What to write in a baby journal: 60 prompts for the first year

By Zara Turner-Major, co-founder of Dear Moment. Updated 6 October 2026.

How to use these baby journal prompts

• Pick one, not all. One prompt a week is plenty. You don't need to answer them in order.
• Keep it short. Two or three sentences are enough. Detail matters more than length: "she grabbed my finger and wouldn't let go" says more than "it was lovely".
• Date every entry. In ten years, knowing it was a rainy Tuesday in March is part of the memory.
• Skip what doesn't fit. Every family is different. If a prompt doesn't feel right, leave it.

Prompts 1–8

Pregnancy journal prompts

The months before they arrive go fast, and the details blur once the baby is here.

1. What did you do in the hour after you found out?
2. Who did you tell first, and what did they say?
3. What were you most looking forward to, and what worried you most?
4. What did you notice first on the scan?
5. What food did you crave, and what could you not stand?
6. Which names made the list, and which got crossed off?
7. What did the first kick feel like, and where were you?
8. What do you want them to know about the world they are arriving in?

Prompts 9–17

Prompts for the birth and the first days

Write these down early, even in rough notes. These days blur faster than any other.

1. Where were you when it started, and what were you doing?
2. Who was with you, and what did they do that you'll never forget?
3. What was the first thing you noticed about them?
4. What did you say to them first?
5. What was the weather like on the day they were born?
6. Who were their first visitors, and how did they react?
7. What was the first night at home like?
8. What did their hands, feet and hair look like in the first week?
9. How did you feel, both the good parts and the hard ones?

Prompts 18–26

Newborn prompts: months 1 to 3

The newborn weeks: long nights, first smiles, and a person slowly appearing.

1. What helps them settle when nothing else works?
2. What sound do they make that nobody else would recognise?
3. What time of day do you love most with them right now?
4. Who do people say they look like? Do you agree?
5. What does an ordinary day with them look like this month?
6. What was their first real smile like, and who got it?
7. Which song or rhyme do you keep coming back to?
8. What has surprised you most about being their parent so far?
9. What did you eat, watch or listen to during the night feeds?

Prompts 27–34

Prompts for months 4 to 6

Laughter, grabbing, and the first tastes of food.

1. What makes them laugh hardest right now?
2. What do they reach for first?
3. What was their first taste of real food, and what face did they make?
4. Where do they love to be: the park, the bath, a grandparent's lap?
5. Which nicknames have stuck?
6. What has changed about your sleep, your work or your days?
7. Apart from you, who is their favourite person this month?
8. What do you already know about their personality?

Prompts 35–42

Prompts for months 7 to 9

They are on the move, and into everything.

1. How do they get around now, and where are they always trying to go?
2. What do they get into the moment your back is turned?
3. Which sounds or almost-words are they trying?
4. Which game do they never get tired of?
5. What makes them shy, and who always wins them over?
6. What is their favourite toy, and their favourite thing that isn't a toy?
7. Where did you go together for the first time?
8. What do the two of you do together that is just yours?

Prompts 43–50

Prompts for months 10 to 12

First words, first steps, and a small person with opinions.

1. What was their first word, or the closest thing to it?
2. What did their first steps, or first tries, look like?
3. What do they understand now that surprised you?
4. What do they do when they hear music?
5. Which food would they eat every day if they could?
6. How do they show that they love someone?
7. What have they taught you this year?
8. What do you want to remember about this age before it's gone?

Prompts 51–55

Prompts for the first birthday

A good moment to look back at the whole year.

1. How did you celebrate, and who was there?
2. What did they make of the cake?
3. What is completely different from a year ago?
4. What about them hasn't changed since the first day?
5. What do you wish for them in the year ahead?

Prompts 56–60

Letters to your baby

A letter says things a note about the day can't. Write one now and then, to read together when they are older.

1. Write about the day they were born, as if they are reading it at 18.
2. What do you want them to know about how much they were wanted?
3. What did you learn this year that you want to pass on?
4. What were you like before they came along?
5. What do you promise them?

Never filled in the baby book? Start where you are

Most baby books stop somewhere around month three. That's normal, and it isn't too late. Start with today, then work backwards when you have time. Your phone's camera roll and old messages will remind you of more than you expect: scroll through one month at a time and answer a prompt or two for each.

In Dear Moment you can give any moment a past date, so the first weeks still appear at the right point on the timeline, even if you add them a year later.

Keep your answers somewhere safe

These prompts work in a paper book, a notebook or an app. If you want an app, Dear Moment is a private baby journal app: photos, videos, written notes and voice notes on one timeline. You choose who sees each moment, so the grandparents can see the first steps while your letters stay just for you. Grandparents open what you share from a private link, with no app and no account. There are no ads, your data is stored in the EU, and your memories are never used to train AI.

Questions

How often should I write in a baby journal?

As often as you can without it becoming a chore. Two lines a week is enough to build a record you will treasure. A short entry you actually write is worth more than a long one you keep putting off.

What do I write in a baby journal if nothing happened?

Write about an ordinary day. What did you do in the morning, what made them laugh, what did the house sound like? Ordinary days are the ones you forget first, and often the ones you most want back.

Is it too late to start a baby journal?

No. Start with today, then fill in the earlier months when you have time. Old photos and messages on your phone will remind you of more than you expect. In Dear Moment you can give a moment any past date, so it appears at the right point on the timeline.

Should I write to my baby or about my baby?

Either works, and you can mix them. Writing about them keeps a clear record. Writing to them, as a letter, often says more about how you felt. Many parents use both: notes about the day, and a letter now and then.

Can I use these prompts in a paper baby book?

Yes. The prompts work in a paper baby book, a notebook or an app. Use whichever you will actually keep up.