How to Create a Pregnancy Journal
Just About Everything You Need to Know Before Starting a Pregnancy Journal
Pregnancy is an emotional roller coaster. One minute you’re staring at a positive test, the next you’re Googling “Is it normal to cry over a commercial?” 😅 A pregnancy journal gives you one place to process it all. The sweet stuff, the hard stuff, and the tiny details you’ll want to remember.
If journaling sounds lovely but you have no clue where to start, you’re in good company. No need for perfect handwriting, washi tape, or a two-hour ritual. All you need is a simple plan and a little encouragement. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to make a pregnancy journal from scratch (with easy prompts and sections). If you want to skip the DIY, I’ll show you what a guided journal can offer so that you can dive right in.
What Is A Pregnancy Journal?
A pregnancy journal is where your story and your baby’s story meet for coffee. It’s a little bit diary, a little bit planner, and a bit of scrapbook. Jot down cravings, kicks, doctor visits, prayers, and all those tiny moments that would vanish if you tried to keep them in your head.
At its core, journaling just means writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a safe place. A pregnancy journal takes that basic idea and applies it to this season. Whether it be trying to conceive, a positive test, first flutter, labor, or even the first days after birth.
Keep it simple with quick notes. Something like, “Week 18: baby danced while I ate tacos, felt nervous about my next appointment, prayed for a healthy heart.” No need for perfect grammar or long essays. One honest line is more than enough.
How creating a pregnancy journal helps you:
Remember milestones
Track symptoms
Keep notes and questions
Sort your feelings
Save memories for later
A pregnancy journal can also hold informative details, like weight checks, symptoms, and questions for your provider. If you want more ideas for what regular writing can look like month after month, our post on how to keep a pregnancy journal breaks that down.
Is A Pregnancy Journal Worth It?
Yes, a pregnancy journal is worth it. If you want to remember every moment of the nine months before your little one arrives, or feel a little more grounded as you go. A pregnancy journal is your new best friend. Pregnancy can feel like a frenzy, your body’s changing, your calendar’s packed, and your brain is running marathons at 3 a.m. A journal gives all those thoughts a soft place to land.
Journaling helps you spot patterns, even if you’re doing it a few times a week. Maybe headaches emerge when you forget your water bottle, or certain foods give you heartburn.
You’ll also notice the sweet things that are easy to miss in the moment, like your partner showing up with your favorite snacks or a friend checking in over text.
When thinking about “how to create a pregnancy journal,” many people also use their journal to talk with God about pregnancy. That might look like short written prayers, worries you hand over, or verses that comfort you. If you’re wrestling with this question in general, we tackle it more in our blog post: Is a pregnancy journal worth it?
Benefits of pregnancy journaling
Pregnancy journaling helps you feel closer to your baby and more present in your own story. It’s a way to capture the details you’ll want to remember, what made you excited, what made you nervous, and how you grew (inside and out). Plus, journaling is a simple way to lower stress, clear your mind, and feel a little more in control of what you can control.
Before we get into pregnancy-specific perks, it's worth noting that journaling has general benefits as well. That’s why it can feel calming even when you’re writing about something hard.
How to create a pregnancy journal that benefits you
Use it to reflect.
Organize your thoughts with it.
Take time to heal emotionally or mentally.
Try to gain perspective with your journal.
Let go of distressing emotions.
Utilize it as a creative outlet.
What Should I Journal When Pregnant?
A few things you should journal about when pregnant are things you’ll want to remember years from now, not just today. Write about body changes, emotions, baby milestones, appointments, questions, prayers, and the everyday stuff. If it matters to you right now, it belongs in your pregnancy journal.
If you’re not sure what to write, start with one prompt and one mini update each time.
Body and baby changes
Use a few lines each week to track how your body feels and what’s new with Baby. Think energy level, symptoms, first kicks, and belly growth.
Letters to your baby
Write simple notes to your baby about who you are, what you hope for them, and what life looks like right now. It’s a sweet activity to consider when thinking about how to create a pregnancy journal and deciding what to include.
Everyday life snapshots
Jot down the small stuff, who came to your shower, the weirdest craving of the week, or how your older kids (or pets) react to your growing belly.
A birth plan
Save space to write or paste your birth plan and any questions for your provider. To go deeper on this topic, read What is a birth plan.
How Do You Write a Diary When Pregnant?
To write a diary when pregnant, think of it like leaving a voice note, but on paper. You’re not writing a novel by any means. Just capturing real life in short, honest bursts.
You can pick a simple format so each entry is easy to start. For example, date at the top, how many weeks you are, then three quick lines. One can be about your body, one about the baby, one about your emotions at the time.
Here’s a sample entry:
Week 24. I think I’m going to name Baby Lionel because he’s always kicking. I love that he’s active, but sometimes I need a break. Back pain showed up in the afternoon. I’m excited and nervous about the glucose test, asking God to help me rest instead of spiraling.
