Image: MomJunction Design Team
When you have an experience as extraordinary and complex as pregnancy, the only way to keep track of all the special moments and memories is to record them in a beautiful journal. The best pregnancy journals can help you alleviate stress, monitor your health and your baby’s health, and make you feel more organized about your thoughts and routines.
Megan Imhoff, a writer, mom, and founder of Ish Mom, says, “Don’t think of a pregnancy journal as a silly purchase! Pregnancy journals are not only great for capturing a monumentous time, but also come in handy for tracking physical stats. It’s also an excellent way to express your emotions throughout the journey, so you can look back on everything you and your little one went through before their birth.”
These journals also make a great gift idea for baby showers and other occasions. We have handpicked some of the most beautiful and practical journals for pregnancy that can be a constant companion in this life-altering experience. So, keep scrolling and take your pick.
Top Picks
13 Best Pregnancy Journals
1. Best For Each Trimester:The Belly Book: A Nine-month Journal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Available in both hardcover-spiral and spiral-bound editions, The Belly Book is categorized into trimesters. For each trimester section, you will have a week-by-week guide to track your baby’s growth with questions to answer. You can collect all your special moments in an organized manner in this 96-page journal-style memory book. The week-by-week belly pages also have space for sticking the bump photos.
Item Weight: 1.16 pounds
2. Best For Pregnancy Milestones:Bump to Birthday by Journals of a Lifetime And Helen Stephens
This is a diary-style combined journal that takes you from pregnancy through the baby’s milestones in their first year. It moves at a weekly pace with thoughtful prompts and space for writing down your important pregnancy moments, birth experience, including labor and delivery, and the baby’s first smile, steps, words, etc., until their first birthday. As per reviews, it also has plenty of room for pasting sonography pictures.
"This journal features a thoughtful layout with designated spaces for writing about the progression of pregnancy and the firsts of the little one. As it started at week nine, and with all the pregnancy events, it felt like a long wait. But overall, it's a pleasurable journal for capturing precious moments."
Quick tip3. Best Easy-To-Carry:Expecting You — A Keepsake Pregnancy Journal by Amelia Riedler
Want something to record the many feelings and emotions that surround you at this time? Then this may be one of the best pregnancy journals that offers enough writing space you need. You may spill all your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in this compact and easy-to-carry minimalist pregnancy journal whenever you travel or go to the doctor. Besides quotations and illustrations, other notable features of the journal include its hardcover made of cloth, removable belly band, and ribbon marker.
"The journal hits the mark with prompts, and I love that it is gender-neutral. Although it could use more free space for personal rambles, it has more than enough room for photos. My husband and I co-write in it, making it a cherished keepsake for our future little one. I also plan on gifting it to my friend who is expecting a baby."
4. Best To Write Special Moments:Pearhead My Pregnancy Journal
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
The tried-and-true product has earned over 6,999 good reviews on Amazon.
Pearhead’s Pregnancy Journal has detailed prompts and questions to guide you as you make a note of the special moments during your pregnancy. This pregnancy journal may not be suitable if you journal regularly and in detail. It has 74 pages with a pocket in each section for holding keepsakes and pictures. It is spiral-bound and includes an elastic band to keep it secure. The faux leather cover has “xoxo” printed in black and hearts printed in golden foil.
"As someone pregnant for the first time, I was looking for a basic yet well-made pregnancy journal, and this one has been the perfect find. It offers ample space for ultrasound pictures and memorable notes. The tabs for easy reference are convenient, and its compact size is adorable. While I wish it had more dedicated pages for monthly emotions and milestones, writing it in has been a delightful experience."
5. Best For Gifting:The Pregnancy Journal: A Day-to-Day Guide By A. Christine Harris
Available in both hardcover and spiral-bound editions, this classic pregnancy journal has plenty of information on how to track the mother’s health and the baby’s development. It gives a personal journaling space full of facts and advice on health, childbirth, postpartum care, and nutritional recommendations for the mother. It is packaged beautifully and makes a great pregnancy gift option.
