Here are the most important pictures to take baby’s first year! Time is fleeting with a new baby, and as excited as you are, you might miss out on some of the most precious moments.
I wanted to take a moment to let you know that this site uses affiliate links, and this post may include some of those.
While having professional photos of some of these sweet moments would be awesome, pictures taken at home are perfectly fine! You might even consider a child photography course to up your skills, many courses will even teach you tips for taking amazing cell phone pictures!
Read on and print the checklist to be sure you’re recording all of the important photos you need to capture of baby’s first year!
Pictures You’ll Want To Take Of Baby In The First Year
Here are the most important photos to capture during baby’s first year:
1. Baby being weighed and measured on scale for the first time
I wanted pictures of pretty much everything my baby did those first precious moments. I’m thankful to have had my sister in the delivery room to capture some awesome newborn photos and some video, too!
I was kind of zoned out, but the pictures help me remember how those first few moments after my son’s birth were.
2. Mom holding baby for the first time
There’s this overwhelming feeling you get the first time you hold your sweet baby. Try to catch that moment of complete happiness on delivery day! That look you give is a look of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, and it is priceless!
3. Dad holding baby for the first time
Be sure to catch a picture of dad holding his sweet baby for the first time as well! There’s so much emphasis placed on mom, but this is a huge moment for dad as well! Be sure to capture his huge smile as he holds his dearest little love.
If dad is catching baby or cutting baby’s umbilical cord, that’s a great photo opportunity as well!
4. Mom breastfeeding for the first time
Sometimes we don’t realize how much we will regret having the opportunity to take pictures breastfeeding our babes. Sometimes it is because we’re slightly embarrassed or worried about embarrassing our children.
I’m saddened that breastfeeding is often reduced to something that is “taboo.”
Don’t miss the opportunity to take pictures breastfeeding your sweet baby. Even if you keep those photos hidden, in time you’ll be glad that you have them!
5. Sibling meeting baby for the first time
Siblings meeting a new baby for the first time is SO exciting! Be sure to make a big deal out of it and record some awesome photos!
Also be sure to take pictures of any attempts to help baby that an older sibling makes. Those big sisters and big brothers can be SO sweet and dote on their baby sibling.
6. Baby with birth team
It’s a good idea to take a picture of the staff with baby! The birth team played such an important role in your baby coming Earth-side!
You’ll especially want to do this if you are having a homebirth or birthing at a birth center, using a midwife and/or doulas. You’ll want to capture a picture of any specialized labor support you are using. And don’t forget the photographer, if you choose to hire one!
7. Visitors in the hospital
If you’re having a baby during the pandemic, then you’re unlikely to have visitors in the hospital. But things WILL return to normal, and then you can choose whether or not you want to accept visitors when having your precious babe.
And if you do choose to allow visitors to come by, be sure to snap a pic of them with or around baby!
8. Going home outfit
Baby finally coming home is such a joyous affair.
I remember that I was SO excited and yet also a little anxious.
I was now going to have freedom with my baby, and be able to get better sleep as the nurses came by way too often and I was also sharing a room with someone who the nurses came by even more often (due to an emergency c-section). I’m a light sleeper and this meant I didn’t really sleep. Maybe 10 minutes here and there.
BUT I was also going home where I had no nurses coming by to make sure I was doing things right, to make sure my baby wasn’t jaundiced, to make sure he was eating enough, pooping properly, peeing enough.
It was now all on me.
Still, I put on the cute little outfit I had picked out, and set out to go home. And I’m glad I snapped a picture of it, because while everything turned out just fine once we got home, I would have been sad if I couldn’t even remember what my son wore home.
And I really wouldn’t if I didn’t have a picture!
Related Post: Important Memories To Make With Baby
9. Baby in carseat for the first time (can be combined with #8)
This is a picture of my son in his coming home outfit and getting in his carseat for the first time!
