A pregnancy journal is a keepsake book that helps expectant parents record milestones, emotions, appointments, bump photos, and memories throughout pregnancy. Many parents use pregnancy journals week by week to capture moments they may later forget and to create a meaningful memory book for their child. Finding out you are having a baby is a unique experience for every mother-to-be and no completed pregnancy journey is the same. The experience is so personal that keeping a pregnancy journal is a valuable and meaningful way to document all those unique, unrepeatable experiences so that they can be remembered and shared for years to come.

7 Reasons Why You Need a Pregnancy Journal

Here are seven reasons why we think completing a ‘Bump to Birthday’ pregnancy and first year journal is a really good idea:

Journaling to Remember

Pregnancy can be an emotional time and it’s so easy to forget how you felt, from sickness and body changes to excitement and other emotions as the nine months pass by. Writing down those thoughts, feelings, experiences and what you did each week is a great way to remember every detail and can help you take an a well needed rest. 

Process Changes and Challenges

Reflecting on your pregnancy can be a powerful way to connect with your growing baby as well as your own emotions. Journaling can help you process the changes and challenges that come with pregnancy and prepare you for motherhood.

Communicate Better

Your journal is a great way to communicate with a partner, family and friends about your experience. Sharing what you have written can help people better understand what you are going through and perhaps feel a little more involved. We have also found that children love to read through their own pregnancy journal when they are older.

Track Your Progress

Tracking what is going on for you and your baby is a great reference for you and your health care provider. For example, if you baby is waking you at 3am in the last month of your pregnancy then you can be pretty sure that is the time they will wake you for a feed after they are born.

Connect With Your Bump

We believe in the importance of handwriting, disconnecting from technology and spending at least 30 minutes a week truly connecting with your bump. This should be a special time where you sit down, perhaps with a cup of tea, and be truly present with this moment and bonding with the small person you have yet to meet but already care for.

Create a Keepsake Journal

Bump to Birthday covers from finding out through the whole first year with your baby so there is no need for another birth journal. This journal creates a cherished keepsake for you and your baby.  Some wonderful connections in the journal include writing a letter to your baby, sharing your hope and dreams for the future and can help to create a special connection.

Remember Firsts

There are so many firsts to remember, from first bath to first teeth to first steps.  You believe you will remember, but trust us, you won’t. Even if you only have one child, time fades those memories as more recent ones take their place during the very busy first 12 months.

Week-by-Week Pregnancy Journaling

Keeping a pregnancy journal week-by-week helps you capture the milestones and emotions that can easily blur together once your baby arrives. It doesn't need to be complicated. A few sentences, photos or reflections each week can help preserve memories that might otherwise be forgotten. Even if you do not manage to write every single week, that's okay, you will still be grateful for the moments you did capture when you look back on your pregnancy journey in the future.

First Trimester Pregnancy Journal Ideas

The first trimester is often filled with anticipation, change, and emotional highs and lows. Many parents use this stage to document early symptoms, reactions, and hopes for the future.

First 8 Weeks

Write about:

• - Why you thought you were pregnant
• - How you found out you were pregnant
• - How you felt when you found out
• - Date of last menstrual period
• - Who I told and how they reacted

Weeks 9–13

At the beginning of this stage, baby is about 2cm CRL, their face is starting to look more humanlike and their mouth has formed, and taste buds are appearing on their tongue. As pregnancy begins to feel more real, you may want to record a bit about you and what you've been up to:

• - How you've been feeling, sickness, weight and cravings
• - Scans and who was there

Second Trimester Pregnancy Journal Ideas

Baby is now about 8cm CRL and weighs around 45g, approximately the size of a lemon. Many parents find the second trimester is when they feel more connected to their pregnancy. It is often a wonderful time to record milestones and memories week by week.

