The most obvious attributes of a lens are its focal length and maximum aperture.

Parents of newborns can be concerned by the use of flash, so you will probably want the option of taking photos in available light, and for this a lens with a wide maximum aperture (a low f-number) is better. This will also help you get a shallow DoF. An alternative is to buy a bounce flash for your camera, such as the SB500.

For newborns, the shooting distance itself isn’t much of a concern. You’ll choose it more because of comfort, available space, and effects on background than by its effect on the appearance of the subject. However, when you include parents or other adults in the picture, you might want to try for a shooting distance of about 2-3m, to show the adults at their best.

The focal length to choose depends on the shooting distance and the size of the area you want to frame. When shooting just a newborn, you are framing an area of about 75cm by 50cm, or even smaller. From about 1.5m away, this is framed by a 50mm lens on your APS-C body. From about 2.5m away, an 85mm lens comes closer.

To frame a mom half-height holding her newborn, from about 2.5m away, that 85mm would work well. 50mm might work for a seated shot, and 35mm might be enough for a standing shot, if she’s short. Otherwise 30mm would be better. If you shoot from closer than 2.5m you’ll need proportionally shorter focal lengths. However these shots often don’t need shallow DoF so you might be able to get by with your kit lens at short focal lengths other than 35mm.

So in the end, I think it comes down to a choice between the 50mm f/1.8G or the 85mm f/1.8G. Use your kit lens to shoot a doll or teddy bear, with or without an adult holding it to see if you think you’ll often need a focal length longer than 50mm. If not, the 50 is what you should get.

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