The 5 Best Pregnancy Journals To Capture Cherished Memories

Documenting your pregnancy is a great way to capture cherished moments you can revisit or share with loved ones. The best pregnancy journals have adequate space to write down thoughts or tuck away mementos, and they cover important milestones ranging from pregnancy firsts to your child’s fifth birthday. A pregnancy journal should last for years to come, so choose one with a sturdy cover and thick paper to write on. If you plan to pore over your journal with friends or family or if you need space for scrapbooking, consider snagging one with a spiral or wire binding that’s designed to lay flat.

The right pregnancy journal for you will depend on how much time and effort you’re looking to dedicate on a daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly basis. Go with whatever you feel is reasonable to keep up with, and if committing to frequently logging your thoughts seems daunting, there are extra-flexible options you can return to at a later date.

When it comes to recording memories, it’s best to also choose an option that fits your creative style, too. Guided prompts work well for parents who like a little inspiration to work out their feelings and emotions through questionnaires and fill-in-the-blank questions. On the other hand, avid writers or artists might prefer a journal with blank or lined pages to freehand notes, doodles, or lists. Planner-based journals allow mothers to keep track of important dates and doctor visits, along with room for documenting special moments in between. If you prefer to take more of a scrapbooking approach or save mementos, look for options that come with designated spaces or pockets to tuck away photos, sonograms, and more. There are even some that include stickers, inspirational quotes, and areas you can personalize with customized designs.

Scroll down to learn about five of the best pregnancy journals you can snag on Amazon.

1. A Scrapbook-Style Pregnancy Journal With A 5-Year Timeline

• Size: 9.8 x 9.8 inches

With more than 3,500 Amazon ratings thus far, this scrapbook-style pregnancy journal is an Amazon favorite and great for documenting a wide range of milestones that start with your pregnancy and end with your child’s fifth birthday. The hardcover design features a linen-wrapped cover decorated with a hand-drawn design that feels elegant and modern — perfect if you plan on passing it on as an heirloom or gifting to a new mom. It also comes with 160 pages made with thick acid-free paper that preserves your entries for years to come. One reviewer wrote that it’s “beautifully put together and [comes with] nice bleed-free pages.”

Inside, there is gender-neutral language, according to reviewers — one shopper commented, “Plenty of room to fill stuff in, and they don't use mom/dad terminology, so it's appropriate for all families.” There are sections for filling out a family tree, prompts to inspire your writing, and plenty of unique illustrations throughout the book. There are also pockets within each section to hold keepsakes or other mementos like letters or birthday cards. For the sections that involve scrapbooking, the journal’s lay-flat design makes it a breeze to decorate and style without feeling cramped — and easier to show it to friends later on.

Because this book covers so much ground, it’s a great choice if you plan on documenting your memories over the course of several years. However, if you don’t think you’ll be able to keep up with it for that long, you might be better off with an option that has a shorter date range.

Promising Amazon review: “This book is beautiful. I look forward to opening it up each month to fill in all baby's updates. I like that it has lots of pages to fill out for the first year, but continues with yearly pages until baby is school aged. There are spots for journal-type entries, notes about development, and charts for growth, first foods, etc. Lots of fun information to fill out along the way. The pages are high quality and the artwork is lovely. I also like the ample places for photos and pockets to store other things like more photos or documents.”

2. A Budget-Friendly Pregnancy Journal

• Size: 5.8 x 8.3 inches

This budget-friendly pregnancy journal comes in a compact size that’s easy to toss in your purse and record your memories on the fly. The pages include both thoughtful prompts for journaling and blank spaces to freehand notes or use for scrapbooking. It has a cloth hardcover, and many reviewers have praised the journal’s quality for the price. One reviewer noted, “It’s beautiful and feels well made and sturdy,” while another commented that the “book is nice and pages are thick with cute quotes.”

The journal comes with a ribbon marker to hold your place, along with inspirational quotes and illustrations on the inside pages. There’s no lay-flat design here and you won’t find a lot of empty space on the page for scrapbooking — however, many reviewers claim they are able to use the blank pages at the end of each month to stick smaller pictures or sonograms. One reviewer wrote, “There are not a bunch of locations for Pics and things, but you can add extras to the pages if you want. Thats what we did to personalize and use it as WE wanted.” One reviewer described, “The greatest thing about this journal compared to others I looked at is that it is inclusive,” adding that it’s a great option for single parents.