One thing to note is that his car seat is NOT configured properly. Here’s an article (with video) to learn how to properly fix your baby’s car seat straps. It’s super important to buckle your newborn in properly to make sure he’s safe in the event of a car crash, and also to prevent positional asphyxia (this link will give you other tips to prevent positional asphyxia as well).
Make sure your baby is buckled in properly, and then take pics of your baby in their car seat for the first time before heading home!
10. Baby meeting the family pets
Baby meeting the family pets for the first time might not be as exciting as him or her actually interacting with the pets several months later, but it’s still great to catch your pets reaction to your new baby.
Watch closely just in case it is not a positive one, but hopefully things will go swimmingly and you’ll have some cute pictures of baby with the furbabies!
11. Baby sleeping peacefully in crib/bassinet/pack n’ play/baby carrier/different people’s arms
I have SO many pictures of my son sleeping, and I love each and every one of them. I super super duper LOVE baby sleeping pics!
Be sure to take pictures of baby sleeping peacefully in:
- the crib
- the bassinet
- the pack n’ play
- the baby carrier (this is the brand I used for 4 years with my son!)
- different people’s arms
I even have one of my son falling asleep randomly on my leg! It caught me off guard because he was one of those babies who required lots of effort to go to sleep. I generally had to walk him around or go for a car ride (for all the tips that helped me put my son to sleep, check out this post!). But this one time, he actually crawled up in my lap, and promptly went to sleep!
12. Baby’s First Bath
Take a picture of baby at bath time! And be sure to take another one when he’s more interactive and having SO MUCH FUN with bubbles!
My son really grew to LOVE bath time and I have so many bath pics. And of course some with his super cute baby towel!
13. Baby’s Cute Smile
Baby smiles and laughs are to die for! Only the toughest of hearts can resist smiling back at a baby!
Those sweet baby coos are something I looked forward to every single day, and catching a sweet smile on camera was always a joy.
14. Baby’s Adorable Facial Expressions
Babies make some adorable facial expressions! They might look sad, angry, curious, shocked, or who knows! Whenever your baby develops a “signature look,” be sure to snap a photo!
A picture is worth a thousand words, and this is one type of photo of your babe you’ve got to have.
15. Baby With His Doctor
A Pediatrician can be a background figure, but sometimes they really become a family friend! Snap a photo just in case, because if you end up having this Pediatrician through multiple babies and even multiple generations, those pictures will be cherished!
16. Baby’s Face When She Cries/Has A Tantrum
A baby’s crying face and baby tantrums can be oh so sad, but they also have a super cute element to them. I loved seeing my baby’s little lip jut out as he pouted with t
17. Baby During Tummy Time
Some babies love tummy time, and others really hate it. But, some interesting things can happen during tummy time, and it can really help babies strengthen those muscles needed for sitting up, crawling and walking.
Snap some pics to remember how your baby reacted to tummy time!
18. Baby Trying To Sit Up/Sitting Up For The First Time
Baby might start sitting up much sooner than you’d expect. Or it might be later, and that’s OK! Every baby has their own timeline, but you’ll definitely want to take a picture of “the struggle,” and the accomplishment. And date it so you know when YOUR baby first sat up on his own!
19. Baby Trying to Roll Over
Some really cute things happen when a baby tries to roll over! You can snap pics in all sorts of partial roll positions and also with interesting facial expressions! And you might even luck out and snap a look of satisfaction once baby has her mission accomplished!
20. Baby Crawling
Crawling baby pics are SO cute! There’s nothing like the look of determination on a baby’s face when he’s ready to get from Point A to B! Take pictures of your baby crawling, and any cute crawling gear you might buy for him to get moving safely!
21. Baby Standing For The First Time
When my son started standing up for the first time, he would get this really huge smile on his face and then make a clicking sound.
He was SO proud!
Whether your baby is a happy stander or looking a little anxious, you’ll want to snap a pic for the baby book!
