Pregnancy is a very amazing experience, even if it isn’t your first one. Each pregnancy is unique with many notable moments of their own. Documenting your child’s beginnings before entering the world can be a fun and creative way to keep the memories alive for years to come. There are a number of different ways you can document your pregnancy and you don’t have to choose just one.
How do I Document my Pregnancy?
In this article, we will cover documenting your pregnancy via the below means.
- Photoshoots
- Create Pregnancy Keepsakes
- Journalling
PhotoShoots
Taking pictures is a popular way to engage in creating keepsakes to look back at later in life. Photographs are a great way to document your pregnancy especially the growth of your baby bump. You would be surprised to know how your bump changes from one day to the next.
How do you take a baby bump picture?
Well, first you want to decide what you will be doing with the photographs. If you want to make a video at the end of the pregnancy you can simply take a photo every day with your smartphone. If you want a picture that will be used as a wall hanging or some other type of keepsake item you can go ahead and hire a professional photographer. If that is not in the budget your spouse, best friend or a family member can take the pics for you. Most smartphones and digital cameras nowadays have excellent photo quality so you should be able to get a couple of good ones you can use for multiple purposes. Here are some poses to help you get the best pictures for your pregnancy photoshoot.
- A View from Above: For this photo, you can take the image yourself. You may ask someone to take it if you want a perspective that is further away. Position the camera so the person viewing the image would be viewing the baby bump from above. This can be done facing mother or facing away as well.
- Sexy Silhouettes: During pregnancy, you may not feel sexy often, but you can still take a photo with a hint of sexy. Most often seen in black and white, these photos are really nice. Simply leave out skin while not exposing yourself or wear something sheer with your belly exposed.
- Fun with Food: There are some apps that compare your growing baby to food so you can have an idea of what size they are at different stages. Choose the food for the stage that you are at and take a picture alongside your belly. You can take these photos from the front as well as from the side.
- Lovely Letter Boards: Taking a picture with a letter board in the background with a sentimental saying is quite a cute statement. You can write what week you are on on the letterboard or you can add whatever makes you happy.
- Frame It: Get a frame, your favorite frame with glass. Get a dry-erase marker as well. You can write your week or trimester on the glass and hold it up against your belly. Do this each week or at the start of each trimester. You can match your outfit with the color of the frame.
Create Pregnancy Keepsakes
A great keepsake is this Belly Casting Kit from Pearhead You purchase this belly casting kit and create a cast of your belly bump at home. The kit is easy to use and is affordably priced. Once you create the cast you can decorate the finished product with paint etc. The kit includes 5 rolls of plaster tape, a lubricant, non-latex gloves, a plastic drop cloth, and a sanding screen. The cast can be made in just 4 easy steps and all ingredients are non-toxic.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Step by Step Instructions
- Non-toxic ingredients
- Everything you need comes in the package
Cons
- You will need someone else to help you make this cast
Journal Your Pregnancy
The Old Fashioned Way - Journaling/Scrapbooking
Journaling is a great way to capture your true feelings while pregnant. A handwritten copy or a digital copy kept on your laptop, phone or another mobile device can work. Some of your notes can be printed and used in scrapbooking or if you are doing a written journal you can add stickers and photos to personalize it and make it that much nicer to look at later. Here are a couple of journals that are designed specifically for documenting your pregnancy.
This pregnancy journal is a great way to record your pregnancy’s most memorable moments. It is ideal for use by both first-time mothers and veterans. The journal is complete with 144 pages that are fully illustrated. Designed specifically for pregnancy journaling the book is arranged by trimester. It includes multiple writing prompts, fill in the blanks, checklists, and space for adding ultrasound images and writing down your own notes and jottings.
Pros
- Designed for pregnancy
- Fully illustrated pages
- Writing prompts
- Checklists
- Affordable
- Great gift item
Cons
- Two reviewers have noted getting a faulty item
You only have your first pregnancy once, and you want it to be the best. You also want to take note of all the firsts you experience. With this guided journal you can do just that. Designed specifically for first time moms this journal is packed with prompts for you to enter information and data to look back on once the pregnancy is over. It allows space to keep track of your appointments as well as provides you with necessary lists and ideas for each stage of pregnancy.
Pros
- First-time mom firsts to guide your journaling
- Prenatal appointments tracker
- Essential to-dos for getting ready for baby
- Fun activities to make the journaling experience fun now and fun to look back on
Cons
- Repetitive writing prompts
This pregnancy journal can be used by all types of families. There are no mom or dad references so it is perfect for same-sex families. It is small in size measuring 8 by 8 inches. It is considered by the manufacturer as a minimalist pregnancy journal so it is great for those who follow that lifestyle. Its black and white design makes it timeless and suitable for any gender. The front cover can be used to store a photo and there is a storage envelope on the inside of the back cover. The envelope can be used to keep mementos you can look back on later on. Inside this journal, you will find prompts such as Bump Photo pages, first kick, and many more firsts, when you found out the gender, possible baby names and much more.
Pros
- Small at 8 by 8 inches
- Great variety in prompts found inside
- Black and White design make it gender-neutral
- No mention of words “mom” or “dad” so great for same-sex couples
- Simple, clean interior design
Cons
- Pen smears on cardstock
Start a Blog/Vlog
Another way you can journal your pregnancy experience is with a blog, a vlog or even both. You can share your pregnancy experience by way of a blog. Consider why you want to do this sort of journaling as you will be sharing your experience with the world. You can start with a blog to see how comfortable you feel before you start the video recording rolling.
Integrating Both of the Above
Who is to say you can’t do a regular journal and blog/ vlog about your pregnancy all at the same time. There are a lot of online communities and you may be able to appeal to a couple by sharing your written journaling in a digital space. If you take a look at youtube you will find an entire community of planners and journalers who share their written planning/journaling through digital media. If you have the time on your hands you can do this too. You will basically be sharing the same information across different means. So you could start by writing in your journal and filming a vlog. This recorded video could be shared on YouTube and then you can write a blog to share the same journaling experience for those who prefer to read than to watch.
Conclusion
Being pregnant is a very exciting time. You will find yourself experiencing a lot of new things. A great way to remember all the first is to document your entire pregnancy. With all the methods above and the various tools and aids to use you can create a log of your pregnancy experience that you will enjoy going over late on. You may even enjoy sharing these with your baby once they are old enough to understand. Document your baby bump and have fun doing it by choosing one of the methods above. Come back and share your experiences and drop us a tip or an idea below.
Cris
