Whether it’s your first pregnancy or your fourth, the journey of carrying a little life inside you to full term is an experience unlike any other.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- What’s a Pregnancy Memory Book?
- What Do You Write in a Pregnancy Memory Book?
- Steps for Making a DIY Pregnancy Memory Book
- Pregnancy Memory Book Ideas
Once your child is born and you’re going through late-night feedings, early morning wakeups, and the first few months in a sleep-deprived state, you may not have the time and energy to go back and insert pictures and clippings into a memory book.
However, sometimes, the best time to work on a pregnancy memory book is while you’re going through the journey.
What’s a Pregnancy Memory Book?
A pregnancy memory book is similar to any other type of memory book. It’s a place to store pictures, thoughts, journal entries, important memos, and flat memorabilia that remind you of what life was like while you were pregnant with your child. This book is something you can look back at for years and, if you want, eventually give your child when they’re expecting their first child.
While many people enjoy compiling a physical memory book, if you want to make a book that is easily portable, transferable, and safe, consider making a digital memory book instead. A digital version contains all the elements of a physical copy and can even include extras such as music files and video clips.
What Do You Write in a Pregnancy Memory Book?
When planning out a pregnancy memory book, it could be helpful to compile a timeline and list of items you want to record in writing. While there is no limit on what you can record, be sure to include things like:
- When you found out you were pregnant
- First thoughts
- Spouse’s reaction
- Family’s reaction
- Plans for the nursery
- Ideas for baby names
- Prayers and wishes for your child
- Letters to your child
- Special quotes, verses, or stories
- Special advice you’re given
- Meaningful song titles
- A list of baby books you’re reading
This is just a few ideas to get you started. You can record everything from how you’re dealing with morning sickness to the fact that you feel great and can’t wait to meet your child in the third trimester. The sky’s the limit and you can be as creative as you desire.
Steps for Making a DIY Pregnancy Memory Book
Making a pregnancy memory book should be a fun project you can complete while you’re pregnant, before life gets hectic with a newborn. Start early enough to do a little each week or month so you don’t fall behind and get overwhelmed by trying to record too much at once.
1. Pick a theme
Choosing a theme is helpful to keep each page centered around one idea. The theme you choose can be as creative as you are. Themes such as nursery colors or holidays are simple, colorful, and fun.
You’ll stick with the theme you choose for nine months, so be sure it’s something you enjoy and won’t mind seeing again and again. If you need some inspiration, look through the pregnancy memory book ideas below for some ideas.
2. Purchase a blank book and scrap paper
This step might take more time than you think, as many craft and hobby supply stores sell blank memory books with anywhere from twenty to fifty pages. You can attach pictures, scrap paper, write notes, doodle, draw, encourage other people to make entries, and more. In effect, a blank memory book is your canvas.
When purchasing a blank book, you should determine how many pages you want the book. If you’re planning to record a page or two for each month of your pregnancy, you need a minimum of 18 pages. In general, more pages is always better. You can always leave a few blank, but you may not be able to add pages if you purchase a book that has pages already bound. A three-ring binder type memory book allows the addition of pages up to its max capacity, usually around 100 pages.
One other tip: make sure each page is “photo safe.” Most memory books are and they’ll state somewhere on the book that you can include photos inside on their archive paper and they’ll last for a lifetime. If you get a memory book that isn’t photo safe, you may have problems with your pictures sticking to the paper or discoloration after several years.
In addition to the blank book, you should choose special sheets of scrap paper to decorate each page. Scrap paper forms the backing for pictures, notes, and other special inserts you want to include.
3. Choose photos
Once you have your memory book at the ready, start picking out which pictures to print and insert into the memory book. If you’re putting the book together a little at a time, choose as many as you have.
Look through your own photos, pictures on your partner’s camera, and ask friends and family if they have any pictures from events like the moment you told your parents or the day you had a baby shower. Some of the best pictures might not even be on your phone!
Sort through available pictures and organize them according to your pregnancy timeline. Once printed, place them on each page using scrapbook paper, stickers, washi tape, and other fun accents to get them exactly as you envision. Make sure to leave room for journal entries, notes, and doodles, as desired.
