When you first get pregnant you think of all the things that you will want to do during your pregnancy. Have a baby shower (or maybe more than one!), set up a baby registry and decorate your baby’s nursery. Have you thought about how you can keep track of the physical aspects of your pregnancy?

Taking pictures of your growing belly is a great way to keep track of your pregnancy. It will also be a great beginning to your baby’s scrapbook or photo album. Before you start however there are several things to think of.

1. Pick the perfect outfit.
If you want to showcase your growing belly and how it makes a certain shirt or skirt change shape on your body, wear that outfit for the first picture you take and for all the pictures following. Be sure to get an outfit that will still fit your belly when you are nine months along.

2. Bikini’s.
Some women will chose to wear their bikini or a bra and panties in order to take pictures of their belly. Side by side the naked belly pictures will show every inch, as well as every stretch mark you might get.

3. Decide how much you want to remember.
Because belly pics will show every aspect of your belly, decide how much you want to remember ahead of time. Do you want to see all the stretch marks in 10 years, or would you rather your belly be covered by clothes? Early on the blemishes won’t be there, but by the end the blemishes may be more than noticeable.

4. How much of your body do you want to show?
Remember that as your pregnancy progresses and you gain weight, most of the time you don’t only gain it in your belly. Many times you will gain it in your face, your behind, your legs and your thighs. Some people will want to see the full change, others will want to forget. Whatever you decide, go with it for your first picture and follow through with it for the rest.

5. Use props.
Maybe you go out immediately and buy the baby’s first stuffed animal or you want to detail your progress with a tape measure. Knowing that some of your baby’s first pictures will be with that stuffed animal, you can take pictures of yourself holding the animal, or as your belly gets bigger you can have the animal “holding” the belly. You can also get a picture of the tape measure around your belly so that you can record the inches you grow not only on paper but on film.

Use your imagination when it comes to photographing your pregnancy and your belly growth! The sky is the limit and nothing is out of line. After all, you will only be pregnant THIS time once, and all pregnancies are different so you will never be able to get these exact shots again. And with all the FREE print offers these days that include free shipping and free online storage, be sure to take as many shots as you can.

Pregnancy is such an enchanting time in a woman’s life and possibly even more so for first-time mommies. It’s truly an extraordinary time that you’ll want to remember forever. And although there’s quite a few ways to ensure those memories last including writing in a daily journal and having a plaster cast made of your belly, with the digital photo age in full-swing, what easier way to document this magical time in your life than with a photo journal as well? It’s so simple and convenient that there’s really no need to even leave the comfort of your home.

Unlike other pregnancy memories making methods such as casting or writing, a photo journal saves you from having to travel and spend extra money by eliminating the need to visit the sculptor’s studio or run out to buy more paper and pens (or ink for the printer). A photo journal is one of the easiest and furthermore exciting ways to keep a record of your pregnancy, especially if you’re using a digital camera to document your progress. You can instantly view the photos and also have the benefit of sharing them just as quickly with family and friends via the internet.

How often you’d like to take pictures of your body is completely up to you. We suggest starting with the sonogram as the jumping board and then tracking the expansion of your belly as you see significant changes occurring – usually week-by-week. Each new picture will also reflect the growth of the miracle inside and can be a great bonding experience for you and your baby before he or she even enters the world.Â
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Imagine the joy later on when you sit down with your child and explain to them how you carried them inside your belly while you look at the pictures together and show them the stages of their growth and development during that incredible time the two of you spent as one.

A few ideas for taking creative photos of your body’s progress is to have someone take a picture as you place your hands together – finger tip to finger tip – creating a heart shape over your belly. You can even use washable soap crayons to write the date of the photo or draw an arrow on your belly to show just where your baby’s foot, arm, etc is pressing against the inside of your stomach. Now that’s really something your child will get a kick out of when they see it later!

There’s also an abundance of creative ways to create a keepsake of those precious pregnancy photos memories. Think about starting either a digital or hard copy scrapbook or photo album and incorporating any thoughts or special feelings you’re experiencing on the pages during the days that you snap your photos as well. You can even write a loving letter to your little one that they’ll have to cherish and share with you as times goes on.

The last picture can be the photo taken at the hospital on the day your baby is born. You could also choose to continue on with the journal making it a life-long photographic record that grows with your child and becomes something that your family will treasure for the rest of your lives and can be handed down through the generations.