12 Best Pregnancy Journals to Document Your Journey
Preparing for baby can be a whirlwind, as each week of pregnancy brings unique challenges and experiences—both physical and emotional. Jotting down your thoughts and feelings is a great way to document and process these changes. That’s where a pregnancy journal comes in. “A pregnancy journal is an excellent way for parents to connect meaningfully to a pregnancy,” says Aparna Iyer, MD, a psychiatrist physician in Frisco, Texas, with a focus on perinatal mental health. “This could be a chance to document your experiences, feelings, dreams and hopes for the sake of memories. The data supports that any form of journaling can be really therapeutic and protective for mental health, and utilizing a pregnancy journal is no exception.” The best pregnancy journals include helpful writing prompts, to-do lists, sections to record major milestones and more. Whether you’re a mom-to-be who’s eager to record the whole nine+ months, a first-time dad keeping a meticulous account for baby or an adoptive parent keen on chronicling your path to parenthood, there’s a journal to suit your needs. Check out our pick of the best pregnancy journals for every type of family below.
Best Pregnancy Journal With Prompts
- Spiral binding allows it to open flat
- Features seven folder pockets for keepsakes
- Not the most comprehensive journal
- Cover is not made of high-quality material
Capture each step of your journey with this guided pregnancy journal with prompts from Pearhead. It has a fill-in section for each month, 20 pages for photos and folders for mementos like baby’s hospital bracelet. The best part? You can display a sonogram photo print on the front cover. How sweet!
Page count: 30+ pages
Dimensions: 7.25" (W) x 9.25" (H) x 1" (D)
Best Customizable Pregnancy Journal
- Choose from a variety of page sets to include a reveal and a shower
- Made with quality archival heavy paper to avoid bleeding through
- Returns and exchanges aren’t accepted due to customization
How about a personalized pregnancy diary? This handmade planner can be customized to include your family name and baby’s due date on the front cover. Inside you’ll find weekly pages filled with writing prompts, sections devoted to each trimester, registry and hospital bag checklists and so much more.
Page count: 62 pages
Dimensions: 8.5" (W) x 11" (H)
Best Pregnancy Bullet Journal
- Comes in 14 beautiful colors
- Includes an elastic strap to keep things secure
- Made from high-quality paper
- Doesn’t include any pregnancy-specific information or prompts
If you’re a fan of the bullet journal style of journaling, there’s no reason you can’t carry on that practice with a pregnancy bullet journal. This dotted journal from Paperage allows you to keep track of everything baby-related, on your own terms. From keeping a healthy shopping list to creating a registry before you hit the stores, this journal has more than enough room to record it all.
Page count: 160 pages
Dimensions: 5.7” (W) x 8” (H)
Best Daily Pregnancy Journal
- Journal is beautiful enough to leave out on display
- Doesn’t have pregnancy prompts or keepsake pockets
- Small
Short on time? Take five minutes out of your day to fill in this beautiful journal with one thought, memory or milestone. Spanning five years—from pregnancy to parenthood—this diary is the perfect choice for busy parents, and we love that it’s a practice you can continue into infanthood and toddlerhood.
Page count: 372 pages Dimensions: 4” (W) x 6” (H)
Best Scrapbook Pregnancy Journal
- Includes fun stickers
- Bright graphics are eye-catching
- No pockets or folders for keepsake items
- Doesn’t come with a gift box
Capture your memories in full color with this vibrant pregnancy journal that doubles as a scrapbook. Fill in a fresh page each month using the helpful questions, and see how big baby is in comparison to fruits and veggies. Each journal page even has a section where you can add special photos from your pregnancy, so you can view your progress at a glance.
Page count: Unknown
Dimensions: 9” (W) x 9” (H)
Best Keepsake Pregnancy Journal
- Beautiful, modern aesthetic
- Doesn’t contain pockets
Designed by author and illustrator Korie Herold, this pregnancy journal is one of the best we’ve seen. The monochromatic design is elegant and timeless, while the acid-free paper and sturdy linen cover ensure this pick will stand the test of time. The memory book tracks all the major milestones from pregnancy right through your child’s fifth year.