4. Choose memories to record
As you decide on which pictures to print, consider which memories earn a written entry into your memory book.
Look through the prompts below for some inspiration for items to include. Consider photocopying pages from a journal, printing out screenshots of a text conversation with your best friend, and writing notes under pictures to describe the event of what you were feeling when the picture was taken.
5. Collect memory items
As you insert pictures and notes, be sure to collect memory items such as sonograms, party invitations, your baby announcement, and other flat things you can insert in their proper places.
If you have baby keepsakes that are too big or bulky to fit into a flat book, take a picture of them and paste them in alongside other pictures and memory items.
6. Write a dedication
Once you’re nearly finished with the book, write a dedication on the inside cover to your baby. Include how excited you are to meet them, what you’re looking forward to most about their life, and how happy you are to be their mom. Make sure your partner writes a few lines, too!
If you plan to give them the book when they’re expecting their first child, update the dedication just before you give it and tell them what a wonderful parent they’ll be.
7. Capture it digitally
Physical memory books are perfect for paging through during late nights, showing friends and family members, and cherishing for a lifetime.
However, it’s important to make sure you have a digital copy in case something happened to the book itself. Life happens and whether something spilled on it, fire caught it, or a toddler found it and decided to color on every page, you don’t want to be unprepared.
Capture the book digitally by taking a high-resolution picture of each page. Check to ensure each picture is clear enough to read each note or journal entry you included and see all images and doodles clearly. When finished, upload it to a cloud-based host such as Google Drive, iCloud Drive, or Dropbox in addition to keeping a copy on your computer.
Pregnancy Memory Book Ideas
While your memory book will be centered around pregnancy, there are fun themes you can use to make your book. If you need some ideas to get started, choose from the list below of themes, prompts, and keepsakes you can include in your memory book.
Themes
The theme you choose can be anything from the predominant colors you’re painting the nursery to the animal safari pattern of your baby’s first blanket. Have fun, be creative, and choose a theme you enjoy working with for your nine-month journey.
- Nursery colors
- Jungle animals
- Time capsule
- Holidays or seasons
- Sports
When picking a theme, you really can’t go wrong. The key is to choose one theme and stick with it. Try not to deviate too far away from your theme so each page will tie in.
Prompts
Here are several ideas you can use to get started with writing and recording memories for your baby book.
- I found out I was pregnant when…
- My due date is...
- My partner’s reaction when I revealed I was pregnant…
- My mom’s/dad’s reaction when I revealed I was pregnant…
- My children’s reactions when I shared they were getting a sibling...
- If the baby is a girl, I like the names…
- If the baby is a boy, I like the names…
- My greatest hope for my baby is that…
- I hope my baby will turn out to be…
- My fiercest food cravings have been…
- We want to make the nursery look like…
- The hardest part of being pregnant so far…
- Date when I couldn’t reach my toes…
- The day I went into labor went like this…
- My birth plan is...
Keepsakes
There are many keepsakes you can include in your memory book, such as sonograms and well wishes from family and friends. If you want to include something extra special that can’t lay flat, take a picture of it and add it, instead. Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Sonograms
- Newspaper clippings from the day you found out you were pregnant
- A picture of their going-home outfit
- Pictures of the nursery
- A letter to your baby
- Your pregnancy announcement
- A hand and footprint (once they say hello!)
Anything that relates to your baby and your nine-month journey together merits a place in your keepsake book. Choose items that stir your memory, make you think about specific occasions, and bring up stories from your pregnancy.
Another exciting keepsake idea is to create a memorial diamond. While these are usually made with the ashes of a loved one, you can also use hair. Eterneva specializes in these types of diamonds, and you can easily create one with your baby's precious locks. What a stunning memory!
Pregnancy: An Exciting Journey
Your nine-month journey is an exciting time filled with hopes, dreams, wishes, and questions. Making a memory book will help you remember this precious time. Someday you might even share your book with the child you carried and create even more memories together.
If you're looking for more ways to celebrate a newborn, read our guides on baby keepsakes and what to write in a baby shower book. Memories come in all shapes and sizes, whether you honor a deceased loved one with a unique urn from Foreverence or you create your own memory books, these are the things we truly treasure.