Pregnancy - ways to celebrate and document a pregnancy

Being pregnant for the third and most likely last time I want to enjoy the time as much as I can. As I had already passed the first trimester of pregnancy before publicly announcing the pregnancy on social media and the weeks seem to be flying by, I want to cherish every moment of this pregnancy. 

So I want to look at a few of the different ways to celebrate and document a pregnancy - 

Pregnancy journal

One of the ways to document a pregnancy is by keeping a pregnancy journal where you can write down symptoms during the pregnancy along with experiences and special moments such as the date you found out you were pregnant or felt baby move inside of you for the first time. 

This can be done by putting pen to paper in a pregnancy journal or online via a blog. You can buy keepsake journals that allow you to document from bump to baby, with pages for you to write about pregnancy and then from birth to their first birthday.

Pregnancy announcement

Whether you announce your pregnancy early in the pregnancy or wait until you’ve safely passed 12 weeks, it is now extremely common to announce that you are pregnant on social media. Many mums-to-be announce the exciting news that they are pregnant by sharing a scan photo of baby or with a staged photo letting their loved ones know they are expecting. If you are wanting inspiration on how to announce you’re pregnant pinterest is filled with a variety of creative ways to do so. 

Maternity photos

Having photos of your bump can be a lovely way to remember your pregnancy. They can also be a wonderful keepsake.

You could take photos yourself at home or have a loved one be the photographer throughout your pregnancy to showcase your growing and changing bump. Many people take photos on a daily or weekly basis, with some expectant mums using the photos to create a time-lapse video to show the bump growing from the first few weeks of pregnancy until just before labour.

You could also have a professional maternity photoshoot done by a professional photographer. With a professional maternity photoshoot you could choose a themed photoshoot to showcase your bump and include your partner or existing children.

Gender reveal party

An increasingly popular way of celebrating and documenting a stage of pregnancy is gender reveal announcements. Gender reveal announcements range from photos, videos and announcing the news live with loved ones at gender reveal parties. Gender reveal ideas range from popular ideas such as cakes that are sliced open to show blue or pink inside and opening a gift bag to reveal stereotypical gender specific baby clothing to unique ideas such as fireworks of a particular colour or motorbikes blasting out from the exhaust pink or blue smoke.

If you find out your baby/s gender from a private ultrasound scan you can request that the gender is told to a loved one who can organise the gender reveal so it is a surprise for you. Many private ultrasound scan clinics also offer a gender reveal party service where they can provide gender reveal products to buy that complement gender reveal parties such as confetti cannons or gender reveal balloons that are popped to reveal blue or pink coloured confetti/feathers.

Baby shower

Increasingly popular are baby showers. Expectant mums and their friends and family celebrate the impending arrival of baby where they often shower the mum-to-be with gifts for her and the baby. Baby showers are sometimes themed and many parties have guests playing baby themed games. Baby showers can be a surprise party for the expectant mum or be organised with mum-to-be. A baby shower can be a wonderful way for loved ones to help the mum prepare for the baby’s arrival with helpful gifts and allow the mum-to-be to have fun before baby arrives.

4D scan

A 4D scan at a private ultrasound baby scan clinic can be a wonderful way to celebrate and document the pregnancy and unborn baby. Giving a sneak peek glimpse into how your baby looks 4D scans can bring your baby to life whilst they are still safely inside of you.

A 4D scan can also be a lovely way to bond with your baby as well as help partners and other existing children feel part of the experience and start the bonding relationship with the unborn baby. A 4D scan can also be a great way to remember the pregnancy as you a photo print of the scan to keep. Depending on the clinic and package purchased other 4D scan keepsake products include digital images of the scan and movie of the scan. Some clinics also offer other products to buy such as baby heartbeat teddy bears. 

Bump cast

As many pregnant mums love the look and feel of their baby bump and miss it once pregnancy is over a lovely way to commemorate the pregnancy and remember their pregnancy bump is to have a bump cast.

You can purchase diy bump casting kits to use at home or hire a professional to cast your bump for you. Once the bump cast has been done and is set you can decorate your bump in a particular colour or with a beautiful design adorning it. 

What ways have you celebrated or documented your pregnancy?