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.
Our top picks: Best Pregnancy Journal With Prompts Pearhead Pregnancy Journal at Walmart, $19.99 Jump to Review Best Customizable Pregnancy Journal Charmbooks Pregnancy Journal at Etsy, From $39.95 Jump to Review Best Pregnancy Bullet Journal Paperage Bullet Journal at Walmart, $22.11 Jump to Review Best Daily Pregnancy Journal Chronicle Books Mom’s One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book at Walmart, $14.58 Jump to Review Best Scrapbook Pregnancy Journal Unconditional ROSIE My 9-Month Journey Pregnancy Journal and Baby Memory Book at Amazon, $20.99 Jump to Review Best Keepsake Pregnancy Journal As You Grow: A Modern Memory Book for Baby by Korie Herold at Target, $35.99 Jump to Review Best Budget-Friendly Pregnancy Journal Compendium “Expecting You” Keepsake Pregnancy Journal at Barnes & Noble, $14.95 Jump to Review Best Pregnancy Journal for First-Time Moms Ziri and Zane Keepsake Pregnancy Journal at Amazon, $22.95 Jump to Review Best Pregnancy Journal for Twins It’s Twins! Pregnancy Journal at Amazon, $9.99 Jump to Review Best Pregnancy Journal for Dads First-Time Dad Journal: Monthly Prompts and To-Dos For Pregnancy And Beyond by Andrew Shaw at Amazon, $13.99 Jump to Review In this article: How we chose the best pregnancy journalsBest Pregnancy Journal With Prompts
Pearhead Pregnancy Journal Image: Walmart Buying Options Walmart | $19.99 Amazon | $19.99 What We Love- 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
Charmbooks Pregnancy Journal Image: Charmbooks|Etsy Buying Options Etsy | From $39.95 What We Love- 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
Paperage Bullet Journal Image: Walmart Buying Options Walmart | $22.11 Amazon | $9.95 What We Love- 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
Chronicle Books Mom’s One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book Image: Walmart Buying Options Walmart | $14.58 Amazon | $15.26 What We Love- 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)
Buy NowBest Scrapbook Pregnancy Journal
Unconditional ROSIE My 9-Month Journey Pregnancy Journal and Baby Memory Book Image: Amazon Buying Options Amazon | $20.99 What We Love- 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
As You Grow: A Modern Memory Book for Baby by Korie Herold Image: Target Buying Options Target | $35.99 Amazon | $35.99 What We Love- 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
Compendium “Expecting You” Keepsake Pregnancy Journal Image: Walmart Buying Options Barnes & Noble | $14.95 Walmart | $13.16 Amazon | $13.46 What We Love- 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
Ziri and Zane Keepsake Pregnancy Journal Image: Amazon Buying Options Amazon | $22.95 What We Love- 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
It’s Twins! Pregnancy Journal Image: Amazon Buying Options Amazon | $9.99 What We Love- 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
First-Time Dad Journal: Monthly Prompts and To-Dos For Pregnancy And Beyond by Andrew Shaw Image: Amazon Buying Options Amazon | $13.99 What We Love- 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
Little Pickle Memories Pregnancy Journal Image: LittlePickleMemories|Etsy Buying Options Etsy | From $29.83 What We Love- 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
Little Pickles Memories Adoption Journal Image: LittlePickleMemories|Etsy Buying Options Etsy | From $29.83 What We Love- 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)
How We Chose the Best Pregnancy Journals
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.
>Plus, more from The Bump: > The Best Pregnancy Books to Answer Your Next Nine+ Months of QuestionsThe 20 Best Baby Memory Books for Marking All Their Milestones
10 Precious Baby Keepsakes to Capture Lasting Memories
