8 Fun Things to do During Pregnancy: Don’t Skip These Mama!

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Liesel Teen, RN-BSN

By Liesel Teen

BSN, RN, Practicing Labor and Delivery Nurse

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During pregnancy it’s easy to get caught up in everything there is to do, plan, learn, and organize. So today we’re going to take a step back and talk about all the FUN things to do during pregnancy!

This is a super special time in your life after all, and even if it might seem like forever, I can almost guarantee you’re going to look back in shock at how fast these nine months flew by.

On this list you’ll find suggestions for things that’ll help you relax and feel good, fun ways to document this special time, ideas to help you and your partner bond before baby arrives, and a couple of ideas that can make that never-ending to-do list a little more bearable and fun.

Too often we focus on what you CAN’T do during pregnancy, so let’s focus on all the fun things to do during pregnancy – because there are more than you might think!

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1. Take weekly pregnancy pictures

Okay so this is something that I think mamas either love to do, or always forget to do, but I’m going to make a case for them! I was so good about taking my weekly bump shots with my first pregnancy, and I LOVE looking back at them. It’s just so cool to see the progress.

It was also really fun to have them for comparison during my second pregnancy, especially because I waited to find out the gender. It made for some really good guessing content, hah.

But seriously, taking a photo for each week or month of pregnancy IS a really fun thing to do. And it’s also something you can totally start wherever you’re at in your pregnancy. There are a bunch of fun apps that let you add text/stickers to the photo, or you could get some beautiful milestone blocks and use those for both your weekly bump photos AND for baby’s monthly photos once they arrive. It’s a win, win ?

Use our FREE weekly journal pages

By the way, you can grab our FREE weekly pregnancy journal pages where you can write down cravings, special moments, and more for each week of pregnancy. At the end, you’ll have a special keepsake to go with your photos. A wonderful memory of your entire pregnancy!

2. Do the maternity shoot

Continuing with the theme of documenting your pregnancy, another really fun thing to do in pregnancy is a maternity photoshoot. I know this is another thing that not everyone does. I think that’s because so many of us don’t think we look our best during pregnancy and don’t want to actually be in photos.

Mama, you do not want to look back on your pregnancy and have no photos of yourself! A maternity shoot is such a fun and lovely way to capture this time – and an experienced photographer will make you feel confident and beautiful in your amazing body, doing such an incredible thing right now.

And if a maternity photoshoot isn’t in your budget right now, I encourage you to do a DIY maternity shoot. Put on a pretty outfit, do your hair and makeup, and head outside. I think you’ll have a lot more fun than you think you will.

3. Write letters to your baby

This is actually not something I did personally, and I kind of regret it! I have some friends that regularly wrote letters to their babies while they were pregnant, and they plan to give them to their children when they are grown.

Taking the time to journal during pregnancy, and even more specifically, write letters to your unborn baby is such a sweet way to connect and bond with your child before birth. It’s something you could do after bigger pregnancy milestones, like ultrasounds or first kicks. Or it’s something you could do when you personally are having a hard time sleeping or feeling generally anxious as a way to ground yourself and connect with baby.

4. Get a prenatal massage

All right, moving on from the documenting suggestions on the list – let’s talk relaxation and comfort! Prenatal massages are where it’s at, mama. If you haven’t treated yourself to one yet, get on that girl. Just be sure that you choose a spa or massage therapist that specifically offers prenatal massages so that you know what they’re doing is safe for you as a pregnant woman.

I’ve even known some mamas to put a gift certificate for a prenatal massage on their registries. You deserve it!

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5. Have a me-day in the final weeks

Building on that massage, in the final weeks before birth, or even during the week of your due date, I want you to plan a me-day for yourself. A day where you’re not doing any baby or birth prep. It’s a day where you pamper yourself, relax, and do all the things you LOVE to do with just yourself.

It’s a great chance to get your hair and nails done – pedicures feel especially heavenly in those final weeks. It might be a while after birth until you get out to do those kinds of things again.

