Weekly Pregnancy Calendar: A Mom’s Journal

There are several different types of pregnancy calendars that you can create. A weekly pregnancy calendar can become a very treasured keepsake. It will be an item that you can look back at and share with your children for years.

The calendars that I have seen are not true calendars, they are a weekly journal. You can start with a scrapbook, a notebook, or just a binder and some paper. I suggest you allow two pages per week. Since the average pregnancy is forty weeks long, your calendar should be approximately eighty pages long.

Most craft stores carry scrapbook supplies. You will find a great baby cover, and stamps and stickers to go along with the pages. You can normally find neutral baby supplies. You will have to wait a few months to add the pink or the blue.

Week one, two, and three are probably going to have shorter entries because there is a good chance that you had no idea that you were pregnant. If you find out the day that you missed your period, you are already about four weeks pregnant. For those weeks I would decorate the calendar with baby stickers and pictures of what you were thinking for those weeks.

Starting at week four you can enter your information. You should decide what day of the week you will weigh yourself and measure your belly. You can do this on the same day every week to compare how your body is changing from week to week. On the left side of the page I like to list baby’s development for the week. For week four the baby is the size of a poppy seed. I date the weeks and the calendar entries. The big date for this week is the date that you took your pregnancy test. Definitely include all your symptoms and thoughts about becoming a mom. You should also include special firsts, such as the first time I felt nauseous or my first craving.

You will have your first doctor’s appointment around week eight. Make sure you record all the information given to you. It might be hard to remember, but once you write it down, you will never forget it.

I suggested that you leave two pages per week. In the first twelve weeks, you might not use both pages. If you are finding that you are using more than the two pages per week, you might want to add more pages. You need to allow room for ultrasound pictures. If you haven’t had an ultrasound yet, it should be scheduled for around the twenty-first week. This is the week where most expectant parents have the option of finding out whether their little bundle of joy is a boy or a girl. You should have several ultrasound pictures that you can include in your calendar.

Other pictures you can include in your calendar are weekly pictures of your growing belly. Pictures from your baby shower and the baby’s nursery would also be a nice addition. Of course, include these on the proper pregnancy week. I consider all these little facts part of the nine month calendar.

There are many online sites that can help you with weekly baby development and the physiology of what your body is going through. My favorites throughout my pregnancy were am-i-pregnant.com and whattoexpect.com. Make your pregnancy last forever. A weekly pregnancy calendar is a memorable way to record all the events from the big ones to the tiny ones. They are all just as important. Your children will love to see the pictures of themselves before they were born. It may also help them realize what it means to be a mom.

Reference:

• whattoexpect.com