Pregnancy can be a stressful, but wonderful experience. And with the right mindful approach, like pregnancy journaling, you can minimize your stress in order to truly enjoy the arrival of your baby.
Stress in Pregnancy
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are nearly four million births in the U.S. every year, which means every year there are millions of American women that are experiencing joy and stress in pregnancy. According to a study from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, 67.2 percent of expectant mothers reportedly experience one or more stressors. In fact, most of the mothers have two or more sources of stress in their life. Some of the stressors that expectant mothers experience include moving, overdue bills, sick family members, and arguments with their partner.
There are many Mindful ways to reduce stress while you’re pregnant. Staying active and eating healthy snacks can help. Talking through your woes with someone you trust and pampering yourself can lower your cortisol levels. You can also write away your stress. Writing down your feelings (whether it’s fear, frustration, or joy) can be very therapeutic. That’s why a pregnancy journal is so beneficial.
Most moms keep baby books, recording the first year of their baby’s life, but they forget about pregnancy diaries used to record the nine months before. These diaries are great for introspection. Besides writing down their feelings, some women write about their eating habits, pregnancy milestones, or any unique dreams they may have. Other women record the valuable parenting advice they have been given or their dreams for their babies.
Create A Journal for Your Pregnancy
Reduce your stress and record this wonderful time in your life with a pregnancy book. Listed below are a few ideas that can help you get started.
- Do-It-Yourself. You can make your own pregnancy journal from a regular notebook. Or you can create a pregnancy diary from a scrapbook, this way you can include pictures, copies of ultrasounds, baby shower mementos, and other keepsakes. Experts suggest dividing the books into trimesters. You can also include envelopes to hold the information and calendars as well. Need some ideas on what to write about? Consider these suggestions from Fisher Price.
- Buy a unique pregnancy journal. If you’d rather buy a pregnancy diary instead of making one yourself, there are plenty to choose from. There’s the Nine Pregnancy Countdown Journal by Kelly Sopp. It offers space to reflect on milestones like when you “popped the news.” There’s also Pea to Pumpkin by Geralyn Broder Murray. It includes cute illustrations about the size of your baby from a blueberry at week seven or a papaya at week 28.
- There are pregnancy apps for that. Do you prefer for your pregnancy diary to be electronic? Consider pregnancy journal apps. Sprout has an app that allows you to journal and take notes and pictures with your smartphone. When you’re finished you can print your electric data into a physical book. There’s also the Bounty’s Pregnancy app. It includes a due date calculator, a journal, tips, and videos.