6. Best Design:The What to Expect Pregnancy Journal & Organizer by Heidi Murkoff
Heidi Murkoff, the author of the What to Expect series of pregnancy and parenting books, brings this unique journal and organizer. You might note down all the moments from conception and the first ultrasound to the first kick and journey until delivery. This pregnancy memory book helps you keep track of the pregnancy stages, doctor visits, routine checkups or tests, results of prenatal testing, birthing plans, shopping checklist, baby names, medications, maternity clothes, and gifts.
Quick fact7.Best Activity-Filled:The First-Time Mom’s Pregnancy Journal by Aubrey Grossen
A pretty colorful journal with a trimester-wise guide that talks about all the special moments you would experience for the first time as a mom-to-be. There is plenty of space for you to enter all the milestones and memories, to track the doctor appointments, tests, to-do lists, activities, and so much more. It also has many fun activities that would excite the new momma.
"Despite my skepticism about pregnancy books, this cute one has been a joy to maintain. It looks pretty and prompts me about different feelings, and lists all the profound questions. I also love its designated spaces to store bump and baby photos. It made it easy to document my journey during the tough pregnancy months. I can't wait to share this journal with my little one once he grows up."
8. Best Easy-To-Fill:From Pea to Pumpkin: A Pregnancy Journal by Geralyn Broder Murray
This is a beautifully designed journal that you would cherish forever. There are many pages for you to write down your pregnancy journey, favorite moments, and easy-to-fill prompts to improve your thought process. It displays your baby’s development with watercolor fruits and veggies from pea to pumpkin. There is a bonus space for keeping all the treasured sonograms and memories. It also incorporates a ribbon placeholder.
"This pregnancy journal is an exciting combination of a scrapbook and a diary. The adorable illustrations, thought-provoking prompts, and space to add personal notes kept my interest intact throughout my pregnancy. Yet, I wish it had a dedicated pocket for ultrasound photos. Nevertheless, I recommend it, especially to first-time moms."
9. Best Comprehensive Journal:Bump For Joy by Studio Oh!
Studio Oh’s Bump for Joy features a hardcover that has beautiful foil-stamped accents and artwork. It includes 144 pages with charming illustrations, trimester-wise development, fill-in prompts, checklists, quotes, and spaces to paste photos and track down your progress. This one is a comprehensive journal that starts from the family tree to signs of labor. It also has pockets for extra keepsakes, making it the ideal baby shower gift.
"This pregnancy journal was very quick in stealing this to be mother's heart. It has such beautiful colors and designs and ample space to write down my feelings, making it a joy to maintain. The spiral bind was a struggle initially, but the pockets and slots to keep photos and other essential documents more than make up for it. I've documented everything from cravings to every small thing that my baby did, and I wish I had gotten this book sooner. Overall, it's been a delightful companion during my pregnancy journey."
10. Best Extra Features:My Pregnancy Journal With Sophie la girafe
Sophie la giraffe is a teether that has been a classic baby item worldwide for decades. This is an interactive journal and a timeless pregnancy gift for a mother-to-be. It has a gender-neutral design and a dedicated space for recording major milestones and changes that come with a healthy pregnancy. According to reviewers, there is a pocket to store any extra memories, ample space for pictures, a page for baby names, astrology wheel, and a Chinese horoscope chart and a designated place for sonograms.
"I found this pregnancy journal endearing and intricate. This journal is brimming with thoughtful questions and spaces for keepsakes and proves to be a delightful companion during pregnancy and a treasure for our baby in the future."
11. Best For Busy Moms:The Nine Pregnancy Countdown Journal by Kelly Sopp And David Sopp
If you are a busy mom-to-be who does not have enough time to journal, this may be one of the best pregnancy journals for you. There are nine colorful tabbed sections for each month. It contains smart prompts to help you quickly answer the questions to record important pregnancy details. You will find space to write down your memories, how you felt during each milestone, newborn care plans, health insurance details, pregnancy cravings, and funny moments. There are also monthly check-in pages for adding the baby bump pictures.
12. Best Elegant:40ish Weeks: A Pregnancy Journal by Kate Pocrass
If you need abundant space to chronicle your thoughts and feelings, you may consider this 40ish Weeks Pregnancy Journal. It covers varied topics, including pregnancy symptoms, cravings, postpartum depression, baby names, maternity clothing, pregnancy complications, and more. The journal has all the classic prompts to help you capture your fleeting moments and milestones. There is a lot of room for pictures, in addition to the exciting illustrations and charts that it has.