22. Clapping
Babies learning to clap can be SO funny! My son had a hard time connecting his two hands together for about a week before he began clapping properly. I took pictures of course, and I also took video! Because that is something I want to be able to remember forever!
23. Baby Waving Hello/Bye Bye
Just like clapping, a baby waving hello and goodbye can be a source of humor! But it is definitely a source of cute pics! So be sure to catch some of your baby waving!
24. Baby In His Stroller
Take pictures of baby in the stroller! You can take pics of anywhere you usually stroll to, or of any funny things your baby does inside the stroller.
If this is your first baby, you may be surprised by how many interesting things a baby can find to do inside a stroller. My son got into some weird positions and when he started pushing it… look out!
25. First Visit To A Pool
Some babies really love the water, mine was one of them! He first went into a pool at around 4 months, and it was love at first sight. He has loved the pool ever since, and still loves it to this day!
26. First Visit To The Beach
Take pictures of baby’s first visit to the beach! Decked out in cute swim gear and hat, how could you NOT want to take pictures of your baby getting his first taste of sand and salt water?
This is a great opportunity for pics with parents and siblings, too!
27. First Visit To The Park
Once baby is ready to brave the park, be sure to take pictures of him or her on the slides, swings, playing in the dirt, walking around, feeding squirrels, etc. If you have a social baby, you might even catch some pics playing with friends!
28. Baby Holding Bottle For First Time
Although my son was breastfed, I’ve had the honor of babysitting and nannying for over a dozen babies. Most were bottle-fed or would at least take a bottle of breastmilk.
While I personally never prop bottles for a baby (link leads to a printable PDF), I always found it cute once a baby would begin holding their own bottle. And it’s an occasion worthy of taking pictures!
29. Baby Trying To Diaper Himself
It is so funny when a baby tries to put a diaper on by themselves!
Our babies are growing so fast, and really craving independence! They try to do all the things that we do for them, and it really makes us smile. It makes us proud to see our babies flourishing and attempting new things.
Take a picture so you’ll remember this moment. It will give you a huge smile for years to come!
30. Baby Trying “Real Food” For The First Time
Put baby in a highchair or put newspaper or a mat on the ground and let baby go to town with some baby food or whole pieces of food (baby led weaning).
It is so fun to see the funny faces they make as well as how messy they are when being introduced to foods!
31. Baby Eating A Whole Fruit (Apple, Peach, etc.) for the first time
I have a picture of my son digging into a huge peach and it is SO funny! It’s almost the size of his head and he was going to town! He only took a few bites before he was done, but he was pretty happy to be holding and eating that huge peach! This is a picture I’m glad I caught, and now he finds it pretty funny, too!
32. Baby In Generation Photos
Take photos of baby With mom, grandma, great-grandma if possible. Do the same with the men in the family. Having photos that show baby with different generations is super fun and also a great way to make sure you have awesome photos of the older generations in the family.
We recently took generational photos of our own family, and the following year my great-aunt died. While it was sad that she passed away, we were so happy to have spent the previous Christmas with her and taken some big family photos including her.
It was extra special because their generation (we had 3 sisters, my grandma and 2 great-aunts), they didn’t really get to take pictures. So this occasion is probably THE ONLY ONE where we have pictures of all 3 of them together! Their other sisters and one brother have already passed away, and only 2 sisters and 2 brothers are left out of 9 siblings!
The picture includes my son, and he’ll be able to keep that forever and remember his “Aunt Patsy,” and know that she was a part of his life even if for just a short while.
Related Post: Important Things To Do With A Newborn
33. Baby “Oopsies”
Babies will get into everything. Even if you try your best to prevent it! Some of these oopsies are very comical. I still remember when my son got hold of the baby powder, shook it all over the ground, then proceeded to play in it! Be sure to capture pictures of some these silly moments your baby will surprise you with!
34. Baby Having Fun At Bathtime
I have tons of pictures of my son having fun at bathtime from different ages. I have pictures of him in his baby tub, the bath tub, and also a bucket that he really loved bathing in for a while.