When thinking about how to create a pregnancy journal, start by adding simple drawings, taping in ultrasound photos, or tucking in notes from loved ones. You can even copy a verse or quote that fits your week. Before you know it, your pregnancy journal becomes a mix of diary, prayer list, and memory book.
If you want extra support on the spiritual side, you can borrow ideas from our Prayers for pregnant women guide and copy your favorites into your journal.
Tips for Pregnancy Journaling
Pregnancy journaling works best when it fits your life, not when it feels like another thing on your to-do list. Your journal needs to feel like a friend, not a chore. Keep it somewhere you’ll see it, and decide what “done” means for you. Sometimes it’s just one sentence and a sticker. That totally counts. 💚
Now, here are a few journaling tips that help in any season:
Tips on how to create a pregnancy journal
Go old school.
Make it doable.
Let go of perfection.
Give it a chance.
Try different techniques.
Reflect on what you write.
If you’d rather skip building your own layout from scratch, a guided book like our best pregnancy journal keeps all these tips built in.
When Should You Start a Pregnancy Journal?
The earliest you should start a pregnancy journal is when you’re thinking about trying. If you want to capture your whole pregnancy journey. However, many people choose to start their journal the day they see a positive test, or around the second trimester if they’ve been waiting to announce their pregnancy. Just know, there’s no “ oh, it’s too late” when it comes to starting a pregnancy journal. Only start now.
Early pregnancy can feel slow and a little weird, as you adjust to the news, so journaling during this time helps you remember when you first started to show, how you told your partner, and how you handled that blend of joy and what comes next.
Some people say the first trimester is tough to journal through because of their fatigue and nausea. Others say the last month is rough because you’re sore and ready to meet your baby. A journal can hold both sides. When thinking about how to create a pregnancy journal, consider how you’re feeling physically before you start.
If you’re closer to the finish line, use your journal to prepare for birth and postpartum. Around month eight or nine, you may start writing questions for your provider, like the ones from "What questions should I ask at 36 weeks pregnant?"
No matter when you start, your journal will capture your real story. Begin on the day you feel ready, and let that be more than enough.
20 Pregnancy Journal Prompts
If a blank pregnancy journal page makes your mind go blank, prompts are your best friend. When you want to write but don’t know what to say, just pick one or two each week and answer honestly. You can even repeat the same prompt each trimester to see how your thoughts change.
Here are some simple pregnancy journal prompts:
How did I find out I was pregnant?
How did I feel when I found out I was pregnant?
What surprised me about this week of pregnancy?
What do I hope my baby knows about me?
What am I most excited about right now?
How did my body feel today?
What is one prayer I have for this baby?
What’s one thing I want to remember about this trimester?
How is God meeting me in this season?
What’s one word for how I mentally feel today?
What made me laugh this week?
What drained my energy today?
What food sounded amazing today?
What food was a hard no today?
What craving did I have this week that made me smile?
What symptom changed this week?
What helped me feel more comfortable today?
Who supported me this week, and how?
What boundary do I need to protect my peace this week?
What question do I want to ask at my next appointment?
How To Create A Pregnancy Journal
To create a pregnancy journal, either choose to build your own from a pregnancy journal template or use a guided one. Either way, break your journal up into sections. Each trimester should have its own section; consider adding birth prep pages or space for after Baby arrives.
A pregnancy journal should have areas for birth plan pages, a spot for pregnancy questions, and space for provider notes to also help keep you organized each month.
Step 1: Choose your format
Decide whether you want a lined notebook, a binder with movable sections, or a premade guided pregnancy journal with prompts and checklists designed for your convenience.
Step 2: Outline a few sections
Split your journal into the first trimester, the second trimester, the third trimester, and labor and delivery. To get more out of your pregnancy journal, add Baby’s first days.
Remember to leave a few blank pages between sections, so you have room to grow.
Step 3: Pick your writing cadence
Choose how often you want to write. Maybe once a week, after appointments, or when something big happens. A steady but gentle cadence is better than big bursts you cannot keep up with.
Step 4: Add prompts & make lists
Write a few prompts at the top of pages, like symptoms, questions, baby movements, mental check-ins, and prayers. Add small lists of to-do items and questions to ask your provider.
Step 5: Leave space for keepsakes
Curate spots for photos, hospital wristbands, sentimental cards, or other keepsake items from your pregnancy. Tape in ultrasound pictures or baby shower invites so your journal becomes a keepsake, not just text on a page.
Remember Your Pregnancy With Intention
Pregnancy is funny; it moves fast and slow at the same time. One day you’re counting weeks to delivery, the next you’re counting baby’s tiny toes. A pregnancy journal won’t fix every hard moment, but it will help you notice what’s happening, talk about it, and treasure it later. 💚
Start small, be honest with yourself, and let your journal become a gentle place to unwind.
Get An Easier Start
Our guided pregnancy journal includes prompts, checklists, and space for every milestone.