To begin, a heartfelt thank you for all the beautiful responses to both the Six Years and Life Lately posts I wrote. The kindness and well wishes mean so much to Matt and I, we truly appreciate each and every lovely word written.
Today, I thought I would share a journal I've been enjoying using over the last six months - Bump to Birthday, a Pregnancy and First Year Journal.
It has been a new and enjoyable experience for me, as I didn't document my pregnancy with William and Noah, despite my intentions. A few days after our first scan at 11 weeks, where we made the joyous discovery that I was carrying not one, but two babies, I swiftly ordered a pregnancy journal, excited to begin filling it in with our happy news.
It arrived just a few days after another scan one week later, where we were told the devastating news that there was no amniotic fluid left around one of the babies, and we would lose one, if not both, twins because of it. It was just the beginning of the most traumatic period in our lives. PPROM (preterm premature rupture of membranes) had just entered our lives and instantly turned our world upside down. The three months that followed were a blur of terror, filled with late night calls to the hospital and stays in the labour ward. I didn't write one word in that pregnancy journal. The horrors we were experiencing did not need to be documented, and so it remains untouched on our bookcase.
For my second pregnancy, I wanted a new journal; I couldn't bring myself to write in the one I had bought for our twins. I was browsing Amazon when I came across Bump to Birthday, a Pregnancy and First Year Journal. I had done a lot of searching and this journal is by far the most beautifully designed hard back journal I have found, filled with vibrant illustrations, beautiful quotes and ample space for scan pictures, notes, and memorabilia.
Each week begins with 'a bit about you' - an update about the baby in terms of development, and 'a bit about me,' - with room to write about your own feelings, symptoms, cravings, and what you have been up to during that week. As we've been seeing our consultant every two weeks for scans, the journal is already filled with pictures of the baby, but there's still plenty of space left to write about our adventures and include photos of my bump. I've also added a few miniature Cath Kidston cards in envelopes and Docrafts Papermania Notelets to make it even more pretty!
The journal continues on to document the birth of the baby, and has a section for firsts - bath, outing, words, milestones, Christmas - and ends with the first birthday celebrations. It's the only journal I've found which doesn't end with the pregnancy, so the continuation into the baby's first year makes it all the more special.
It's lovely to flick through and chart the journey of this pregnancy so far, which has been so very different from our first. It will be a lovely keepsake to look back on over the years, and I cherish each week when I get to reflect on the past seven days and document any new developments and symptoms.
Bump to Birthday Pregnancy & First Year Journal is available to buy from Amazon for £13.39
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Labels: baby, diary, journal, pregnancy
