Greetings from Wales! Is anyone keeping a pregnancy journal? Feeling extra creative now that you... « Back to Group Discussions

[Babinogi]

Greetings Everyone!

Glad to meet other pregnant women with October due dates! Supposedly in Chinese culture it is very auspicious to give birth to a child in the Year of the Dragon! 2012 is the year of the dragon. I'm due around the 6th of October.

I was wondering if there are any of you who are journaling your pregnancy experience.

My husband and I started.  We record our dreams in it as well.  He has been the one who has

had all the baby dreams - he keeps dreaming it's a girl!  The last dream he had was hilarious -

it was at the later stage of my pregnancy in the dream and he was able see through my skin and saw that

there were twin girls and lemon slices in there to keep them fresh! I have to admit, I think it's a girl too - although, not sure about

twins and I am positive there are no slices of lemon in my uterus! Let's hope not!

In our journal, we've been doing drawings, I've been writing my symptoms (which at this point aren't much to speak of - no nausea,

just constipation and gas - no heartburn, and barely sore boobs); we've also been writing poems and in general keeping a day to day diary.

I was also wondering if there were any artists, musicians, writers, crafters in this group who feel exceptionally creative now that they are pregnant.  I am a musician/artist and feel very dreamy from the hormones and this mood has been great for creativity!

Not sure if anyone else is experiencing this, but I find that watching any violent or aggressive imagery on t.v. completely unbearable, as if I already have a strong sense of protecting this little, little sprigeen.  I've taken to surrounding myself with beautiful imagery.  Does anyone else feel that not only is it important to eat well for the growing bean, but to also ingest only things that are mentally good for you and the bean?  It feels like a strong instinct to me.

I would love to hear responses - if there are any of ye who feel extra creative now.  I think pregnancy can be a very powerful and spiritual time where one is more sensitive than normal so there is more opportunity for creativity.  It's a great time to channel all those symptoms into something artistic!

all the best

Babinogi

[femmeknitzi]

Hi Bab!!

I love the idea of doing a written journal/sketchbook for the baby! I'm an artist, writer, doodler, crafter so I love the idea of incorporating all of that into the experience of journaling. Do you and your husband share a journal or do you have separate journals? I have been writing letters to the baby since before I was pregnant. Since it's been a tough road for us to conception, I want the baby to someday know how badly he or she was wanted and how special he/she is to us. But I've just been using Google Docs. I think I'm going to transfer it all to a sketchbook, now!

[OkiMom]

I wanted to do a journal for my previous pregnancies but never took the time. Maybe this time Ill make the time, specially since my older two are older and the youngest still takes naps. We will have to see what happens as the weeks go on..

I sew/knit/do cross stitch etc. Im already making a list of things Id like to get done for the baby before she/he comes.

[Babinogi]

Hello Femmeknitzi & Okimom,

Nice to hear that journal writing may be in the making.  It's been fun doing it. My husband and I share the same book, but mostly I write in it, but he writes down his dreams. He has had several dreams now that we are having a girl.  I'm sorry it took so long for me to respond.  I have had really bad nausea and it seems it gets worse when I look at the computer!

I really appreciate how challenging it must be to be pregnant and have other children -  I can't imagine as this is my first and I am having a hard time coping with extreme tiredness and nausea 24-7!

When I think of my great grandmother who had 9 children - it really humbles me!  How did they do it? And thinking that she immigrated from Ireland to the USA and lived in Brooklyn with all 9 children and taking in her brother, mother and neice as well! All in a small apartment. 

I love the idea of writing letters to your baby. It will be something s/he will treasure forever!

[dogretro]

I filled out The Belly Book with my first daughter. Didn't do it w/ dd2 & only took one or two belly photos w/ her at the end. Am filling one out again w/ this third one. I am not good at open-ended stuff, I will never finish (if I manage to even start!). I need fill-in-the-blanks. Their baby books are also fill-in types, which was great, & both are done. Will be doing one of those again, too.

[femmeknitzi]

I went out this weekend and bought a sketchbook especially for my pregnancy journal and I've already started doodling in it and transferring my previously written letters to baby into my handwriting. I think this will be so much more special than what I was doing before. I hope I keep up with it. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Babinogi]

I like the idea of the Belly Book too!  I have to say, I keep having the most bizarre and interesting dreams. Last night I had the first baby gender dream. It was a boy.  But my husband has had two dreams before me and it was a girl.  We are keeping record of all our crazy dreams.

