What is a baby record book?

What is a baby record book?

Also referred to as a baby milestone book or baby journal, a baby record book is a place where parents can write about their child’s early years, recording all of the memories, milestones and magical moments that they think they will remember forever, but inevitably forget. Everything from pregnancy and the birth to their child’s first steps to their first birthday (and often beyond), it’s a place to record and remember these treasured memories for years to come.

What do you write inside?

The content inside a baby record book will vary depending on which you buy, but they usually begin with pages about the pregnancy and the birth. These initial pages give parents the space to write about the pregnancy, how it was, how they felt, what cravings they had etc and then record key information about the birth, such as date, time, weight and eye colour. Parents can also write the birth story so that they can remember the day in years to come and share it with their child when they’re older.

From there, parents can record things such as key milestones (first tooth, first smile, first laugh), write about special moments and memories, add in hand and foot prints, write about their first holiday and first Christmas and keep a journal on how their baby changes and grows over their first year. There’s usually plenty of space for photographs and special keepsakes too.

Although the content varies from book to book, as an example, here is an overview of the pages inside our baby record book (This is Your Story).

• Your parents

• Your siblings (can be removed)

• Friends and family

• The pregnancy

• The birth

• The world when you were born

• Bringing you home

• Your firsts

• Month by month pages (0 - 11 months)

• Now that you’re 1

• About you (1 - 5 years)

Do you need a baby record book?

Although a baby record book is not essential to raising a happy, healthy child, it is one of the few items that you will treasure for a lifetime. As your child starts to grow, you will reminisce about when they were born, when they took their first steps and said their first word. Although you might think you'll remember these moments forever, you will inevitably forget. A baby record book brings these faded memories to the forefront of your mind, allowing you to relive them like they happened yesterday.

But a baby record book isn't just about recording dates and facts, it's about capturing a moment in time, forever across it's pages. How did you spend your days together? How did you feel? What made your baby laugh? What was your routine like? Where did you love to go together? Were they sleeping well?

The words you write, the pictures you choose, the different coloured pens, the scribbles, the mistakes, the food splashes and the teacup rings... all of these things tell a story, a story that can't be repeated.

So no, you don't need a baby record book, but you might just really want a baby record book.

For further reading, see: Is our baby record book right for you?