From the day you find out you’re pregnant to the day you give birth, every moment is meaningful and deserves to be documented.

Whether this is your first child or your third, a pregnancy memory book can be a special project that you can pass down to your child. It can also be used to reflect on your experience long after your pregnancy and make comparisons between pregnancies.

How to Create the Perfect Pregnancy Memory Book

Your pregnancy book doesn’t need to look like any other one you’ve seen. No two experiences are exactly the same, so why should your book be?

Here are some tips to help you create your own book.

Decide On Timing

Decide how often you want to take photos to track your baby’s development. Whether you want to take one or seven photos a week, that’s entirely up to you. However, taking one photo per month is usually the norm, giving you nine photos in total. If you find that your body is changing quite rapidly week-to-week, feel free to increase the frequency.

Choose a Location

If you will be getting a professional photographer to assist you, ask for a few location suggestions. Basically, anywhere that has a lot of natural light is ideal, whether this is in an open field or a bedroom at home. Taking your photos in the morning or right before the sun sets is the best time.

One Outfit is Enough

If you want to be consistent, wear one outfit for all nine photos. This also makes it easier to see your progress throughout your pregnancy. You want to keep the focus on your bump and not your clothes. A flowy dress is always a good option but if you want to wear pants, you might want to stay away from jeans unless they’re maternity jeans. 

Shoot from the Side

A 45-degree angle is perfect for maternity portraits such as this. This way, you can highlight your bump while still showing off your feminine curves. You can also decide whether you want to look directly at the camera or gaze down or into the distance.

Decide on a Cute Theme

If you don’t already have a few cute themes in mind, turn to Pinterest for a few ideas. One idea is to add in an accessory based on the month of the year. Some moms hold up a fruit or vegetable that illustrates how big your baby is at that point. A theme doesn’t need to incorporate props though. You could decide to incorporate the colors of your nursery into your outfits or choose something like a boho theme.

Capture the In Between Moments Too

Your pregnancy book doesn’t just need to include your monthly shots. Make a point of taking photos and collecting items based on the small milestones. For example, keep the ultrasound image of the day you found out the sex of your baby. Another example would be taking a photo of a cute pair of socks you found at a store.

As you capture photos for your pregnancy memory book, remember to be patient with yourself. You’re not always going to feel great. If this is the case, schedule your photo for the next day instead – this is your book after all.