15 Best Pregnancy Journals For The First Time Mother To Be + Seasoned Moms

If you're wondering “how do I document my pregnancy?” You're not alone and the answer is a pregnancy journal book for all of those special moments of the pregnancy journey! Pregnancy is one of the most transformative periods of a woman's life from physical to emotional changes. Finding the best pregnancy journal to document all the major milestones, like the first kick, and to-do lists will become a cherished keepsake to look back on you won't regret doing!

Discover what is the best pregnancy journal to buy for you or as the perfect gift in this post and our tips for how to choose the best pregnancy journal. Whether you prefer a printable PDF of writing prompts, a minimalist pregnancy journal, or a pregnancy journal that doubles as a baby book, we've got your covered!

Best Overall Pregnancy Journal Book — Growing You: Keepsake Pregnancy Journal and Memory Book for Mom and Baby

If you’re not the type who aligns with “pink is for girls and blue is for boys”, then you’ll love this gender-neutral pregnancy journal. Growing You: Keepsake Pregnancy Memory Book is made with a simple leaf design stamped in gold foil on the linen hardcover. The comprehensive journal is made with archival paper for longevity to document your pregnancy story.

We love the non-traditional writing prompts like letter suggestions to write to your baby, current guidelines for a healthy pregnancy (we think that'll be fun to look back on in 20 years!), and even a space to reflect on easing into motherhood those first few weeks. It's a nice balance between emotional/internal reflection, and actual documenting of the traditional pregnancy stuff (appointments, size, etc.).

Best Pregnancy Journal for First Time Moms — Bump for Joy

For the first time mother to be this pregnancy journal will cover absolutely everything you need!

Additionally, there’s space for 32 photos, five pockets for additional pictures and treasures, and pregnancy fun facts and tips throughout your full pregnancy. First-time moms will also appreciate the checklists to help aid in preparing for baby’s arrival with enough time to not stress.

Runner Up For 1st Time Mother To Be Journal: Pearhead My Pregnancy Journal

This is basically a more condensed version of Bump for Joy with fewer places for photos and less styling throughout.

This pregnancy journal features easy to navigate tabs for quick reference and plenty of checklists and prompts for first time moms to document their pregnancy.

Best Weekly Pregnancy Journal – 40ish Weeks: A Pregnancy Journal

We love the minimalist design of 40ish Weeks: A Pregnancy Journal with space to journal every week of your pregnancy. It's a great way to chronicle your pregnancy and keep tabs on how the bun in your oven is progressing since they have some little educational/informational moments throughout.

It's definitely more of a lighthearted journal with a minimalist design with space to insert your own pictures. It also includes a few pages to journal once baby has arrived.

Best Minimalist Pregnancy Journal — Expecting You: A Keepsake Pregnancy Journal

Not everyone wants an oversized pregnancy journal that can double as a coffee table photo book. If you like the idea of traveling on the go and jotting down thoughts as they come to you, Expecting You — A Keepsake Pregnancy Journal is a perfect choice. It's about the size of a standard fiction novel, and slim!

There's plenty of space to journal your pregnancy week by week or month by month. We also love that you can fill in the month so if you're starting a pregnancy journal later in pregnancy, or deliver early, you can actually tailor it to your experience instead of having blank/skipped pages, which tends to happen in more structured pregnancy journal books.

Best Luxe Pregnancy Journal: pearhead® “my little bump”

If you're looking for a beautifully designed pregnancy journal, look no further than the linen-bound, gold foil embossed hardcover on the Pearhead “My Little Bump” Pregnancy Journal.

The guided journal includes checklists, plenty of prompts, and reminders to keep first time moms especially organized.

Best Pregnancy Journal Through The First Year: Bump to Birthday, Pregnancy & First Year Baby Journal

Your baby’s first year is full of milestones that you’re going to want to treasure forever. If you like the idea of a transitional pregnancy journal, Bump to Birthday, Pregnancy & First Year Baby Journal is going to be perfect as it provides space through the first year of your baby's life.

Best Pregnancy Journal For Type-A Mom: The First-Time Mom's Pregnancy Journal: Monthly Checklists, Activities, & Journal Prompts

For some women, planning, checklists, and activities can provide an immense amount of comfort and relief. If you or a mother to be you know likes to feel overly prepared, The First-Time Mom's Pregnancy Journal is the perfect option!

We love that this one includes activities for planning. Whether that’s a baby shower, nursery, or your baby registry. You can also keep track of your appointments and get helpful tips for managing common pregnancy symptoms.

Best Printable Pregnancy Journal PDF: The Ultimate Pregnancy Journal

If you’re more of a DIYer and prefer to print books, you might not want a premade book that everyone else will also have access to. This etsy pregnancy journal is the perfect printable PDF, or you can fill in the pages online so you never lose it!