Page count: 160 pages
Dimensions: 9.75” (W) x 9.75” (H)
Best Budget-Friendly Pregnancy Journal
- Pages are beautifully designed
- Not much free space
At less than $15, this Best of Pregnancy award-winning journal by Compendium is our pick for the best budget-friendly pregnancy journal. The hardcover book is filled with inspiring quotes and open-ended writing prompts to guide and inspire reflections. Plus, it’s small enough to slip into a bag, so you’ll have it handy whenever inspiration strikes.
Page count: 144 pages
Dimensions: 5.75” (W) x 8.25” (H)
Best Pregnancy Journal for First-Time Moms
- Beautiful, minimalist cover
- Covers several important pregnancy milestones
- Small
Capture the highs and lows of your experience with this Ziri and Zane’s pick—a perfect pregnancy journal for first-time moms. It has a monthly tracker, space for daily reflections, a birth plan template and blank pages to fill with your thoughts and photographs. Better yet, high-quality paper and a spiral-bound spine make this slim volume super sturdy.
Page count: 76 pages
Dimensions: 7” (W) x 7” (H)
Best Pregnancy Journal for Twins
- Pretty floral cover
- Plenty of space for recording information
- Some parents feel the book is more clinical in nature and less creative
Ahh, twins. It’s just one pregnancy, but you have two growing babies to document! This great pregnancy journal for twins allows you to record special thoughts and details about both babies, so they’ll be able to look back on memories of each of them as individuals. The prompts in this pregnancy journal are specially designed for twins, and there’s room to record plenty of details about both of your little ones.
Page count: 100 pages
Dimensions: 8.5” (W) x 11” (H)
Best Pregnancy Journal for Dads
- Contains lots of information about pregnancy
- Not as much room for photos
Next up is a pregnancy journal designed for first-time dads. This unique parenting planner includes updates for each trimester that explain what’s happening with Mom and baby at each stage—genius! There’s also space for fathers to jot down their thoughts and feelings each month, with the help of writing prompts. We also love that this book includes practical exercises and checklists to help men prepare for parenthood.
Page count: 174 pages
Dimensions: 8” (W) x 8” (H)
Best Pregnancy Journal for LGBTQ+ Parents
- Includes information about each week of pregnancy
- Comes with thick, high-quality stickers
- Has fewer pages than many pregnancy journals
Pegged as one of the best pregnancy journals by Etsy, this inclusive diary is perfect for LGBTQ+ couples, families and single parents who have conceived using a donor or surrogate. It uses gender-neutral language throughout and is filled with beautiful illustrations, fun facts and pages dedicated to each stage of pregnancy. Buying the journal as a gift? You can add sticker sheets and a baby blanket to the bundle for a truly thoughtful present.
Page count: 46 pages
Dimensions: 8” (W) x 8” (H)
Best Pregnancy Journal for Adoptive Parents
- Comes with thick, high-quality stickers
- Fun, bright-colored graphics
- Not as many pages as other adoption journals
This journal for adoptive parents has tons of five-star reviews—and for good reason. Designed with all types of families in mind, this book refers to you as “parent,” rather than Mom or Dad, and there’s a space to add your preferred moniker at the beginning. Featuring over 47 illustrated pages, parents can record the adoption process and the major milestones that happen up to the one year anniversary of their child’s arrival.
Page count: 47 pages
Dimensions: 8” (W) x 8” (H)
Our mission is to help you find the best pregnancy journal to complement your journey. We considered a list of criteria when sourcing journals, including quality of prompts, length, durability (you want a keepsake, after all!), style and of course, price. In choosing the journals featured here, we read product descriptions to understand exactly what each book offers, as well as user reviews to get the scoop on what parents liked most (or disliked) about the journals.
Interested in learning more about our editorial process? Read about how our team develops and reviews all articles here.
About the experts:
Aparna Iyer, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist physician in Frisco, Texas, who focuses on perinatal mental health. She particularly enjoys working with women through pregnancy and postpartum.
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