Best Keepsakes to Track Your Pregnancy and Mark Milestones

Sharing your belly bump progress using these pregnancy stickers is a great way to enhance your weekly updates with friends and family. Just snap a picture with the appropriate sticker, and you are instantly ready to post, print or add to your scrapbook. The matte finish also means you don’t have to worry about the glare in your photos. Don’t like the design or color scheme of these stickers? Fear not: You can visit the full Months in Motion store to see more options. 

There’s perhaps nothing more magical than hearing your baby’s heartbeat, and this is an adorable way to relive that joyous moment. Just bring the included heart-shaped recorder from the My Baby's Heartbeat Bear to your ultrasound appointment and record 20 seconds of your ultrasound heartbeat. Then, use the My Baby's Heartbeat Bear app to store it in the cloud so you can record other sounds later (like your baby’s first belly laughs or your own special message) without erasing the original audio. Then, the heart recorder goes into the stuffed animal and is played when you squeeze the stuffed animal.

Not sold on a giraffe? You can choose from over a dozen other options, ranging from a bunny to a unicorn.

If you want to get a headstart on newborn keepsakes, the Vault Baby Keepsake Box is perfect for your collection. This box is super practical in nature, as it has a special place for everything from important paperwork to pregnancy and newborn keepsakes, all organized with neat, aesthetically pleasing labels. The best part is you can simply buy a new box with each new addition to your family, mixing and matching available colors. Never wonder where an important piece of paperwork is or where to store baby’s first onesie again! 

There’s so much to do to get ready for baby, so you understandably might not spend lots of time tracking your pregnancy. Fortunately, this journal and organizer make it easy to jot down some key moments such as that day the test came back positive, your first ultrasound or that very first kick. You can decide how detailed you want to get — you can journal daily, monthly and even share your first postpartum thoughts. The journal also doubles as an organizer, helping to keep you to keep track of appointment dates, birth plans and baby names ideas, despite pregnancy brain fighting against you.

Journaling for yourself can be cathartic, but writing to your baby brings out a whole other level of emotion. This Letters to My Baby kit will encourage you to write down thoughts for your baby so he has a lasting memory when he grows up. The provided prompts mean each letter has a specific focus, and you can seal and date each one for future reading. Just keep in mind your baby will need some time to be ready to read each letter, which means you’ll want to remember to store this precious item somewhere safe.

Want a special way to display your favorite ultrasound picture? Pearhead’s Love at First Sight Sonogram Frame provides a simple frame specially created with sonograms in mind. The frame comes in tons of finishes so that you can find an option to match with your home’s decor. You can even order a frame that shows off the sonogram, baby’s first picture, and hospital bracelet, and another that has room for three ultrasound pics organized by trimester. Most importantly and unlike some standard frames, you won’t have to worry about the sonogram fitting the frame, or falling out of place!

Tell your pregnancy story in a gorgeous, coffee table-style photo book at a relatively affordable price. Mixbook lets expecting parents upload and customize a beautifully designed book, complete with captions and other enhancements that you can drag and drop onto the pages. The template makes the process less daunting, with prompts to share memorable moments such as ultrasounds, nursery prep, pregnancy cravings, weekly milestones and the baby shower. Once you make your book you can select from multiple book finishes, including a softcover, hardcover or leather, with glossy or matte photo offerings. 

What more direct way to remember your pregnancy than with a belly cast? This belly cast safely forms around your belly, and once dry, you are left with a beautiful piece of art to save at home or even show off at your baby shower. The best things about this kit, are that it fits all types of bumps and can be done on your time in the comfort of your home. The brand reassures that all materials are 100 percent baby-safe and non-toxic.

Qeepsake brings convenience and practicality to parents who want to capture special moments, from pregnancy to well into their kids’ childhoods. It’s a digital platform that captures pictures, social media posts, written words and key milestones, all via text. Qeepsake texts you questions about your pregnancy and, later on, your child (for instance, “What makes Georgie happy these days?”) and all you need to do is text back a quick response (plus any cute pics!). You can also add moments in yourself with the accompanying app. When you are ready, you can order a physical journal, or keep it all online. This is an especially useful keepsake for parents with multiple children or those who want helpful milestone reminders. 

To spread the joy of your upcoming arrival, you may choose to send a personalized pregnancy announcement to your family near and far, which will be a treasured keepsake down the line. Minted offers a vast array of designs that can help you craft an announcement that matches your style. Whether it’s a snapshot from your maternity photoshoot, a picture that features big brothers or sisters or even a holiday-themed announcement, the choice is yours for what gets featured on your card. Just upload your photo and create a beautifully printed postcard to share the big news with loved ones. Given all the digital celebrating we have experienced recently, this blast from the past will be a welcome surprise for your loved ones. 

If you want to create digital photos that can easily be shared online, the Baby Story app is for you. The app, free if you’re sticking to its basic features, has everything you need to track your growing bump. You can choose from professional filters, artwork designed to match milestones and pick from over one hundred fonts. You can continue using it beyond pregnancy and snap sweet update photos of your growing baby as well.