Documenting and preserving memories of your pregnancy, your child’s birth and all his/ her ‘firsts’ is something every parent and to-be-parent dream of. What is the secret to creating an amazing pregnancy memory book?
▪ Ensure that a still / movie camera is available at all times, during pregnancy and after the baby’s birth.
▪ Prepare a baby book and divide it trimester wise, with designated space allocated to different categories such as photographs, measurements, ultrasounds etc.
▪ Record ‘word-bytes’ authored by you, your partner, family and close friends.
▪ Record sound-bytes from your parents, in-laws and close friends.
▪ Use a whiteboard or chalkboard to keep track of how far along you are. Write on it notes about the growing baby, and take a weekly picture of yourself with it to document the changes.
▪ Go digital while creating your scrapbook! It’s quicker, snazzier – and you can make copies for backup.
▪ Fix 90 minutes every weekend, such as 5 PM to 6:30 PM every Sunday (or every other weekend if your work is all time consuming) to add details to your journal/ scrapbook, taking photos etc. Only when you designate time for this activity will you get to it.
▪ Feel it? Blog it! Share photos, update posts, comments. If you want, you can even print and bind the information later.
▪ In addition to blogging, you could also use Videos for Blogging, popularly known as V-logging. Here you can share video snippets of your journey of being a mother.
▪ If you thought the video was it, then wait we have more. Sound blog. Although it has been pretty existent in terms of podcasts, this is just a more advanced version.
▪ Go Creative! Use pop out arts and structures usually available in the market or you could create your own exploring papercraft and origami.
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▪ Photographs of yourself regularly at frequent intervals, capturing that increasing bigger baby bump!
▪ Ultrasounds, as and when conducted by your doctor.
▪ A record of your cravings, differing from time to time.▪ Measurement of the growth of your bump. This awareness will help curb unnecessary and/ or unhealthy weight gain as well.
▪ Document changing name choices.
▪ Get the to-be-grandparents to write messages and good wishes for the baby to come. It’s something your child can read and enjoy when he/ she grows up a bit.
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▪ Try and write in your journal daily, even if just one sentence. Record what you feel, your aspirations and anticipated fun times with your baby.
▪ Have a close friend take photographs (wherever permissible) when you leave for your delivery and while you’re at the healthcare facility. You can always weed out the photographs you do not want later.
▪ Memorabilia such as the clothes the baby wore the first time ever, his/ her first booties, handprints and footprints etc.
▪ Mum to Mum memory book is a great idea to document all the tips and tricks to sail through the strenuous journey of nine months and later pass it on to the new expecting moms in the family or friends. A great way to unify ties and share your experience while learning from the experienced.
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▪ Make a Flipbook and by that, I don’t mean on the website. Take pictures of your pregnancy week by week and make a bound book out of those photographs. Once you have delivered, you could smile through the time as you flick through the book and see the transformation you went through.
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▪ Take a piece of yarn, thumbtacks and pin-up photos or tie (whichever is more convenient) and show it off.
▪ A Calendar- which could have you on every month as the calendar model showing off the pregnancy glow and belly :)
No matter how much and what all your record and save, in hindsight, you will always feel as if you could have done more. The other end of the spectrum is not being able to set aside time for doing all or any of the above. You will regret it later, so record as much as you can and as regularly as you can. You and your baby will love going through the details later!
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You can make note of important dates, such as the day you found out about the pregnancy, your first doctor’s appointment, and any scans. You can also collect keepsakes, such as the first ultrasound images, pregnancy test sticks, photos, and videos of the baby bump. Maintaining a record of important dates, events, and things can serve as beautiful memories in the future.
You can find many books for expecting mothers in the market today. Choose books that suit your specific needs in addition to a general book covering the whole pregnancy and postpartum journey. If you have health issues or specific concerns, you can read books on them to know more.
You can start by making notes of important dates and events. Make small entries about when you felt the first kick, when you took the first scan, your experience of travelling during pregnancy, your morning sickness, etc. You can even pen down the names for the baby, stick pictures of the scans, write about your babymoon, if you went on a vacation, etc.
Regular exercise can not only help improve your physical health but can also keep your brain sharp. Increase your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and iron, as they aid in better blood circulation and cognitive development. You can use organisational techniques and tools like planners, appointment reminders to help you remember better.
