Pregnancy Keepsakes
Posted by Michelle Kersey on Fri, Jun 11, 2010
Capturing the Moment
For 40 weeks (give or take) you are carrying a precious life. It is amazing how the body works to create life, but what are some ways to capture that time? No matter how many children you have, each one is special. When you are done having children, or even after you child is born, you will love to have something to look back on and be in awe of the process that took place to give you this beautiful gift of life.
Belly Casting
There are kits you can buy, or you can even find directions online, and create a mold of your belly. If you choose to do this, think of where you will put the mold once it's done. If you want to incorporate it into your nursery design, consider painting the mold with the paint you used in the nursery and hang it on the wall. You could also paint it to match the theme of the room. One fun idea is to use it as a prop when you take baby pictures. Another way to use the belly cast is to decoupage the first year of baby photos onto it.
Maternity Photography
Probably one of the most common methods of documenting pregnancy is photography. There are a couple ways you can do this. I like to take pictures after every doctor's appointment. I write on a chalkboard how many weeks I am and take a picture. At the end, I will put all the pictures together of just my belly and create a timeline photo collage.
Another special way to use photography is to get maternity pictures done professionally. Or, if you have a friend with a good camera, ask them to take pictures too. Depending on your personal preference, you can get pictures done in a studio or opt for a more natural setting like a park or even your back yard.
Blogging
Blogging has become a "growing" trend with new moms. (Pun intended) It takes the days of writing in a diary or journal to today's technological standards. Blogging also allows you to share your experiences with others. When I had our son, we lived about 1000 miles away from our family. So, I started blogging as a way to keep everyone up to date. Even now that we live 30 minutes away from our family, I still keep a blog going to update everyone on the happenings in our life. Sometimes we get so busy that it is difficult to call everyone, including aunts and uncles, to share the newest development in our family. But, blogging has created a way to share with everyone at the same time. My cell phone bill has also become a fan of blogging.
Scrapbooking
If you love looking at photo albums, scrapbooking takes that to the next level. While you may not put as many pictures in a scrapbook, you get to add in details and your own memories that you can't in just a photo album. You can include information about how you found out you were pregnant and how you shared the news with friends and family. Add pictures and memories about the baby shower and gifts the baby was given. There are so many ways to decorate a scrapbook. If you don't think you are very creative, take the time while you still have it to attend a scrapbooking class.
3D/4D Ultrasounds
In most pregnancies, you will have at least one medical ultrasound done. These are done in 2D. If you are lucky, you will get a lot of pictures from the sonographer. With my first, I only got one. With my second, I got at least 10. If you want to have more pictures of the baby, you can look for a place that does 3D/4D ultrasounds. It is an elective procedure, so most insurance companies won't cover it. But, you will get to see your baby's features before he's born. Most places will also give you a video of the ultrasound as well as pictures on CD, depending on the package you buy. You can then add the pictures to any of the other pregnancy documenting methods.
Video Diary
Creating a video diary is a perfect way to combine blogging, scrapbooking, and photography in one. You can talk to the baby and share what you are experiencing that week. If you get lucky, you may even be able to catch the baby moving on video tape. If you only document a few minutes each week, you will still end up with an hour long video to show your baby when he's older, so don't feel like you need to make each entry long.
No matter which method you choose, try to find a way to document the pregnancy that you enjoy. It is a very special time in your life and you will want to have something to look back on and remember. You will forget how large your belly got. You will forget all the amazing feelings of the baby kicking you... or having hiccups. Take the time to capture these moments... pregnancy doesn't last forever.