When my amazing client came to me and asked to do a milk bath with her newborn, I was flummoxed. Did she want just the baby in the shallow milk bath, did she want to be in the bath too? Did I actually use milk and if so, low-fat, whole, powdered, what? What if baby had an allergy to cow milk? Would I need goat milk? Oh my gosh, the questions in my mind could fill a short novella.
What is a Newborn Milk Bath exactly?
We had formed a pretty tight bond as I was her maternity photographer, birth photographer and labor doula. So I told her I had not done this before, but I am more than happy to give it a go. I did some research and well, it’s a bath of water and milk. Just as the name implies! They bought 4 gallons of whole milk, candles and a ton of flower. We started with a warm bath and added the milk to get the opacity to achieve a certain look. We then invited momma into the bath and scattered the flowers strategically, adding her newborn baby girl at the end.
So what is the point of a Newborn Milk Bath Session?
God question! Especially since I made the question (ha!). Milk bathes themselves date back years and used to add moistures and soften the skin. Herbal postpartum bathes with mother and child have been around for a while too. The concept of bathing is very healing in the postpartum stage and there’s something vulnerable about being nude in a body of water. Significant bonding occurs when both mom and baby are relaxed and suspended in water. Their heartbeats become one through relaxation, breathe and peaceful observance. And the milk? Why the milk? Look at the pictures above. Would they have the same effect in clear regular water? Besides nourishing the skin of both mother and baby, milk is a vehicle to make the flowers pop. Visually, this scene dazzles the eye with absolute absence of color mixed with punches of color.
Are you ready?
These relaxing sessions can be done in the privacy of your own home, at an Airbnb or at a hotel. Go on a quest to find the most fabulous tub that fits your energy. These sessions can be an add on to your Birth Photography package or as a stand alone option. I am here when you are ready for your newborn milk bath session.