There are pictures of him having a jolly ol’ time playing with bubbles, with hair full of suds, and just having a ball being in the water.
He’s truly a water baby, and these pictures make me smile SOOOOO big!
35. Baby With His Favorite Toys
Baby might have plenty of toys, but there’s probably one or two that he gravitates to more than others. Be sure to take pictures of your baby with these favorites!
Be sure to take the opportunity to catch a few pictures of baby’s fat rolls! Aren’t those baby chubs SO CUTE?!
36. Baby With Teething Toys
Some babies really love to chew on their teething toys and also slobber so much! It is easy to quickly wipe up those slobs, but not necessarily something you’d think to snap a picture of! Be sure to take a few pics of your slobbery baby.
These pictures will be great to use for blackmail later on! Just kidding!
37. Baby’s First Tooth
Take a picture of baby’s budding teethies! Baby teeth are so cute, and I used to LOVE taking pictures of my son’s big grin showing his 4 earliest teeth. I still find them super cute and adorable!
You might also consider getting a nice tooth box to save baby teeth once they start falling out.
38. Baby’s First Haircut
Don’t forget to take before and after pics and save a lock of hair when baby is getting a haircut for the first time! For my son, this actually wasn’t until he turned 4, as he wore plaits and braids for a while.
But, some babies have haircuts or trims much earlier, and this is something to document for sure!
39. Baby Blowing Kisses or Giving Mom/Dad/Sibling A Kiss
Aren’t baby kisses just the sweetest?
Be sure to capture pictures of baby blowing kisses, giving hugs and actual kisses to everyone in the family. It’s especially adorable when they try to give a sibling, cousin, or even a pet a kiss!
40. Baby’s Dressed Up For First Holidays
Pictures of baby dressing up for the first of each major holiday are a must! There are SO many cute outfits available for both girls and boys to get all decked out and look super cute!
Pictures of major holidays will make super special mementos that you’ll cherish forever, and your child will love seeing as they grow up and even into adulthood!
Here are the holidays to take pictures of your baby on:
- New Year’s Eve/Day
- Valentine’s Day
- St. Patrick’s Day
- Easter
- 4th of July
- Halloween
- Thanksgiving
- Hanukkah
- Christmas
And of course add in any other holidays that are important to you, your culture and/or religion!
41. Baby’s First Attendance At Special Occasions
Don’t forget to capture a picture of your baby all dolled up for special occasions such as:
- wedding
- graduation
- birth of another baby
- funeral (hopefully none)
Etc. These are special occasions where you’ll likely take a picture anyway, but be sure to note when it’s your baby’s first attendance to an event of each kind.
42. Baby’s First Birthday
This goes without saying, that you should end the first year photos of baby with tons of pictures on baby’s first birthday!
Be sure to catch pictures of baby in her birthday outfit, pictures of the smash cake, party pictures if you’re having a party, as well as pictures of baby with those celebrating the completion of her first year of life!
Don’t forget to take pics of baby with presents, a cute bib like this one, playing in a bounce house, etc.!
FREE Printable List Of Pictures To Take Baby’s First Year
Here’s a free downloadable printable for you to help you make sure you capture these special moments of your little one! It is checklist style so that you can cross each idea off one by one as you take pictures of your baby’s firsts throughout the year.
You can download more than one copy just in case anything happens to the first one (or pin and bookmark this page!). Feel free to contact me if you have any issues downloading it!
Final Thoughts
There are so many pictures you can take during baby’s first year to make sure you’re recording all of baby’s precious milestones. Our babies grow up so fast and before we know it, they are 11 (as is the case with my own son!).
I hope this checklist will help you to savor each little moment and capture it so you can enjoy the new baby phase, even if just via nostalgia, forever.
As always, leave a comment to let me know if you came up with any great ideas for photographing baby that I didn’t include in this list!
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