The 8 Things Moms Wish They Did More Of During Baby’s First Year

The season of Baby’s First Year feels like both the longest and shortest year of your life.
The days can feel heavy… but the months disappear in a blink.

Between feeds, nappies, the fog of exhaustion, and trying to keep a tiny human alive, you don’t always realise how quickly this season passes — until it’s gone.

As a Pretoria family and motherhood photographer, I often hear moms wishing, regretting, laughing and sometimes crying as they say, “I didn’t realise how fast it would all go,” or “I wish I had done more of… this.”

This blog isn’t here to make any mom feel guilty.
It’s a warm reminder, a soft place to land, and a comforting voice for the moms in the thick of it.

Here are the eight things many moms look back on and wish they did more of during Baby’s First Year.

1. Holding Their Baby Without Rushing

Ask any Pretoria mom with toddlers and they’ll tell you:

“I wish I just held my baby more.”

Not to feed.
Not to put to sleep.
Not while multitasking.

Just held them.
Just breathed them in.
Just existed in that moment.

Because the truth is — the season where they sleep on your chest is heartbreakingly short.

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2. Taking More Photos — Capturing Baby’s First Year

Not perfect photos.
Not posed photos.

The normal, everyday, messy-life ones:

• The milk-drunk smiles

• The 5am cuddles

• The silly bath faces

• The first tooth

• The chaotic bedtime moments

• The way they sleep with their bum in the air

Almost every mom says the same thing:

“I wish I had more photos of us together — not just the baby.”

This is also why newborn, sitter, and first-birthday sessions mean so much.
They freeze time you’ll never get back.

3. Saying Yes to Help So They Could Rest

So many mothers regret trying to be superheroes.

They wish they had:

• Accepted a cooked meal

• Let someone clean the kitchen

• Let someone hold the baby while they showered

• Let someone fold the laundry

You were not meant to do motherhood alone.

Rest is not weakness — it’s survival.

4. Slowing Down Instead of Trying to Keep Up

There is massive pressure during Baby’s First Year to:

• Bounce back physically

• Keep the house perfect

• Stay productive

• Fit into pre-pregnancy clothes

• Say yes to everything

• Do it all

But moms looking back realise:

“I wish I slowed down more and just enjoyed the baby I prayed for.”

The world can wait.
Your baby won’t be this little forever.

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5. Writing Down the Tiny Things Before They Fade

You think you’ll always remember:

• Their newborn smell

• Their tiny squeaks

• Their first laugh

• Their favourite puree

• Their baby rolls

• The way they grabbed your finger

• Their funny crawl

• Their first “mama”

…but life moves fast, and these little memories fade without warning.

A simple habit can make all the difference.
When my own kids were little, I bought a stack of index cards and wrote a date at the top — for example, 12 November.
Every year on that date, I’d jot down what we did:

• One year we were at the beach

• The next year was a big school concert

• The year after that we had a playdate

Over time, it became a beautiful timeline of life — tiny moments that feel ordinary at the time, but turn into treasures later.

A sentence on a phone note, a yearly card, or a quick scribble is enough.
Moms always say they wish they wrote more down.

6. Getting in the Photos — Even When They Didn’t Feel “Camera Ready”

This is one of the biggest regrets of all.

Moms often say:

“I wish I had more photos of me with my baby.”

Your baby doesn’t care about:

• Your hair

• Your clothes

• Your tired eyes

• Your weight

They care that you were there.

Even if it’s one photo on a phone — get in the frame.
You’ll treasure it far more than you think.

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7. Enjoying the Milestones Before They Changed Overnight

Baby’s First Year is full of “firsts”…
and “lasts” you don’t see coming.

• Last bottle

• Last newborn stretch

• Last time sleeping on your chest

• Last tiny onesie

• Last toothless smile

• Last day before they start crawling

Moms always say:

“I didn’t realise the last time was the last time.”

The milestones move fast.
Enjoy them when you can.

8. Giving Themselves Grace on the Hard Days

This might be the biggest wish of all.

So many moms look back and say:

“I wish I didn’t push myself so hard to be perfect.”

Because some days are magical…
and some days are survival.

You don’t have to enjoy every moment.
You don’t have to be perfect.
You don’t have to “cherish every second.”

Your baby doesn’t need perfection.
They just need you.

Give yourself grace — you’re doing better than you think.

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So mama…

If you’re in Baby’s First Year right now:

• Take the photo

• Ask for help

• Slow down

• Hold your baby

• Write memories down

• Get in the frame

• Give yourself grace

These small moments are the ones you’ll treasure forever.

A Little Advice From Me to You

As a Pretoria family and motherhood photographer — and as a mom who has lived through these seasons — here is my gentle reminder:

Years from now, you won’t remember the mess or the to-do lists…
but you will remember the love, the connection, and the tiny moments that made Baby’s First Year so special.

If you ever need help documenting these memories, my door is always open,
and you’re welcome to reach out via WhatsApp: 0630246041.

But whether you book a session or take photos on your phone —
please, mama… capture your story.

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