Baby journalling – your how-to guide

By Zebra Pen brand ambassador, Chloe

“If you’re wanting to capture memories and treasure the amazing journey of your life as a new mum, I’ll show you how to get started – and how to keep it up!”

Chloe, Zebra Pen UK brand ambassador

From bump to baby

Hey, I’m Chloe, teacher, Zebra Pen brand ambassador since April 2023 and new mum to baby Archer. I love to journal, so when I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to remember and record every detail of my pregnancy, from the moment I started to grow my bump, to our new life together. 

Time certainly flies by as a mum, (I can’t believe Archer is approaching his first birthday already!) but baby journalling means you’ll be able to capture all the firsts, and those life changing moments of these early months. 

I’ve had so much fun creating my baby journal, and I want to share with you how easy it is. Even if you think you’ll never have a minute to yourself again!

In this how-to guide, I’ll show you how to get started, and how to keep up with it.

Why journalling is so important as a new mum

Journalling is taking care of yourself and your emotional wellbeing, as well as keeping a record. A baby journal might be the most important journal you’ll ever create – and believe me, it’ll keep you sane! 

As almost every mum will tell you, these early days can pass in a complete whirlwind of feeds, naps, nappies – and more nappies. It may feel like your me-time, and your creativity, is something you’ll have to put to one side, but hopefully I can show you how to make journalling easy and fun. I also want you to see how important it is to take care of yourself when your life is all about taking care of your precious new member of the family.

Whether you journal as the moments happen or gather the memories and create at a later stage, I hope my tips will help you make a start. Maybe you’ll pass the same journal on to the new baby, one day.

Step 1: Start collecting

I have wallets and boxes that I use to gather things I’ll want to include. I kept scan photos to remember that incredible moment that made it all real; little gifts and photos from the gender reveal or baby shower; and congratulations cards. Keeping them all in one place makes it easier when you start creating spreads and designing pages.

Step 2: Start capturing your thoughts and feelings

Whether it’s on your phone or on a notepad, find a way to store those unique moments that you want to remember. Write down highlights of the day; time spent with special people or new baby friends; what’s made you laugh or what’s surprised you. Write down when a friend has supported you when you’ve found times tough and keep notes of your thoughts and feelings, even your fears. It’s all part of the journey. When I create my spreads, I often switch colours for these key words, so they stand out.

Step 3: Take tonnes of photos

Most new mums don’t need asking twice! Obviously, your new baby is the most photogenic, good looking baby on the planet! It’s so easy to take a million photos but then forget the actual details of where we were or who we were with. Putting the best in the memory pages of your baby journal makes even the most casual moments feel extra special, and I often hand-design borders around them. Those photos do help jog your memory and enable you to relive the pleasure all over again. (Don’t forget to include pictures of BEFORE your baby’s birth – that growing bump will be something to look back on with great amusement in the future!)

Creating unique baby journal spreads

You don’t need to commit to your spread layout straight away – so enjoy experimenting! Play around with different layouts, placement of the photos and memorabilia you’ve collected. And don’t worry about making mistakes – having your first baby is full of those. Lay out your spread ‘in rough’ first, and then start sticking, scrapping and collaging. You don’t need to write the bold key words straight on the journal page – just cut them out so you can move them around, or try different colours, before adding them in.

I’ve relied on my Zebra Mildliners and 12-pack of Clickart felt tips to add the perfect pop of colour to my pages. I also loved letting my imagination take over, creating fun pages comparing Archer’s growth to fruit and veg.

What you’ll need for your baby journal

• Mildliner or Mildliner Brush marker pens – where would we be without them? These dual tipped, Zebra Pen classics in a wide choice of mild colours mean you can create, highlight, and embellish titles for distinctive page designs.

• Sarasa Clip 0.5 mm retractable gel pens in black. Lots of them – you’ll get through them! There is also a huge range of Sarasa Clip bright ink colours in different nib sizes as well as more muted vintage shades.

• CLiCKART retractable felt tip pens – perfect for this life stage! The capless design makes this a safer option to use around your baby compared to the regular capped pen colouring options – avoiding any potential swallowing incidents for babies with a tendency to put everything in their mouths! The 12 light colours, which include three pinks and three blues (ideal for baby journalling) come in a handy plastic carry case – a convenient and hygienic solution for journalling on the go and for when you need to pack things away in a hurry.

What to put in a baby journal

👶 The story of your pregnancy, including the crazy cravings, those precious ultrasound scans, even the list of names you both considered!

👶 Greetings cards and lists of gifts received when your baby was born.

👶 The milestone moments, from the first smile; their first word; their first birthday – and the day they first slept through the night! Include first time meeting family members, first foods, and first visits to special places.

👶 Your daily rituals, and your new mum to-do list! Their favourite bedtime book, cuddly toy or lullaby; the games you invented. These are fantastic visual inspiration for your spreads.

👶  The moments that made it all worthwhile.

Get creative.