It features 69 downloadable PDF pages including a cover page. Plus there's plenty of room for customization since you can stick to the pregnancy journal pages provided, or add additional ones. Likewise, you can easy turn this into a pregnancy journal scrapbook that matches your aesthetic. Plus it's one that actually gives pages for weekly pregnancy journaling so you’ll be able to log every week of pregnancy from four through 40 weeks. 

Best Pregnancy Baby Book Journal Combo: As You Grow: A Modern Memory Book for Baby

If you're looking for a pregnancy journal that doubles as a complete baby book, this pregnancy journal goes the extra mile by providing space for you to mark important milestones for your child through age five.

If you prefer writing prompts, you’ll like that this book provides a nice balance between journaling and logging favorite moments from pregnancy through childhood. Other nice features include ample space for favorite photos and footprints.

Most Inclusive Pregnancy Journal: Tell Me Your Life Story® Series Books

For those looking for a more inclusive pregnancy journal that future children will cherish and look back on, Tell Me Your Life Story® Series Books are a great pick. We particularly love that a first-time dad or even adoptive parents can use these books to share their perspective on their own lives, pregnancy, and the adoption process (if applicable).

You simply choose the role of the person (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, etc.) and have them fill it out. It's a great way for writers to reflect on their life and how that's shaped their new role, as well as for children to look back on once their loved one has passed.

Best Classic Pregnancy Journal: The What to Expect Pregnancy Journal & Organizer

More than likely, either while TTC (trying to conceive) or after you confirmed your pregnancy, you've heard of What To Expect. It's one of the most well known pregnancy + postpartum books and it has a pregnancy journal designed to help you organize milestones, memories, doctor appointments, shopping, planning, and more throughout pregnancy. 

Best Pregnancy Journal For Mental Health/Self Care: The Pregnancy Workbook: Manage Anxiety and Worry with CBT and Mindfulness Techniques

Pregnancy is amazing, but it can also bring up A LOT of emotions. It's important to not just document your bump, but also your internal world and how you're working on it.

And there’s no shame in admitting that you might have concerns before your nine months are up (read my fears about pregnancy and fears about having kids here)

While not a traditional pregnancy journal, we like that this pick is designed for more than just the pregnant woman. Advice is included that allows you to work through the book with your partner or loved ones. 

Best Pregnancy Journal Scrapbook: bloom daily planners

For mamas that like the idea of a more traditional scrapbook, Bloom Daily Planners Pregnancy Scrapbook is perfect. This spiral-bound hardcover journal covers 94 weeks which includes 42 weeks of pregnancy and a full year postpartum. 

Along with plenty of space for managing daily life during your pregnancy, you’ll get space to log feelings, as well as mark key milestones once your little one arrives. Plus the eight by 10-inch size makes it somewhat travel-friendly so you can jot down feelings while you’re on the go. 

How To Choose The Best Pregnancy Journal For You: 

How do you record pregnancy memories or want to document your pregnancy?

A good pregnancy journal can act as a diary, giving you a place to record your thoughts, experiences, or even concerns as they arise. And of course, just like with other product categories, these journals come in a variety of styles. 

Just like at any other stage in life, it’s hard to step back and maintain perspective when you’re pregnant. And after the fact, the entire period can feel like a blur that shifted from barely pregnant to being very pregnant to holding your baby in a blink of an eye. 

Plus, if you want to have more kids, it's nice to have some notes to compare the two pregnancies as things change a lot from the first child to the next. I know looking back on my first, gave me some peace when aches or pains started up.

Prompts vs. No Prompts

Just like with a scrapbook or standard journal, some pregnancy journals come with prompts. This can be ideal if you’re not used to writing in a journal and don’t know where to begin with documenting your pregnancy or recording your thoughts and feelings.

On the other hand, pregnancy journal prompts can feel a bit repetitive at times. They typically go through the same things: weight gain, foods, physical symptoms, etc. For some, this can feel boring. Plus when there are questions about working out or milestones you may not experience it can feel a little guilt trippy or exclusionary too.

Personally, we love this pregnancy journal because it's a nice mix of freeform and prompts.

Educational vs Documenting

Some pregnancy journals have an educational component to them. This typically includes cute “your baby is the size of a (fruit)” or tips for common pregnancy symptoms at each stage. Others skip all of that and focus on documenting the pregnancy.

When it comes to documenting your pregnancy, some focus on freeform writing, others focus more on saving photos or momentos, and others have more of a “planner” component. Figure out which of these are most important to you.

Checklists/questionnaires vs. none

Some people like the idea of a pregnancy journal that keeps them on track. Some include checklists of Things To Do In The Second Trimester or Things To Do In The Third Trimester. Others have space for planning your nursery reveal or baby registry checklist or planning for a baby shower.

