FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep?
[NILMDTS] is a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization consisting of photographers volunteering their time and services to families that are experiencing the death of an infant. At the parents request, an affiliated photographer will meet with the family at a hospital or hospice location to help parents create beautiful heirloom memories of their child. Our affiliated photographers are dedicated to making this photography session as loving, sensitive and private as possible. NILMDTS has provided thousands of families of babies who are stillborn or are at risk of dying as newborns with free professional portraits with their baby.
How do I volunteer?
Everything you need to know is here: www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/join_our_network/. Simply click through to fill out our online application after you've read about the process of becoming a NILMDTS volunteer.
I have heard of NILMDTS before and that you only photograph babies after they die. Is this true?
No. We photograph the child at the parents request. Some families want photographs taken while their child is still alive. Others might prefer to wait until the child passes and can be held close without wires, tubes or monitors. Some families may only prefer a maternity session. Please remember that there are circumstances beyond a parents control, and a child will be born still. Please keep in mind that this is the only time a parent can create memories with their baby. It is your responsibility as a professional, to keep an open mind, and not to judge a family for their decision.
What babies will NILMDTS photograph? (i.e. minimum gestational age)
Our foundation guidelines are that an infant must be 25 weeks gestation. We do however; make some exceptions for infants that are slightly younger than the 25 week guideline depending on the condition of the baby. We ask the medical professionals (doctor or nursing staff) to assess the condition of the baby, and make the determination if we are able to get a quality photograph. We ask them to assess the condition of the baby conservatively, keeping in mind that our volunteers are not medical professionals. If the medical professional feels that the baby is in good shape and we can get a quality photograph, then we are happy to take these sessions as well.
What is the maximum age your volunteers can expect to photograph?
While we do not have a black and white rule on this one, we ask that you keep our primary mission in mind. Our heart is to provide remembrance photography to those families whose infants will never leave the hospital and will never have the opportunity for professional portraiture. While our desire would be to expand our services to other children, at this time our network of volunteers is still not sufficient to handle all of the requests for infants, and so our focus must remain there for now. In situations where a child has spent most of their life in the hospital NICU/PICU and has not had an opportunity for professional portraiture, our volunteers can consider these on a case by case basis. If contacted by a hospital to photograph and older child under special circumstances, it will be your choice if you would like to take the session or not.
What am I required to provide the families?
A private and sensitive photography session and one CD/DVD file of all images, retouched if needed, at no cost. The family will use the CD to print the images at the developer of their choice and at their cost.
Does NILMDTS offer training and support for Affiliated Photographers?
Yes. We offer training sessions around the country. Currently we have over 25 Certified Trainers traveling around the US to offer training sessions. See if one is in your area here: www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/training_registration/. We also offer our NILMDTS Affiliated Photographers a continuous online training and emotional support forum. This information is updated daily. Click here for additional information.
Being a NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer, am I always 'on call'?
When a new photographer joins NILMDTS, they are added to the "Find a Photographer" listing on the main website. If a NILMDTS Area Coordinator calls you for a session, depending on your schedule and availability, you may accept or decline the session. We do ask that if a hospital or family contacts you directly and you are unable to provide the session, please help them in locating another affiliated photographer that can.
Am I subject to the HIPAA privacy rule as an NILMDTS photographer?
No, the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation and its affiliated photographers are not subject to the HIPAA privacy rule because we are not "vendors" at the hospital, we are guests of the family. We enter the hospital invited to their bedsides just like a family pastor, rabbi, or chaplain. This is a question that often comes up when hospitals first learn of NILMDTS. It would be a good idea for photographers to at least have knowledge of the rule administered by the Office of Civil Rights before performing their first session should the HIPAA question come up. To read the HIPAA law, click here.
