Keeping a Pregnancy Journal

by Kim Neyer | More from this Blogger

As soon as you lay your eyes on your beautiful new baby, memories of your pregnancy will begin to fade away. Some parts of your pregnancy you'll be glad to forget, but there are some memories that are just too good to leave in the past. A pregnancy journal is the perfect way to keep track of special pregnancy moments like the first time you felt movement or how you felt when you first saw your baby on the ultrasound. There are several different ways to keep a journal depending on your preference and how much time you want to spend.

Letters For the sentimental mother-to-be, writing letters to your baby can be a wonderful way to remember the close bond that begins to develop during pregnancy. Letters can be kept in a keepsake box for your child to read and enjoy when she is older. Tell your baby stories about your family, how much you are looking forward to meeting her, and what you think she will be like. The possibilities are endless.

Diaries If self-reflection is your style, keeping a private diary is the perfect way to express things you might want to keep to yourself. You might want to remember the way you felt when you first found out you were pregnant, or record your fears about delivery. Because it's private, you have the freedom to write whatever you want.

Blogs If you are like me, you like to share everything with everyone. Blogging is the perfect way to broadcast your fetal kick counts, ultrasound pictures and other exciting memories. Most blogs allow you to archive your posts. You could also print them and put them in a book!

Day Planners or Calendars If you are not much of a writer, you might prefer to keep track of events in a planner or on a calendar. You might record things such as "first kick," "first hiccups," or "first baby shower."

Guided Journals Sometimes you want to write more, but you're not sure what to say. If that's the case, then a guided journal is for you. A friend of mine bought me a book called "Love Letters to My Baby," by Vickey Banks. The journal covers all stages of pregnancy and many months after. You'll end up with a wonderful keepsake for your child - and you'll likely go through a box of tissues in the process!

Scrapbooks Scrapbooking is ideal for the woman who prefers photos and mementos to written memories. Scrapbooks are the perfect place to paste ultrasound pictures, appointment cards, weekly belly photos, hospital ID bracelets and other "souvenirs" from your pregnancy. You can add captions in place of journal entries. Scrapbooks are also ideal for saving your favorite greeting cards from friends and family members.

When it comes to keeping a journal about your pregnancy, there are no rules, so have fun with it!

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Learn more about Kim Neyer

Kim is a freelance writer, photographer and stay at home mom to her one-year-old son, Micah. She has been married to her husband, Eric, since 2006.

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