Likewise, having questionnaires helps some moms-to-be begin mentally preparing for what the fourth trimester will be like. However, some people don’t need that help. This might be especially true if this isn’t your first time pregnant. 

Design:

Consider the design of your pregnancy journal. Do you want a simple, compact notebook that easily slips in your purse for jotting your thoughts down during pregnancy? Or do you prefer more of a scrapbook feel without actually making a pregnancy scrapbook?

In our experience, it's helpful to look for free spaces for adding pictures.

If you're the nostalgic type, look for a pregnancy journal with pockets or a way to paste in an envelope for momentos. You may want to look at the binding and see if you'll be able to add more pages too.

If you're left handed, definitely look for something that'll be comfortable to write in. And of course, you'll want to feel inspired by your pregnancy journal so you keep going back to it again and again, so choose something aesthetically pleasing and durable enough to keep up with you for 9+ months.

Grow beyond pregnancy into a baby book:

Do you want a pregnancy journal that can become a baby book? This is helpful since you're already in the habit of updating the single journal.

Plus it can be a fun keepsake for your child to look back on YOUR experience while pregnant with them. It can make a sweet gift if you have a daughter who becomes pregnant herself someday too!

FAQS About Pregnancy Journals

What is a pregnancy journal? 

A pregnancy journal is essentially a keepsake journal or diary for expectant mothers to chronicle a specific period in a woman’s life. These typically features beautiful hard covers and include weekly photos, birth plans, baby's development, the first baby kick, pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness, doctor's appointments, and other precious moments. However, many women opt to transition their pregnancy journals into baby books after giving birth. 

What should I write in my pregnancy journal?

Truthfully, the sky's the limit! This is your space to cover any and everything that comes to mind as you progress through your pregnancy.

Pregnancy writing prompts:

• Deciding to conceive (if applicable)
• How you found out
• How you’re feeling at a certain stage in your pregnancy
• A daily journal
• Milestones such as feeling baby move or the first ultrasound
• Memorable moments such as when you told friends and family about your pregnancy
• Your experiences with building the baby registry, setting up the nursery, or your baby shower
• Letters to your future baby
• Any drama or challenging times you experienced while pregnant – even if not directly pregnancy related!
• Birth plan and then birth story
• Family tree

I like to think of my pregnancy journal as more of a pregnancy memory book. Documenting all the pregnancy memories I want to remember for future pregnancies, or as a guide book for my future child in understanding my energy or choices while pregnant.

Do I need both a pregnancy journal and a baby book?

There are some pregnancy journal books that include space for the first year with baby or all the way up to five years, making them a grab option for hybrid pregnancy journal/baby books.

However, depending on what you plan to do with your pregnancy journal, you may want keep them separate. For instance, some mom's may want to leave their baby book as a coffee table book, but wouldn't want others to skim their pregnancy diary.

Ultimately, it's a personal choice.

What are the benefits of keeping a pregnancy journal? 

One of the best aspects is that it creates a safe space for you to reflect. While pregnancy is an exciting and generally positive time in a woman’s life, it’s not without a few drawbacks. Pregnancy certainly kicks up a lot of emotions to work through!

As amazing as pregnancy is, it can also mean the end of your previous life. Having a journal can give some women an outlet to admit feelings they might otherwise not feel comfortable saying to others for fear of being judged. 

When is too late to start a pregnancy journal?

Even if you're a past the first months of a pregnancy, you can still start a beautiful journal to cherish forever.

In fact, your body changes much more later in pregnancy, so doing a week-by-week guide or regular writing moment each day can still create a great pregnancy journal to look back on. You'll likely have more than enough space for documenting baby's growth, ultrasound photos, and other favorite photos from this time, and won't need extra pages, since you started late too!

Is a pregnancy journal worth it?

Depending on how nostalgic you are or how much you like to process things, a pregnancy journal may certainly be worth it!

Of course, it's a personal choice, but in our experience, the 9 months go so fast and even if all you do is record seemingly mundane topics like weird food cravings and the moment you realized you couldn’t see your feet anymore, it’s nice to have the memory for future reference. 

What is the best pregnancy journal?

Final Thoughts:

While a pregnancy journal isn’t a requirement, it’s a fun way to capture memories of an exciting time in your life. You’ll need to decide whether you want a journal that’s sticks to the basics (weight, foods, growth, saving photos etc.) or provides prompts for more creative expression (letters to baby, feelings you're working through etc.). 

If you are looking for the most traditional pregnancy book, sticking to just the basics and not getting into the feelings we suggest Bump for Joy since it has pockets, plenty of space for photos for those who don't want to write a lot, and makes a great first time mother to be journal.

However if you are looking for a minimalist pregnancy journal that is a beautiful keepsake memory book, Growing You: Keepsake Pregnancy Journal and Memory Book for Mom and Baby is one of the best rated pregnancy journals.

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Originally published 6/22/21; Updated 10/25/2022