Journaling in your first year as a mom: thoughtful questions for a baby journal that’s about more than milestones

Hey there, new mama! Welcome to this incredible motherhood journey - the road ahead will range from mildly to wildly chaotic. The first year of your baby’s life is filled milestones, many little ones and more than a few significant developments. Your baby will be changing before your eyes! A baby journal can help keep track of it all with dates and details, like the first time your baby claps or crawls. It’s also a place for the swirling emotions and daily adventures between those big moments. To help you write about your first year as a mother, we’ve compiled a list of thoughtful questions and journaling prompts.

These journal prompts are designed for reflection, because a baby journal should also capture your experience of motherhood and the growing connection between you and your tiny human. These questions are tailored to draw out sweet narratives, honest thoughts, and details that you think you’ll remember (but trust me, it gets fuzzy!).

If you want to write about more than just the main milestones for your baby, these questions will help you document your relationship with your baby from newborn to infant.

Journal prompts to document your first year as a mom:

1. What aspects of motherhood do I enjoy the most and why?

2. What has been the hardest thing about being a mother so far? How am I managing it?

3. How has my relationship with my own parents changed or evolved since I've become a mother?

4. What are some unanticipated joys I've found in motherhood?

5. How do I cope with the challenges of motherhood?

6. How have my priorities shifted since becoming a mother?

7. How am I growing alongside my baby?

8. How has my perception of myself changed since becoming a mother?

9. How has our family dynamic changed since the baby was born?

10. What are the funny or heartwarming stories from today that I want to remember?

11. How has becoming a mother changed my perception of love?

12. How does the baby react to music? Any particular songs they seem to enjoy?

13. What are the baby's feeding habits? How have they changed over the months?

14. How do I keep the baby engaged during the day? What activities do they seem to enjoy?

15. What is the baby's reaction to new faces vs familiar ones?

16. How is the baby's interaction with touch and textures evolving?

17. Who does the baby resemble more at this stage? Has it changed over time?

18. Have there been any funny or unexpected "firsts" for the baby?

19. How do I typically get the baby to sleep? What routines or rituals seem to work best?

20. How is the baby's sight developing? Any notable reactions to light and color?

21. How does the baby react during diaper changes and what strategies do I use to make it smoother?

22. Describe a “messy moment” of parenthood. Any funny stories that involve diaper failures, milk or food spills, spit ups at an unfortunate time?

23. How are our family traditions being incorporated in the baby's routine?

24. How has my baby’s relationship with their siblings (if any) been developing?

25. How does the baby respond when I read to them? Any favorite books so far?

26. What are some toys or objects that the baby is showing interest in?

27. How is the baby responding to tummy time and exercise activities?

28. Describe the moment when the baby first smiled.

29. When did I first notice the baby tracking movement with their eyes?

30. What is the baby's sleep routine like? Any patterns?

31. When did I first notice the baby's cooing or babbling sounds?

32. How is the baby showing awareness of their surroundings?

33. When did I first notice signs of my baby recognizing me? What were the first signs of this?

34. What are the baby's favorite things so far?

35. What are the most memorable moments we've had as a new family so far?

As you fill out your baby journal with these prompts, you’ll find that it’s not just about preserving past memories—it's also a way to celebrate the present and anticipate the joys yet to come. Each time you write is a small pause. A mindfulness moment. A chance to foster gratitude for your baby, and the mother you’re becoming. A chance to tell yourself in writing that you’re doing your best and that it’s enough. When your child is older, this journal will become a window into their earliest days, seen through your eyes. Each journal entry is a way to tell them, “This was you, and this is how I was figuring out how to be your mom. I was far from perfect, but I sure did love you to pieces.”

Now that you’ve got these journal prompts, think of your journal as more than just a book—it’s a collection of 3AM tears (from both of you), coos, rosy cheeks, and am-I-doing-this-rights. Copy-paste them into your favorite notes app, so they’re ready whenever you have a minute to write about your first year as a mom. Happy journaling!