Children are the flowers of life, as they grow we may not notice how they change, so it is important to capture these moments. And for the first twelve months before the baby turns a year old, many parents take monthly photos of their newborn to see how they are growing. The younger the baby, the more intense the growth. For example, in just the first 3 months his growth will increase by 3 centimeters, and in the next quarter by 2-2.5 centimeters, decreasing to 1.5-2 centimeters in the third quarter and to 1 cm in the fourth quarter. As a result, during the first year, the growth increment will be about 20–25 centimeters. In comparison, adolescents grow at a rate of about 4 centimeters per year. In this article, we will tell you what changes the baby undergoes every month and also show you interesting ways to capture it better with monthly baby photo ideas, so that your photos will be unique and carry the main meaning.

Monthly baby photo ideas at home

Usually, such photos are done in a freestyle, but you can be creative and take this kind of photoshoot more seriously. We can set a certain format in which the main focus of attention will be on the child and how he changes from month to month, as the rest of the scene will remain unchanged. For most ideas for baby photos, we need to think of a theme in which we will work and prepare the paraphernalia for this.

One of the important changes in the first month is that the baby is learning to hold its head up. He is already trying to lift it while lying on his stomach and is actively moving his head in response to sounds. His hands are usually clenched into a fist, but he will actively move them and his legs already.

A simple idea for baby monthly pictures is to record your child's age on a small square board with chalk. You do not have to write just a number, you can write a whole sentence “I turned X months old!” Decorate the composition with your child's favorite toys or other paraphernalia to your taste.

In the second month, the baby will start to pay a lot of attention to stationary objects, so parents often hang toys above the crib to keep the baby from getting bored. But he is also able to watch moving objects. At this stage you may hear your baby laughing for the first time, it may be a reaction to your voice or a conversation nearby in general.

Newborn photo ideas DIY

One of the ideas we saw on Instagram may be controversial, but we liked this idea because of how popular they are. To track how actively your baby is growing, you need to compare it to something. It might sound a bit funny at first, but it can be anything, even a pizza box. Well, the pizza itself you simply divide into 12 parts and every month put a new slice in the main part of the box, when your baby will be lying on his back on the other part.

When the baby is three months old, he will start to explore the outside world more actively. We have already learned to hold our head confidently and now the baby will try to lean on his forearms lying on his stomach to get a better look around. He will also try to talk to you by making extended sounds in response to audible voices.

Instead of a pizza box, you can basically use any object, such as your baby's favorite stuffed toy. This is even better because we can not keep the pizza for a year, and it will be different every time, but the toy will remain unchanged. This allows us to see in comparison how your baby has grown throughout the twelve months!

In the fourth month of life, the baby's vision is developing, and he will already recognize Mom and Dad without difficulty. He will begin to grab toys and chew on them.

Learning to recognize mom and dad, the baby may be frightened of strangers, which will be expressed through crying in the fourth month of life. The child will begin to interact with you more often, not only making different sounds in response to your voice but also taking toys directly from your hands! Turning from the back to the stomach will become a routine for him, his dexterity and strength are growing. Remember, there’s always room to improve the quality of your newborn photos. If you lack inspiration, or you’re stuck with new ideas, make sure to check out the newborn photo ideas diy article from our blog. It has plenty of ideas and explanations on more detailed aspects of this type of photography.

Monthly photo ideas for baby girl

Another simple idea that will not be difficult to implement is to make a number of your child's age and put it near the baby. For example, let it be some flowers, which you put into a number. Do not forget that your composition should be well-matched with the child, and if you choose for example daisies, then dress your girl in a dress with daisies, so it will be more harmonious.

At the 6th month, we are lifting the bar and learning to sit up. So far it is not very stable, but it is a big step after always lying on the stomach or back. If you pull the baby's arms, he will even try to stand up, but it is too early, his legs are not strong enough. He will begin to play more actively with his toys, looking at them carefully and shifting from one hand to another. The child will begin to show more frequent reactions to external stimuli by crying or laughing. At this stage, he will be able to hold the bottle independently when feeding from a bottle.