I am writing in the journal each morning, but creativity is a struggle at the moment as I am nauseous 24-7.  Not sure why the call it morning sickness!

My husband and I started making a quilt for the baby. Since we don't know the gender we are using reds, blues and greens - instead of typical pastel baby colors,

we went for Primitive American prints - a bit if Little House on the Prairie inspiration, so the colors are more natural looking.

Here's a sample of the hexagons and the prints.  it's not your typical baby quilt that's for sure!

[UnderTheOldOakTree]

Your quilt pieces look wonderful!  I love the colors!  What a wonderful thing to make for a little one on the way!

I wouldn't call myself an artist  but I am a very creative person.  I do a lot of fiber arts and I have been painting and focusing on music quite a bit during this pregnancy (even before I knew I was pregnant). 

I have a few things I want to do for ds and the new baby.  One is that I just received a lyre kit I had ordered in the mail today.  I want to finish it and learn to play it before the baby comes.  I think some soft lyre music might be helpful in getting ds to go to sleep and I think it would be beautiful to play for the baby as well when I am able.

I also have been doing a lot of painting lately and I would like to try to paint and frame an angel for ds and the new baby.

For me I'd love to needle felt a pregnant mama soft sculpture doll and perhaps a mama holding a baby as well.  Of course I'm also trying to knit up a storm for this baby.

I love the idea of doing an illustrated journal. I occasionally keep one now but I think it would be really special to have one just for this pregnancy/baby.  I think I will try to pick one up tomorrow.  It seems like it would be a nice way to wind down  at the end of a busy day before going to sleep.  

Great thread!

[Babinogi]

Wow, UnderTheOldOakTree, you sound like a kindred spirit! Glad you liked the quilt fabrics. I love the idea that you are constructing a lyre for your little ones.  May I ask you where you got the kit from?  I am a musician too and wonder when my baby will start feeling the vibrations and here the sounds of my guitar against my belly.  The lyre is a wonderful idea!  Simple, gentle and primal.

I also needle felt and just before I got pregnant, during the 2 week wait, I needle felted a sort of Goddess of Willendorf - a fertility mama.  I think it helped to will this pregnancy!  Oh, how I wish I could knit like you, I can only do some basic things, but my mother-in-law can knit baby sweaters - but we won't tell anyone until I am in the 2nd trimester, but when she finds out, I'll buy some nice wool and put in a few orders -hee hee!

What instruments do you play? Your painting sounds beautiful.  Please feel free to post some photos of your work! What a great inspiration it is to hear about all that you are doing.  Sometimes I let the nausea get me down, but your post is a great nudge to get back to making art in everyday life as much as there is time for.

Thank you so much!

[nettlesoup]

I'm the complete opposite; I have lost all motivation and creativity since becoming pregnant! Which is very annoying because I've been teaching myself to sew, and now I just don't have the motivation to do anything. I also love crocheting, and am an illustrator which makes it all so much more frustrating.

[bostonmummy]

My husband and I started a journal together, too. It's so sweet! We've only written in it a few times, but I definitely want to keep it going. This is my first, so it was extra joyful at the beginning. The nausea started hitting me last weekend, so my interest in anything kind of went out the window. But I actually felt great today and cooked up a storm for my poor neglected hubby. I have a feeling the creativity is going to ebb and flow depending on the nausea . . . nice to see others' ideas, though. Thanks for sharing!

[Babinogi]

HI BostonMummy,

That's wonderfu to hear that you are also keeping a journal with your husband!  It's a wonderful journey to document and a creative way.

I hear you about the creative interference of nausea. I had a hilarious dream that a letter came to me in the mail and it was addressed to Mrs. Migraine Nausea!

That summed it up about my identity at the moment. What are ye all doing for nausea?

I heard that making sure you eat every 2 hours - and making sure you eat plenty of protein helps. Well, I tried it and it does seem to work, even though it goes against my instincts.

On the creative front - I just bought the most amazing book, Birthing from Within by Pamela England.

It's a wonderful book and talks about the importance of making Birth Art and how it can help with gearing

up for labour.  I highly recommend!  Here's the website that tells you all about the method, the book and the

workshops:  http://www.birthingfromwithin.com/

[UnderTheOldOakTree]

I mostly sit on the sofa or the playground bench and knit these days.  Just about anything else is just about anything else takes more energy than I've got right now.  I'm really looking forward to getting the energy to do other more creative things.  I figure at least I'm knitting things for the baby and when I have more energy, I might be less likely to do that.