While many homeowners might have door cameras outside for security, or maybe to check the unusual hiding spots where the delivery driver has left your parcel. But one new mom has shared a precious reason why all parents should consider getting a door camera for their home.
When heavily pregnant Daniela O'Donovan, 30, walked out the door in August 2023 to head to the hospital, she glanced up at the door cam and smiled. She knew that was her last time it would capture her before she became a mom. Although O'Donovan was gone longer than planned, the moment she returned a week later was also caught by the camera, showing how much life can change in just a few days.
O'Donovan, from Surrey, United Kingdom, told Newsweek that watching the footage back was so magical, especially since it was all a bit of a blur at the time. Getting to see it play out in front of her eyes was a wonderful way to relive such a cherished moment.
"I didn't even remember saying goodbye that day," O'Donovan said. "It brought back all the memories, the emotions that came with the day we left to have our baby, but also the emotions when we walked through the front door as a family of three."
Smart security systems have rapidly grown in popularity over recent years, as Statista estimates that 98.8 million homes had a device in 2023. That number has risen steadily from 10 million in 2016, and is projected to continue rising in the years ahead.
As she hopes to encourage other parents to consider making a sweet compilation like this to keep their "memory saved forever," O'Donovan shared the footage on TikTok (@iamnotanxiety). The adorable video went viral with more than 565,000 views and 15,300 likes at the time of writing.
In a perfect world, she would have watched the footage back much sooner, but O'Donovan said that she "completely forget in the midst of the newborn stage." But after seeing another parent share a similar video on social media, she was reminded about her own plan to look back at the door cam footage. "I cried, cried, and cried some more," she said.
O'Donovan is so grateful to have that moment captured on video, adding that "it's so natural" too because she forgot it was all being filmed at the time.
She told Newsweek: "It was emotional to see how little my son was, how fast time has gone, but also to see myself as a first-time mum, with my C-section socks and bad posture (as I couldn't even stand straight).
"I didn't realize how fast social media can move. It's been great to see the positive feedback and the overwhelming love we have had sharing our special moment," O'Donovan said. "I hope other parents use their cameras to record these moments too, so they can keep them for a lifetime."
The viral post has melted many hearts online, with a lot of TikTok users praising the new mom for sharing such a wonderful moment. One comment reads: "oh this is beautiful."
"This made me so emotional. Thank you for sharing," another person posted, while another TikTok user wrote: "Then there were 3."
Do you have any amazing parenting videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com, and they could appear on our site.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alyce Collins is a Newsweek Life and Trends reporter based in Birmingham, U.K. with a focus on trending topics that ... Read more