Buy a mini crib for your baby on which you can display his or her developmental process. Take pictures of your child when he first turns over on his stomach, then when he sits on the crib, and then when he can stand. The crib will also be an object of comparison with the growth of the child because it will always be the same as it was with the toy.

The 7th month of life will be marked by a confident sitting up with emphasis on the arms. Toys will start flying in all directions as he will be waving his arms more actively. Motor activity will increase in other aspects as well, he will start crawling in different directions. His character will begin to form, which will be expressed in manifestations of discontent and demands.

If you want to get more creative with an event like this, you can create entire scenes starring your child. When babies are asleep, they are probably the best posers on camera. Showing imagination you can make an elephant or a horse from items of his clothes and position your child on a “horseback”. Put the child on a black cloth with scattered homemade stars and planets around. Then, put something flat and round under his head, a disposable plate will work best. And now your child is an astronaut!

In the eighth month, your baby's legs are strong enough and he or she will try to stand up by holding on to a barrier. Sitting up or lying down on his own is no longer a problem for him. You will notice that he will start imitating you in different aspects, if you throw a toy he may do the same, if he hears a familiar word he may start repeating a syllable from it.

If you want to get involved in the shot as well, then instead of all these props, just hold your baby in your arms and take monthly photos like this. The baby in your arms will noticeably grow from month to month and it definitely won't go unnoticed!

In the ninth month, we are already actively standing at a support or barrier, it is still scary, but we are standing! It is possible to take the first steps near the support even. More active play with toys, will press, roll and rattle them. Will begin to imitate your actions and also find toys in response to your request.

If you want to reflect your baby's growth more clearly in the frame, then order a sheet or towel with a measuring line on the side. There you can also make cutoffs by month in one way or another and the exact growth from month to month will be visible. You can additionally decorate the scene to your taste.

In the tenth month, we can observe the first step, as the vestibular apparatus will be more developed by this time. This is also where the first falls and bumps are possible, so you need to be careful. The child will begin to respond to simple words like “Give” and will find the toy. It will play when performing learned actions.

Baby boy monthly photo ideas

One of the good ideas for boys is to buy 12 numbered t-shirts and make a collage of photos for 12 months.

In the 11th month of life, your baby can learn to manipulate a spoon and dip it into food. Baby is already standing independently and confidently on foot and walking with the support or a finger of an adult.

If you find it boring to just put numbers nearby your child or on your child's clothes, you can be imaginative. Make your baby become a part of this number, literally drawing it. As props, you can use anything, and it is desirable that they were different objects. Toys, Kinder-surprises, flowers, anything that you can make a figure with the participation of your baby.

12 months of life – you will hear the first clear words: mom, dad, gimme, and so on.

The first attempts to run. Interaction with other children will take away toys and the like. Vocabulary will be roughly 15–20 words from which he will already be able to make the simplest sentences, which he will use mainly to demand something from you.

Who says that you have to bake a birthday cake only once a year? Let us bake a cake per month photoshoot, at least for the first year. The candle on the cake can be made with a number, or you can write it in words with icing.

Baby monthly photo ideas

That was over a dozen of my baby book ideas and examples, you can follow those and make your own even better. By putting all the pictures together you can clearly see how your baby has changed month by month, because in real time you will not notice it that much. It is a delightful time during which the baby will turn from a baby into a little person! Taking monthly baby pictures is one mandatory thing among other things in the first year of your baby's life. Make sure to make an album varying from having collages and single photos that you will show him when he becomes older. Milestone picture ideas is a good way to capture your life, but in the beginning, we should do that for our babies, so they can continue on their own as they become adult. Make sure to check out more child photography ideas from our blog, as you never know where your inspiration can come from!