This month-by-month journal has 144 pages and covers the nine months of your pregnancy, making it perfect for moms who might be overwhelmed by a weekly or daily journal routine.

Promising Amazon review: “I bought this book just weeks after finding out I was pregnant. I have a particular style and tend to shy away from overdone pregnancy journals that are a couple of inches thick and can be made into a scrapbook. I would love to fill one of those out, but I don't have the time with work and full-time school. However, this journal has the most important questions, facts, and adorable quotes that inspire you throughout your pregnancy. It's a perfect size that fits into my purse and the cover is removable if you want to keep your little blessing a secret for a while, but still journal in public :) I will be buying this again for my next pregnancy!”

3. A Monochromatic Pregnancy Journal In Black & White

• Size: 8 x 8 inches

This pregnancy journal features a black-and-white design yet incorporates some fun design embellishes. It includes milestone tracking and guided prompts ranging from baby shower memories to thoughts on final preparations before the baby arrives. You’ll also find designated spots to include photos of a growing baby bump, your baby’s nursery, and the first photos of your child. Shoppers have described the journal as “gender neutral,” and one reviewer wrote that it “would be good for different types of families.”

The journal’s cover is made from recycled chipboard which gives it a nice, sturdy feel. The front of the journal also incorporates a poly cover for added protection. The wire binding allows for an easy lay-flat design and, as one reviewer noted, “The pages are thick so you don’t need to worry about the ink bleeding through.”

This weekly journal is made to document your pregnancy journey from beginning to end, with spots to reflect on each trimester. With just 36 pages, it doesn’t require too much writing, which is ideal when you’re pressed for time. One reviewer wrote, “It is simple, concise, and has just enough room for information but doesnt have an overwhelming amount of unnecessary blank spots.”

Promising Amazon review: “I was looking for something elegant and modern, and not gender specific. I personally am not into all of the colorful zoo animals and babyish themes. This baby journal is PERFECT for anyone like me. It is sturdy and well made. It asks all the right questions and has spaces for many photos and notes. I can’t wait to start filling the pages of this book with our pregnancy journey so that one day our little one can look back and see how much they were loved from the very start.”

4. A Blank Ruled Journal With A Cover You Can Personalize

• Size: 5 x 8 inches

If you prefer a blank journal to document your pregnancy, consider snagging one you can customize with an engraving of your or your baby’s name (or any other text you’d like). While this journal doesn’t have a lay-flat spine and you won’t find any prompts or pockets for photos and keepsakes, you will have plenty of writing space to fill up the journal with entries, doodles, or customized checklists. There’s no specified date range within this journal, but one reviewer estimated that there are approximately 150 pages to fill in at your own pace.

It’s not described as having a hardcover, but the faux-leather cover is designed to be durable. One reviewer described, “The cover is soft and smooth leather, and seems to be holding up well.” Another reviewer commented on the quality of the paper, noting: “We use a fine ball point pen to write in it, the ones the bleed a lot of ink. And so far it hasn't bled through to the other pages.”

Promising Amazon review: “The notebook was very high quality and great to use! Super nice to have it personalized as a gift or for a special occasion.”

5. A Pregnancy Journal With A Planner

• Size: 7.5 x 9.3 inches

This chic journal doubles as an everyday planner for your pregnancy journey. It features an undated planner with monthly, weekly, and daily views — plus, additional space for writing down milestones, logging appointments, and keeping track of your most important contacts. It comes with a sturdy hardcover and elastic band to hold everything together and prevent damage to the pages inside. Additionally, this journal comes with one page of stickers to flag important dates, tabs to separate the different sections, and a double-sided pocket page for storing mementos. One reviewer noted it has “plenty of places to log info and dates” and also praised its “super cute layout and color scheme.”

While the manufacturer doesn’t specify if the journal has a lay-flat design or how many pages it has, it does feature a full year’s worth of spreads: nine monthly spreads to track your pregnancy before your baby is born, plus three additional monthly spreads to document changing and feeding schedules after your baby arrives. All in all, it seems like a solid choice if you're looking for something that’s practical for everyday use.

Promising Amazon review: “The perfect planner for pregnancy and after. I love that it’s completely customizable for whenever you get pregnant with stickers for each month. As always, Kate Spade keeps the design classic and chic. Will pair nicely with my Kate Spade diaper bag!”