Congratulations, you are pregnant! Pregnancy is probably and undeniably one of the most important moments in a woman’s journey. There are a lot of things that can happen throughout a woman’s pregnancy journey for it is a time of transformation, change from an expanding belly until a new outlook on life. Well, many women nowadays are looking forward to their pregnancy and they got an idea of recording and reflecting on their experiences through a pregnancy bullet journal or pregnancy diary. Actually, there are a lot of ideas for a pregnancy journal. You can have a printable pregnancy journal that you can get at different internet sites or you can have it digital by a pregnancy journal app. Digital pregnancy journals are being popular nowadays because of technology. However, you can always keep up the traditional pregnancy journal book and you can also make your own DIY week by week pregnancy journal to record your sweet memories of pregnancy. Having a printable pregnancy journal can help you keep up with your mental health because with this, you can write your own feelings, emotions, changes, and experiences that you can go back to for the years to come.Â
The first step on making a journal
A pregnancy journal is surely a nice way to remember what you felt like the moment you knew you were pregnant, to the moment you announced it to your family, then picking a name for your baby, his or her first kick, the gender reveal until your labor. You will not only document your journey but it will allow you to capture your own observations about your pregnancy and it can make your journey happier and healthier.
Preparing for motherhood is really a rollercoaster ride and you would feel a lot of change in your emotions and feelings. However, expressing it through your pregnancy diary book can help you cope up with your stress, boost your immunity and you will start feeling great about pregnancy. It can also help you develop an attachment to your baby. Moreover, one of the most exciting parts of keeping a journal is when your child gets older, you can show it to him/her and reflect the special bond you share.
Talking about the first step in making a journal, you may think of some questions to answer in a pregnancy journal. You can also use a notebook to take down and write the memories and put some pictures like your ultrasound, swap stories with other moms-to-be, or upload it on a blog. There are different templates for a printable pregnancy journal online or templates for your pregnancy diary in pdf form. If you are still staring at a blank page, try sharing it with your husband and think about start it together. Isn’t it more fun?
What to write on your journal
If you’re still not sure about what to write in your journal, here are some of our suggestions for you to have the best pregnancy journal. You don’t have to do creative writing about pregnancy; it just has to be sincere and true. Remember, putting up a pregnancy journal is not about professional writing but it’s all about you. Your journal won’t be checked by proofreaders or what, so here is what you can write on it.
The wonderful breaking news
Of course, you should start with the day you learned that you are pregnant. First, you can describe the scene on how you found out that you are bearing a child and when you found out that you are really pregnant. Also, you can tell how you feel about it like: was it something you are expecting or is it a surprise. How did you tell your husband about it? Lastly, your pregnancy journal would be more fun if you include the best reactions of your family and friends when you announced that you are having a baby. I am pretty sure there’s someone who cried, scream and jumped high on your announcement.Â
Your changing body and experiences
Second, on the list is your body’s development and changes as well as your baby’s. You can record your moments during your doctor visits and what he or she told you and reminded you so you won’t forget about it. A sweet moment you can also track with your pregnancy journal is how your belly expands week by week and how you felt when you heard your baby’s first heartbeat. Discuss your physical experiences from the weird feelings of your first weeks to the foods you craved. Lastly, you can also add your weirdest symptoms so you would just smile while reading it after going through those.
Choosing your baby’s name
There are a lot of trends in choosing a baby’s name. Some parents choose their baby’s name based on celebrities while some based their baby’s name on nature, movies or even astrology. Music lovers based their kid’s name on the music they love of course. Fashion enthusiasts, on the other hand, choose a name based on their favorite fashion designer. Was your baby’s name named after your relative or friend? You can document everything you did during your dilemma of choosing the perfect name for your little one. Did your husband and you immediately came up with a name? You can also write the list of the names you are choosing from so when your child gets older, he can know his possible names and it might give him a good laugh.
Your emotional breakdowns
Emotional breakdowns and rollercoaster of moods can come when a woman is pregnant and you can’t deny it. From the wonder that you may feel every time you felt that your baby kicks, to your excitement on meeting her, you can write all of it on your journal. You can share your breakdowns too because like what I’ve said earlier, writing your emotions and how you feel can lead you to a happier and healthier pregnancy. Writing down your stress and depression over your pregnancy can not only remove your negative emotions but you may also be able to laugh at it later when you read it; like the time when you whined a lot when your husband brought you the wrong flavor of ice cream or the time you cried a lot on a not-so-dramatic movie.
Your second firsts
Well, if this is your second pregnancy, it may be less unique. You have been through pregnancy before but your second one won’t be less special. To make it memorable like the first, you can focus on what makes carrying your second one different from your first one. Perhaps, your first little one won’t kick much but your second does kick a lot inside you. Moreover, it may take months before your first one started showing but on your second one, your belly started expanding within weeks. Lastly, you can also include the sweet moment when you told your firstborn that he or she will soon be a big sister or brother and how he/she responded to it.
Having a pregnancy journal is just one of the things and ideas on keeping pregnancy memories. Paint a portrait of you and your partner’s life before you have your kids. You can also detail how you decided that it’s the right time to have your baby. Write them down and they will be fun to look back later on with your own family.
Read also:
- Pregnancy and Dreaming of a Baby Girl
- 8 Tips on How to Keep Pregnancy a Secret
- Pregnancy Gifts Suggestions for First-Time Moms
- Pregnancy Television Shows for Mommies: All About Pregnancy and Birth
