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What to do with your favourite baby photos

Kara Wilson Editor & Infant Sleep Educator

Babies are fascinating to watch as they grow. They’re always changing and doing new things we think are incredible.

We want to capture every funny, special, adorable, heart-melting but fleeting moment so that we can share it with our loved ones or keep it stored forever so we can look back on them and reminisce anytime.

If you’re like most parents, however, your smartphone, camera, or device is probably overflowing with a zillion photos of your precious bub. When faced with the decision of either deleting your banking app or a few baby photos, the decision is simple, right?!

Unfortunately, there is the scary risk of losing them all if something happens to your phone. Plus, the problem that because there is an overwhelming number of photos and videos on it, you probably hardly look at them.

Life with a baby is busy, add in some sleep deprivation, and you certainly won’t have the spare time or energy to sift through thousands of images. So, read on to find out what you can do about it now so that you can safely store and savour your favourite memories forever without much effort.

What to do with your favourite baby photos and videos

Before you decide on what you’re going to do with your favourites, you’re going to need to organise them (the not-so-fun part, but you’ll thank yourself in years to come). Here are some tips:

Get into an organisation routine every couple of weeks. The longer you leave it, the more overwhelming a task it will be. Set a reminder on your phone. It could be Saturday night while you’re Netflix bingeing, perhaps a time when someone else could watch your baby, or during a nap each week or fortnight.
Delete the duplicates and ‘bad’ (blurry) ones. Try to just pick one image that captures the moment perfectly.
Pick your favourites by marking them or putting them in a file on your phone.
Back them up by transferring them to your computer or automatically backing them up to the cloud.
Back these up to an external hard drive for extra peace of mind or consider an additional secure way to save them (such as a photo storage app) so you’re not only relying on one option.
Don’t rely on social media platforms as a second back-up. Accounts could get closed down or hacked, plus they’re low quality and won’t print well.
Let loved ones know where and how they’re stored plus any passwords. It’s not something any parent wants to think about, but if something were to happen to you, it’s a good idea to include all the photo access details in your will.

Now for the more enjoyable part: being able to look at and share these special captured moments. Here are some fuss-free ideas – you might choose to do all three:

Keep an online baby journal of their first year

A journal is so much more than a place to store photos. It allows you to capture funny stories, first words, an epiphany about your baby, or essentially anything you don’t want to ever forget, in an instant. During that moment. From anywhere.

Find an online baby journal that comes with ideas and prompts to make it super simple to fill out, plus the option to print a customised hard copy once you’ve completed it. You might like to print an extra copy to give your child when they’re older for a beautiful keepsake.

Use a digital display photo frame

This option has been around for a long time, but they’re a great way to always have all of your favourite images on display all day, rather than just stored away somewhere. They come in all shapes and sizes, and you might like to have a few around the house.

A digital photo frame showcases your photos that you program into the software in a sequenced display. Place it on a table or shelf for your guests to see when they visit, and close to your favourite chair for an extra dose of oxytocin during feeds and snuggles.

Showcase your images in creative ways

You could print off hardcopy photo albums or books through a photo printing service, but you might like to choose some other fun ways to print them that also make great gift ideas, including: