Confessions of a baby spammer

Mixed in with the sleepless nights, bowling ball boobs and baby brain, there’s one more thing that I’d forgotten happens to you when you have a baby: you can’t stop taking photos.

There are the sleeping photos. (Baby sleeping. Baby sleeping in new position. Baby sleeping while being cuddled. Baby sleeping in new baby-grow. Baby sleeping on grandparents. Baby sleeping in moses basket.)

Then there are the awake photos. (Baby pulling funny face. Baby pulling another funny face. Baby wind face. Baby in cute outfit while looking thoroughly unimpressed.)

Then there are the “firsts photos”. (First bath. First outing outside of the house. First trip to the supermarket. First time in car seat. First trip to the park. First time in pram.) 

I am guilty of all of the above. I’m also guilty of bombarding my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feed with a selection of the best ones. Note: if you follow me and you think I take a lot of baby photos – you have no idea. These are only a small proportion of the photos on my phone.

The problem is, I know it’s probably incredibly irritating for some people. “Oh there’s Molly with yet another baby photo. BORING.” And I know if you don’t have kids you’re probably thinking my life is insanely dull and all I do all day is take photos of my new baby looking vaguely different to the last photo I took ten minutes ago. But you know what? I make no apology for the baby spam.

As this is my second baby I have the benefit of hindsight. I remember last time how amazed I was at my brand new bundle and this weird new role I had as a mum. Of course I got very snap happy and took way too many photos, but back then I didn’t have an iPhone or an Instagram account, so I was more of a secret baby spammer. But I can also remember how fleeting this time is. A minute ago I had a tiny newborn, now my baby has gone past that phase and is onto the next one – a very cute nine week old bub who spends most of her wakeful time smiling.

There are a million and one moments I try to forge into my brain every single day. Moments that I don’t get on camera. In fact, that very first proper smile is one I won’t forget, but my phone was in the other room so the picture is only in my head. But the moments I do get snaps of are precious ones too. They go into my digital archive of memories and some even make it onto this space too. I don’t expect anyone else (apart from the grandparents maybe) to be interested in all these photos, but they serve a purpose for me: they remind me to enjoy every second with this baby before she changes and is onto the next stage already.

So yes, I’m a baby spammer. But I’m a loud and proud one. Normal service will resume in, oh – approximately twelve months time.

Tell me, did you find yourself taking loads of photos of your new baby when you became a parent?