborn-photos camp, know that you do not need movie-quality props nor a famous photographer to make this worth your while. If professional photos are in the cards, consider asking about mini sessions. These are typically reduced-price, 15-minute photo sessions that get the job done. The downside is that you may not have a lot of choice about where the pictures are taken or the props offered. 

If your issue stems more from getting out of the house than cost, lots of photographers will come to you to do a newborn shoot in your home. That way you can confidently answer the door in your robe and still get adorable pictures of your baby.

And if you just want cute memories, you can always take a few photos yourself or enlist your friends and family to give you a hand. There are plenty of guides out there for how to capture photos on your own that will still be worthy of the senior yearbook 18 years from now. 

You Just Had a Baby—Be Kind to Your Beautiful Body

It’s completely normal to feel self-conscious about capturing your postpartum body in a photo shoot before you’ve come to terms with how you look. But, from one self-conscious mom to another, if you want mommy-and-me newborn photos and that’s the only thing stopping you from geting in the picture, do it anyway. I promise you won’t regret it. Your body did something amazing and deserves to be celebrated. 

Think of it as an investment for your future self. Even if you aren’t ready to fully embrace your new body just yet, you may grow to love that first image of you embarking on this life long journey of being a mom. And if you just aren’t up to it, there is no guilt in abstaining, either. 

It Might Be Better to Get Pictures When the Baby Is Older

According to photographers and seasoned parents, the sweet spot for taking baby pictures might actually be in the seven- to nine-month range, and maybe even a year old. Yes, a newborn is more likely to sleep through the shoot and stay in position, but your 9-month-old is going to show off their personality in every frame (for better or worse). And that is guaranteed to make for a more dynamic family photo. 

Let Go of Guilt Around Making the ‘Right’ Memories

There is no such thing as the right way to capture memories when it comes to babies and kids. That goes for newborn photos, family photos, keepsakes, and whatever else is being sold to parents as the only way to treasure their loved ones. Trust us, by the time your baby is grown, you will have enough photos and videos to fill up the cloud. So, if you want to rest, recover, and live in the moment cherishing the time you have with your sweet, snuggly newborn without a camera pointed at you, that is just fine. They’ll be screeching “Watch this!” and posing on command for endless pictures before you know it.