Keeping a Pregnancy Journal

Writing a journal is a valuable memory both for you and your baby-to-be. And, believe it or not, in a few years, you will forget what it felt like to be pregnant! Buy a beautiful journal or find a free online journal, commit some time and follow these exercises.

Do not be shy to write down your thoughts and feelings; there is a writer in all of us - and, years later when you read and reflect on this special time, you will not regret keeping a pregnancy journal.

Just think of all the instances of beauty during your pregnancy. The snowfall before you give birth; the long wait to meet your baby; and the first time you look into your baby's eyes. Or maybe, during one of your moonlight odysseys to the refrigerator, you notice for the first time with irony that you are pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen. Some of the emotions you experience during pregnancy are precious and unlike any you'll experience throughout the rest of your life. Write these memories down.

Your womb is a small stork's nest right now, budding with possibility. The baby growing inside will be delighted to read about the nine months she spent within you before she entered this world. The journal will also serve as a reminder to you of this time spent in great transformation.

Writing Exercises

The write muscles. Sometimes in life you need a little warm-up; this couldn't be more true than when writing. Stretching your writing muscles will allow you to detangle your feelings, focus on what is important and help you weave together a lucid and articulate story of what pregnancy means to you.

The best way to exercise is to sit down and write for 10-20 minutes and get the juices flowing. You can use some of the writing exercises below when starting out. Once you get into the groove, set a time of day when you can sit down and reflect. You'll also want to decide how often you want to keep your journal; having a set time, whether it be every two days or once a week, will help keep you committed.

Visualize. Explore what pregnancy and childbirth have meant to countless women before you. The topic has been heavily explored in art. For example, Mary Cassatt is an American impressionist painter known for her mother and childhood paintings. Look up some artwork or search through images and comment on the roles, relationships and moods of the paintings.

Within you, without you. You are pregnant with possibility. Delve into your hopes and your future with your child. Mother and child spend nine months growing together. Your baby comes with its own personality. Once she leaves the womb, what will you and her discover together? Who will she ultimately become? Reflect on these in your writing.

What Do I Write About?
While each woman experiences different emotions during her pregnancy, there are topics that are on every pregnant woman's mind. These include: your body and how it makes room for your baby; fears about labor and delivery; the joyous expectation of seeing your baby; and the transformation occurring within you. Write freely, and don't be afraid to express your downbeat moments either.

Who am I writing for? You may choose to save this journal as a gift to your child. If that stops you from writing frankly about your emotions, then perhaps you can write letters to your child that you nestle within the pages of the journal. When the day comes, you can shake these letters out and hand them to the youngster.

Other Resources
Decide whether you want to put pen to paper or whether you want to write an online pregnancy journal. Alternately, a beautifully bound pregnancy journal is an invaluable reminder and gift.

Pregnancy-info is keen to publish an ongoing pregnancy journal. If you wish to share your experiences with our readers, please e-mail us.

If you have your own unique story about your third trimester of pregnancy, or any trimester for that matter, then visit Pregnancy Stories and post your tale today.

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