Keeping a Pregnancy Diary

As a pregnant mother, I often feel so overwhelmed by all that is happening in my life, that my pregnancy diary is a precious tool to keep me grounded and gain an insight on what really matters in life.

It is strange how even before Baby is born, we have to sacrifice so much of our time to our endless commitments, that pregnancy seems to slip by so rapidly that (if we are lucky) we end up only with a few photos of our pregnant belly and the ultrasound pictures.

A pregnancy diary is a treasure trove of the precious emotions that you go through as you start your journey into motherhood - the bridge between your old self and the new person you become once your child is born.

An easy guide to a customized pregnancy diary - What is a pregnancy diary?

Sometimes the first section of your baby book has a part where you can record details about your pregnancy. Alternatively you can find plenty of pregnancy diaries where you are guided into recording the events and emotions of your pregnancy, but in this article I would like to talk about another type of diary.

A customized pregnancy diary where you have a free realm and openly explore what is going in your life in order to help you transition to motherhood.

Keeping a pregnancy diary can be an opportunity to reflect about what is happening in your life, face your fears and record those little events that seem so insignificant to the outside world, but mean the world to you.

A pregnancy diary can also be a great way to bond with your unborn child, and will transform into a great memento you can share with your baby, when he or she is old enough to appreciate it.

To check out a standard pregnancy diary click here

An easy guide to a customized pregnancy diary - How do you make a customized pregnancy diary?

Making a customized pregnancy diary can be as simple as making an easy craft project or a scrap book. The beauty of this project is that the only limit is your creativity. You can transform a standard diary or a notebook, into a pregnancy diary by writing down what is going through your head as you go through your pregnancy.

You can also choose to embellish your project with family pictures, ultrasound scans and other small souvenirs of events you want to remember such as the concert tickets, of a gig you went to when you were pregnant.

If you are the type who likes to share her thoughts online, you can try your hand at creating your pregnancy blog or link to this online pregnancy diary site.

If you don't see yourself as the writing type, you can also make a picture pregnancy diary by collecting your photos into your special scrapbook or photo album.

An easy guide to a customized pregnancy diary - When should you start keeping your pregnancy diary?

You can start keeping your diary from the day you discover you are pregnant, or the first time your doctor confirms your pregnancy with an ultrasound, but there is nothing wrong if you decide to start your diary later on, once you feel more confident about your pregnancy, and need to vent out what is going through your head.

The beauty of a customized pregnancy diary is that you can write when you have time, or when you feel you have something to write about.

A pregnancy diary should not be a daunting experience or another of the many tasks of pregnancy. It is a time where you can explore your emotions. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

I have found it to be the antidote that calms me down when I wake up in the middle of the night worrying about something, especially the impending delivery, or any of the daily hassles a pregnant woman has to go through.

An easy guide to a customized pregnancy diary - What if you get stuck or don't know what to write?

In her beautiful book Journey into Motherhood- writing your way into self discovery, Leslie Kirk Campbell gives several helpful hints about writing your pregnancy diary. Here are my favorite picks:

Set aside a specific time in your day to write about what you are feeling. It doesn't have to be longer than a few minutes, but the more you will get used to the habit of finding the time to write, the easier it will become for you to write your journal. Take your time to make a date with your unborn child, where you can talk to your baby or simply vent out all that is going through your head.

Write about your body - our body changes so much during pregnancy, that we will never look at ourselves with the same eyes after pregnancy. I am not talking about stretch marks or sagging skin here, but about the knowledge that our bodies have been able to give life to another human being. There is something magical about that growing belly and enlarged breasts, that evokes deep emotions inside of us. Write about how your body is changing, how you feel about it, what you love or hate about your physical changes.

Imagine your future - write as if you were talking to your adult child. I think I never dream more about my future than when I am pregnant, and I think it is very common for a woman to dream about what her baby will look like not only when he or she is born, but also during childhood and later on in life. If you are stuck for ideas, write a letter to your child describing what you think he will look like, what type of child he (or she) will be and what will your relationship be like when he grows up.

For more tips about writing your pregnancy diary you can check out this link