Weeks 14–20

Ideas to include:

• - Continue to monitor how you've been feeling, including pregnancy cravings or favourite foods
• - Changes in your bump
• - Your 20-week scan experience
• - Special moments with your partner or family

Weeks 21–27

By week 22 baby is about 28cm long and weighs around 450g, the size of a papaya! This stage is often full of exciting milestones as well as a reflective moment for yourself:

• - Feeling your baby move
• - Choosing baby names
• - Things you would like to do before baby is born
• - Advice you have been given

Third Trimester Pregnancy Journal Ideas

The final trimester is a meaningful time to reflect on your journey and prepare for your baby’s arrival, thinking about what your birth preferences are.

Weeks 28–34

• - How your body is changing
• - Thoughts on pain relief
• - Preferred positions for labour and birth
• - Things you would like to take with you
• - Where you would like to give birth
• - Who I want to be present at the birth

Weeks 35–40+

As your due date approaches, many parents reflect on getting ready for the birth:

• - Final bump photos
• - What you are most looking forward to
• - What you are least looking forward to
• - Emotions before labour
• - Pregnancy symptoms you have had
• - Time labour started at
• - How you knew you were in labour
• - The midwife’s name
• - What helped during labour

Many first-time mums choose guided pregnancy journals because they make it easier to write regularly and ensure important moments are not forgotten. You can explore our range of Pregnancy and Early Years journals, including personalised pregnancy journals all including week-by-week prompts here.

Why Choose a Personalised Pregnancy Journal?

A personalised pregnancy journal makes documenting your pregnancy journey feel even more meaningful. Adding a custom name and colour of the cover transforms a pregnancy journal into a treasured keepsake and thoughtful gift.

Personalised pregnancy journals are also thoughtful gifts for expectant mums or parents. Unlike many practical gifts, a pregnancy journal captures the whole journey and memories that become valuable with time.

At FROM YOU TO ME, we specialise in personalised journals and meaningful keepsake gifts designed to help families capture memories, celebrate milestones and connect with people that matter most. Our guided Personalised Pregnancy Journals are designed as a thoughtful gift to make it easy for parents to record precious memories, to later be shared with a child as a reminder of how much they were loved, even before they were born.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a pregnancy journal?

A pregnancy journal is a keepsake book used to record a pregnancy journal. Many journals will have weekly prompts for milestones, thoughts, and emotions throughout pregnancy. Pregnancy journals have space to baby scan photos, as well as weekly information about the baby's development.

When should you start a pregnancy journal?

Many people start a pregnancy journal as soon as they find out they are expecting, while others begin after their first scan or during the second trimester. There is no right or wrong time to start and it doesn't matter if you don't fully complete it, what matters most is capturing the moments that feel meaningful to you so you can look back in the future and remember such a special moment in your life.

What is the difference between a pregnancy journal and a baby book?

A pregnancy journal focuses on documenting the pregnancy journey before birth, including milestones, thoughts, and experiences during each trimester. A baby book typically begins after birth and records milestones from a child’s early years. Our award-winning Bump To Birthday Pregnancy Journal covers both the pregnancy and the first year together, so there is no need for a separate journal.

Is a personalised pregnancy journal a good gift?

A personalised pregnancy journal can make a thoughtful gift for an expectant parent or friend. Personalisation makes it more unique to the recipient, letting them know that you thought about them. It then becomes a treasured keepsake for their family.

What should I look for in the best pregnancy journal?

The best pregnancy journal is one that is simple to use and developed by medical experts. We suggest looking for a pregnancy journal that includes:

• - Guided prompts
• - Week-by-week sections
• - Information about the baby's development
• - Space for photos
• - Keepsake quality for long-term storage
• - Personalisation options

Choosing a journal that suits the recipient, but also lasts a long time can help you stay motivated to document your pregnancy. Our Bump To Birthday Pregnancy Journal has been so carefully researched with input from embryologists and specialist doctors to help parents capture every stage of pregnancy and early parenthood. It is designed to become a lasting keepsake that families can treasure for years to come.

A pregnancy journal is a valuable companion for expectant mothers, offering a meaningful way to document and connect with their bump. These are the milestones that should be remembered, and the Bump To Birthday journal, an award-winning favourite, has been helping parents do just that for years. With its thoughtfully crafted prompts, it carefully guides parents through the process, making it easy to create a unique keepsake without the stress of coming up with what to write. See our full pregnancy and baby range here.