Digital Baby Books (because you already have enough to do!)

Baby books are treasures, but they can be hard to come by if you are

• a new mom busy with baby (and/or other kiddos, too!)
• an “old” mom who is busy and/or carrying around guilt that Baby #4 never got a baby book.

You are some of my favorite people to help, so today we’ll look at how to simplify the creation of a baby book by making it digital. Because you already have enough to do without trying to find 8 dedicated days to sit down and put something together.

And, as a bonus, if you aren’t the “new mom” or the “old mom,” this would make an ABSOLUTELY UNFORGETTABLE baby shower gift!!

Things to Include: There’s No “Right Way”

As I share some ideas for things to include in a baby book, please keep in mind that there’s no “right way.” For example, if you’re too busy or not interested in getting letters from loved ones, or if “baby” is 25 now and loved ones’ memories aren’t so fresh any more, just skip that. Do whatever from this list of ideas sounds like you–like something you’re interested in, want to do, and have time for–something that matters to you.

Baby Books may include:

• birth details: baby’s full name (possibly the history of the name or why it was chosen), date and time of birth, location of birth, baby’s weight and length
• family tree
• birth story: the experience and delivery and feelings surrounding it
• letters: have loved ones write letters to the baby with wishes and encouragement or specifics about meeting baby
• maternity photos (I know there are some very lovely ones, but I’m sure glad that wasn’t a thing when I was expecting! Not for me.)
• ultrasound photos
• baby photos capturing firsts & milestones and growth & development
• lists and/or photos of firsts: bath, smile, laugh, crawl, steps, solid food, words, haircut, feeding self, etc.
• favorites: document (write about) favorite toys, foods, books, etc.
• handprints & footprints
• hospital bracelet and other keepsakes like a lock of hair
• special moments: heartwarming stories, funny experiences, and other things you want to remember
• anything else meaningful of your choosing

Digital vs. Physical

Many of the ideas listed above are automatically digital. Photos taken in 2025 are certainly digital. Writing in information such as birth date, weight, and height can easily be digital. But what about items like a letter from Great-Grandma that she hand-wrote and sent in the mail, or that lock of baby’s hair? How do those get into a digital baby book?

Most things can be scanned. Here are my recommendations for scanning physical items to include in a digital book (and, truly, to have a back-up for something so precious).

Or, as an alternative to scanning, just take a photo of those items! If you received a special item as a gift that you can’t really include in a book, take a picture of it next to baby, or of you holding it!

The only thing that comes to mind that wouldn’t be suitable for scanning or simply taking a picture of would be a lock of baby’s hair. (And I may have overlooked something else, too.) In that case, I personally would place a lock of hair inside a clear archival-safe bag and adhere it to the inside cover of the baby book after it’s printed. Alternatively, it could go inside a shadow box instead of a book.

Time-Saving Efficiency for Baby Books

You can start a digital baby book after everything is in digital form (such as if there’s something that needs scanning), or you can just start on page 1 and then scan/digitize things as you go. Again, there’s no right way. Except to say that the “right way” is whatever works best in your brain. What works for you will always be easiest!

The secret I recommend here to get your baby book done quickly is a template, and it should be from a quality company so that you’re only spending time making it once (as opposed to doing it again in a few years because it fell apart). In a similar vein, it should also be from a company who will keep your photos and data private, who will also keep a digital version of your book after you have it printed. All my recommendations below fit the bill.

This video shows you how easy it is to use the (free) templates I’ll recommend, but the software platform is pretty intuitive, too.)

Five Beautiful, Lasting Digital Baby Book Options

All these books are high quality and easy to put together, with individual page designs you can mix and match to your preference. Though most books are available in 8×8, 10×10, 11×8.5, and 12×12 sizes, I do recommend one of the larger sizes to showcase these special photos and a hard cover book for something that’s such a major life event, but if a smaller or soft cover book is more your style or budget, do whatever works for you. (This is a great savings option, too.)

Which of these templates is your favorite? I’d love to know in the comments.

Here’s the fresh, clean Hello Baby template, which you can start at that link, available in 4 sizes and 2 cover options.

This is the Tiny Blessing template, which you can start at that link, available in 3 sizes in hard cover only. This is a seamless layflat book, so the binding and pages are a little different, which accounts for the difference in cost, size options, and cover. Again, you can choose individual pages to match your needs from 23 layout possibilities.

The Baby Steps template is available in pink here and in blue here. Start either one at the links; both are available in 4 sizes and 2 cover options. Examples from both books are shown below.

Baby’s First Year – Soft & Muted is a lovely book designs in neutrals to showcase photos beautifully in a deluxe layflat book. It’s available in 3 sizes with a hard cover.

And last but not least: the Little One Book. This one comes in 3 sizes and 2 cover options, with 34 pre-designed page options to choose from.

This one might be my favorite because it has a more “scrapbooked” look, which is what the paper baby books I made 20+ years ago are like! 🙂

Make Something Meaningful Wherever You Are

Generally speaking, we tend to think of making a personalized, DIY book as something that will take a long time. Admittedly, it’s probably not something you can complete in 20 minutes, but making something meaningful doesn’t have to take a lot of time, and it’s not beyond us. Wherever you are at this moment in your life, this really is doable, and it really will mean something for years and years to come!

My Ten Minutes Daily Plan really works, so if you need some pointers on making this Digital Baby Book work for you, that’s a great place to start.

And, truly, this would make an AMAZING baby shower gift!! Doing the footwork for a new mom with something as special as this would never be forgotten. Get the book started and reach out to her every month or so to ask for favorite photos and stories to include in the book!