Before I became a mum, I thought I knew what to expect.
I knew there would be sleepless nights, endless nappy changes and a camera roll full of baby photos. I knew babies grew quickly because everyone told me so.
What I didn’t realise was just how quickly.
Nobody tells you that one day you’ll struggle to remember just how tiny your baby once was. The newborn stage feels all-consuming while you’re living it, yet somehow those details begin to fade. Years later, you’ll remember the love, the exhaustion and the milestones, yet still find yourself wondering, “Were they really that small?”.
As a mum of five, I’ve now lived through the newborn stage five times. And despite knowing how fleeting it is, each time has somehow felt even faster than the last.
One day you’re bringing your baby home from hospital, nervously checking they’re breathing every five minutes. The next, you’re packing away tiny newborn clothes and wondering how they’ve already grown out of them.
It’s a strange part of parenthood. We spend so much time wishing for more sleep, for the next milestone, for things to get a little easier. Then suddenly we look back and realise we’d happily relive those tiny newborn days all over again.
Australian parenting author Maggie Dent often reminds parents that childhood is not a race. Her work encourages families to slow down, embrace the ordinary moments and appreciate the unique journey of each child. It’s a message that resonates deeply during the newborn stage, when the days can feel long but the months seem to disappear in the blink of an eye.
For me, one of the biggest surprises was how difficult it became to remember my babies’ actual size.
I could remember their faces.
I could remember their names, their personalities and the stories surrounding their births.
My husband and I could spend hours reminiscing about those newborn days, yet when we looked back at photos years later, we’d often find ourselves wondering, “Were they really that tiny?”.
Photographs are incredibly special, but they don’t always capture scale. Without something familiar beside your baby, it’s hard to appreciate just how small they once were.
That question eventually became the inspiration behind True Size Baby.
The idea for True Size Baby didn’t come from a business plan. It came from motherhood.
I wanted a way to remember more than a photograph. I wanted something that captured the reality of those early days. Something that reflected just how tiny my babies were when they first arrived.
What started as a personal idea soon connected with other families too.
Parents would tell me they felt exactly the same way. They’d look back at newborn photos and struggle to believe their baby had once fit in the palm of their hand or curled up across their chest.
Today, through True Size Baby, I create 1:1 scale baby plaques using a baby’s exact birth measurements, along with keepsakes and announcement pieces.
Every piece tells a story.
Some celebrate a first baby after years of waiting.
Some mark the arrival of a much-loved younger sibling.
Some honour babies who are deeply loved and deeply missed.
Every order reminds me that while our experiences of parenthood may be different, the desire to remember is something we all share.
One of the most rewarding parts of creating these keepsakes is receiving messages from parents when they first open their plaque.
Many tell me they hadn’t realised just how tiny their baby was until they saw their exact birth size recreated in front of them.
Those moments remind me why keepsakes matter.
Not because they’re decorative.
Not because they’re trendy.
But because they help us reconnect with memories that time naturally softens.
In a world where thousands of photos sit hidden on our phones, there is something meaningful about having a tangible reminder displayed within our homes.
Something that prompts us to pause.
Something that sparks conversations.
Something that helps us tell our children the story of where they began.
As parents, we’re often told to soak it all in.
The truth is, that’s easier said than done.
When you’re surviving on little sleep and learning as you go, it’s impossible to appreciate every moment while you’re living it.
And that’s okay.
The beauty of keepsakes, photographs and family traditions is that they allow us to revisit those moments later, when we’re ready.
Because one day your newborn will be running through the house, starting school or asking to borrow the car keys.
And you’ll find yourself looking back, wondering where the time went.
If there’s one lesson motherhood has taught me, it’s that the little moments are often the big moments.
The tiny fingers.
The first cuddles.
The newborn stretches.
The way they fit perfectly in your arms.
Those memories deserve to be celebrated.
Because they’re only this little once.
If you’d like to preserve a little piece of those newborn days, you can learn more about True Size Baby’s personalised 1:1 scale baby plaques, keepsakes and announcement pieces at www.truesizebaby.com.au.