"The journal provided ample space for documenting my pregnancy journey in my own words. I cherished this creative freedom it gave me, turning journaling into a delightful, personal undertaking. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, it's a keeper for me—a lighthearted and quirky way to chronicle this special time."
13. Best To Write Memories:From Belly to Baby by Lucy Riles
From Belly to Baby is a sweetly illustrated paperback edition that documents all the significant developments of pregnancy and the baby’s first year. There is a lot of space to note down the memories and weird experiences during the journey. It has thoughtful prompts that allow you to give quick answers and inspirational motherhood quotes at every pregnancy stage for emotional support. It also has space for placing sonogram pictures to track fetal development.
"This well-structured journal has helped me document my journey since the beginning of my pregnancy. The prompts aren't all unique, but they do help me connect with my baby week by week. It's been a great way to keep track of my pregnancy milestones, and I'm sure it will be a splendid keepsake for my little one when she grows up. All in all, the charming journal has been an excellent find."
How To Choose The Right Pregnancy Journal?
Here are some tips that could help you find the right pregnancy journal.
- Length of the journal: If you enjoy journaling and want to note down every detail of pregnancy, then consider taking a journal with ample writing space. A day-to-day or week-to-week journal would work.
- Prompts, questionnaires, and illustrations: Some versatile books/journals have activities, questions, and information that help you record details from the beginning of conception to giving birth. These prompts and such can also help you understand what is happening with yourself and the baby. Check if the journal has such features.
- Tips or advice: Some journals may also have certain sections that give more insights about your pregnancy stage. If you like going into details, look for such a journal.
- Material: Consider buying a journal with a sturdy design, cover, and pages so that it will stay intact all your life. It will be a treasure with golden moments that you can read together with your child in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need a pregnancy journal?
Maintaining a pregnancy journal is purely a personal choice. However, it can help you stay focused on your pregnancy. It also allows you to reminisce about everything you have done during pregnancy.
2. What kind of journal should I get?
You can pick a regular notebook or a pregnancy-specific journal. A ready-to-use gender-neutral journal or memory book with timely prompts can make it easy to note down major milestones, emotions, and pregnancy issues.
3. Why should I get a journal with lots of prompts?
A journal with lots of thoughtful prompts can inspire you and help you write down all your emotions.
4. What should a pregnancy journal include?
A pregnancy journal should record your milestones, happy moments, updates on your baby’s health in the womb, your diet, and more.
Why Trust MomJunction?
Vibha Navarathna has written extensively on products that assist with a smooth pregnancy. In this article on the best pregnancy journals, she has considered all the aspects of pregnancy an expectant mother would wish to note down. Most of the products listed here can be used as weekly and daily journals. Moreover, they are customizable, and hence, you need not follow a strict regime. We hope you find the list and tips given in this post helpful.
The Bottom Line
Keeping a pregnancy journal is a beautiful and artistic way of documenting your pregnancy journey day by day. You can track how your body changes and take stock of what you can do to stay fit and healthy every trimester. The best pregnancy journals listed here will allow you to organize your thoughts and emotions for nine months and give you the joy of looking back at each moment after the arrival of your little one. Our top picks include the Bump to Birthday By Journal Of A Lifetime, which walks you through the child’s first-year milestones, and the convenient Expecting You, which can help you record your emotions. We also like the Pearhead My Pregnancy Journal, featuring little spaces for keepsakes.
Infographic: What Are The Advantages Of Using Pregnancy Journals?
Pregnancy journals are cherished companions that capture the beautiful journey of expectant mothers, preserving memories and emotions for a lifetime. These journals serve as personal reflections and treasured keepsakes for parents and their growing babies. Explore the infographic below to discover how pre-designed pregnancy journals can support you during your pregnancy.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
References
- Marjan Beigi et al.; (2011); The effect of using maternal care log book on pregnancy outcome in clients referred to private gynecologists and midwives offices
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249803/ - Emotions during pregnancy
https://www.nct.org.uk/pregnancy/how-you-might-be-feeling/emotions-during-pregnancy
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