My baby is a model. This is what I've learned from our experience in photo shoots.

• My baby was accepted to a child talent agency when she was 3 months old.
• It wasn't something my family was after, but now we want to empower her to have her own money.

I'm a first-time mom, and when my baby was 3 months old, she was accepted into Minor Details, a family-owned and -operated child talent agency.

My husband and I had never pursued anything like this before, and we were flattered that the owner, Lee Gallagher, a former model and industry vet, thought she had the cute makings to appear in major campaigns.

We also realized that it would be empowering for our daughter to be responsible for her own funds and bank account when she was older and understood that she'd earned this money on her own. Most importantly, we decided to go for it because this particular agency honored work-life balance and healthy family dynamics.

You need to be prepared for the day of the shoot

The first photo shoot my baby landed was for a national fashion brand, and it was scheduled for 10 a.m. The night before, we started the bedtime process a little earlier, but we anticipated that she'd be up every two to three hours as I was still exclusively breastfeeding her on demand.

In the morning, when it was time to go, we decided not to use the car, even though it would have gotten us to our destination a lot quicker, because she hated the car seat. So we strategically used the subway to squeeze in an extra nap and ensure we'd have a happy, well-rested baby.

Upon our arrival, my daughter immediately loved the set. To her, the floor spread was one gigantic play mat for tummy time. I was ready with an essentials kit composed of her favorite toys and diaper gear in case the new setting overwhelmed her. But despite the foreign noises and camera flashes, she never fussed.

The crew was also welcoming and precise with the workflow. As a result, she cycled through four different outfits, and the shoot was completed in 40 minutes.

Some days nothing goes as planned

About a month later, my baby landed another gig with a toy company. The biggest difference between this gig and the previous one was that we'd begun sleep training our daughter. With her new schedule, we needed to make sure she only had two naps in the day.

On the day of the shoot, we had to shift the timing of her nap and wake windows to account for the time we needed to arrive.

My involvement was also requested this time. I was going to be in the shoot with my daughter, so I was required to bring my own wardrobe that followed the casting director's specifications. Meanwhile, my daughter's wardrobe was waiting for her on-site again.

Despite all the planning in advance, the on-set crew said my daughter's chosen outfit looked too bulky. As we waited on new garments to arrive, her wake window slowly closed in on us. By the time they called us to the set, her temperament began to waver, and she became restless.

She gave the photographer frustrated looks, wasn't keen on playing with the toy, and flailed her limbs.

Between resets, I quickly played airplane with her and immediately set her down when she giggled so that they could capture her expressions.

About an hour into the shoot, nothing seemed to work anymore, so I asked for a small break.

I gave her an emergency breastfeeding and diaper change. At this point, we both needed a reset because my postpartum hormones were raging, and I was boiling in the sweater I wore for the shoot. Fortunately, my daughter settled down, and upon our return, they were able to nab the shot. Despite the hiccups, the crew was kind and patient throughout the process.

As we navigate this brave new modeling world, the roller-coaster ride has been thrilling — and it's been an exciting adventure to have my baby be selected for these projects. I can't wait until she's able to talk to us, so my husband and I can share these stories with her.