What to Include in a Pregnancy Journal (And What You Can Skip)

When you first look at a pregnancy journal, it’s easy to assume every page needs to be filled in for it to be “used properly”.

But the truth is, a pregnancy journal isn’t about completion — it’s about support.

What you include should reflect your pregnancy, your needs, and your family, not a fixed idea of what a pregnancy “should” look like.

Here’s a gentler way to think about what to include — and what you can happily skip.

What Many People Find Helpful to Include

While everyone’s experience is different, there are a few things that many people naturally return to during pregnancy.

These often include:

• appointment notes or reminders
• questions to ask at upcoming appointments
• important information you don't want to forget
• plans or thoughts that come up as things change

Having one place to put these things can help reduce mental load — even if you don’t write in it every day, which is why many people choose a pregnancy journal.

Planning That Feels Supportive

For some people, planning brings comfort.
For others, it can feel overwhelming.

If planning feels helpful to you, your journal might include:

• upcoming appointments
• things to prepare gradually
• notes about decisions you're thinking through

If it doesn’t feel helpful right now, that’s okay too. Planning doesn’t need to be detailed or constant to be useful.

Space for Thoughts and Reflections

Pregnancy can bring up thoughts you didn’t expect.

Some people like having space to:

• jot things down when their mind feels busy
• reflect on how they’re feeling at different stages
• record moments they might want to remember later

This doesn’t need to be daily or polished. Even a few lines here and there can be enough.

What You Can Skip (Without Guilt)

Not every page will feel relevant — and that’s completely normal.

You can skip:

• pages that don't reflect your experience
• sections that feel unnecessary or repetitive
• anything that adds pressure rather than support

Leaving pages blank doesn’t mean you’ve failed to use your journal. It means you’ve used it in a way that fits you.

Letting Your Journal Change Over Time

Your needs may change as pregnancy progresses.

What feels useful in early pregnancy might not feel important later on — and something you skipped at first might become helpful down the line.

A supportive pregnancy journal allows room for that change, without needing everything decided upfront.

A Gentle Reminder

There is no “correct” way to fill in a pregnancy journal.

You’re allowed to:

• use only the pages that feel helpful
• ignore the rest
• come back to it whenever you need

The value isn’t in how much you include — it’s in how supported you feel along the way.

Final Thought

A pregnancy journal should feel like a place you can turn to, not a checklist to complete.

Include what feels useful.
Skip what doesn’t.
Let it support you in your own way.