Keeping a journal or diary of your pregnancy is a wonderful memorial of this special time in your life. Just the act of keeping a journal can help you enjoy your pregnancy more. Making time to sit down and write in your pregnancy journal is a way to take time for yourself and bond with your baby; You can even invite your spouse to journal your pregnancy with you.
Like a baby book, pregnancy journals are a great keepsake and can be presented to your child later in life. They are also a unique way to make future connections with grown daughters or other women in your family, and to share what has or has not changed about what women do during their pregnancies in different generations and eras.
Types of Journals
When you start a pregnancy journal, you can decide between using a journal guide or starting a journal from scratch. Pregnancy journals are widely available in bookstores and online that will guide you through the process. This approach is quick and easy, and great if you are busy or need some help getting started. These guides will usually include helpful prompts and information, and can be a very enjoyable way of recording your pregnancy.
If you are naturally a writer, you may wish to write your journal more freely. This type of journal can be much more personal and allow you to explore your thoughts and feelings about your pregnancy and your baby. Bookstores and gift shops sometimes carry unique and beautiful blank-page journals that would be perfect for a keepsake.
What to Write About
The possibilities are endless as to what you can journal about. You can get technical and record your general health and symptoms; But the fun thing about keeping a diary of your pregnancy is recording special details such as food cravings and aversions, special thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams, and your spouse’s feelings and reactions. Make note of baby showers and other special occasions, as well as special gifts and purchases. Write down any names that you or your spouse have thought of. Whatever is fun or meaningful to you is worth adding to your journal.
There is no magic formula to when or how often you should journal, either. You can journal daily, weekly, monthly, or whenever you feel the urge or have something special that you’d like to record. Just write what you feel like keeping as a memory and have fun with it.
I Recommend: ‘Pregnancy Journal: A Week-by-Week Guide to a Happy, Healthy Pregnancy’
Vanessa integrates EMDR, sandtray, and attachment-focused approaches in her work and is completing credentials toward Registered Play Therapist and EMDRIA certification. With a background as a certified birth doula and a passion for making healing accessible, she writes and teaches on the intersection of trauma, neurodevelopment, and story-based therapy.