But maybe it’s more like spending a day in nature, or at the beach. There’s no right or wrong way to have a me-day, the point is that it’s doing whatever YOU love to do. A big transition is coming when you become a mother, so I really do love the idea of soaking up some intentional time with yourself right before that happens.

6. Have a freezer stocking party

Yes! I always tell mamas that one of the best gifts you can give your postpartum self is a well-stocked freezer for the first few weeks and months after baby is born. After birth, you will be craving home-cooked, nourishing meals, but time to actually make those meals are hard to come by.

Stocking your freezer with easy-to-reheat meals, or bags of ingredients that just need to be poured into the crockpot will be so welcomed in those early postpartum days.

The thing is this can be a lot to take on all by yourself! A freezer stocking party is a wonderful way to get the job done and let those well-intentioned friends and family members help you prepare. You know the ones that are always asking what they can do to help, but you’re not sure where to channel it?

To make this go more smoothly, prep before the party by grabbing a list of recipes with a grocery list. I really like Family Freezer’s 40 Pre-Baby Freezer Meals.

It’s totally free and comes with recipes and a grocery list you can download. Get the groceries delivered to the house, make sure you’ve got freezer Ziplocs on hand, and watch your freezer get stocked with meals inside of just a few hours!

7. Go on a few special dates

During your pregnancy, it is easy to get caught up in all the prepping and seemingly endless to-dos. So I want to encourage you to carve out time to intentionally bond and connect with your partner. Planning a few special date nights is a great way to do this. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Shop (in person!) for a special gift for baby

This is a really fun date activity you can do with your partner! Go shopping in person for a special gift for baby. This could be a meaningful gift you pass on when they’re older (think guitar, special set of your favorite book series, jewlery) or something meaningful for right away (beautiful children’s books, a well-made blanket, etc.). This date will feel even more special if you shop at local boutiques when possible, and pair it with a fun meal out!

Have a movie night in – where you prep for birth!

Okay hear me out, hah! Most of you probably don’t think of birth prep as a movie night, but one thing I hear from a LOT of pregnant mamas is that their partners aren’t interested in the whole birth class thing.

Well, turn your birth class into a 2-part movie night! Get all the delicious snacks and make a little event out of it. Our online birth classes have a 4-5 hour run time, so that’s basically the equivalent of two movie nights, and you’re totally prepared!

You and your partner will feel more confident, prepared and in control for the big day – and I know that completing the birth class together will also strengthen your bond and excitement for what’s to come.

Learn more about our tailored birth classes – there’s one for every mama!

  • Birth It Up: The Natural Series: This one is for mamas that want to try for an unmedicated birth, but still covers medical pain interventions with an open mind, just in case!
  • Birth It Up: The Epidural Series: This one is for mamas that already know they want to get an epidural and want a deep dive into what that entails. You’ll also learn about pain coping strategies for before your epidural is placed
  • Birth It Up: The C-Section Series: And this one is for mamas that have a scheduled C-section on the horizon, because you too can benefit from the confidence birth education will bring to your big day!

And, you’ll be happy to know that every single version of our birth classes have an entire section dedicated to partner prep and support! So let’s get you BOTH ready to have a better birth!!

Go on a due-date date

I love this one! So many of us go PAST our due dates (including me!) and it can be a little disheartening when the day comes and nothing happens. But what you can do, is make a date out of it!

Celebrate making it to your due date and all that has happened over the course of the last 9 months with a special date. This is a good time to check in with each other about birth and parenthood in general.

Talk through the specific ways your partner can support you in the coming weeks, and level with each other about the fact that things are going to look really different. But you two are strong, and you will rock this transition together.

Have an induction/C-Section eve date

Similar to the idea of a due-date date, is a date on the eve of your scheduled C-section or induction. Live it up! Big things are going to happen the next day, so again, celebrate all that’s about to come.

Just don’t stay out too late. Trust me when I tell you that you’ll want to be feeling very well-rested and refreshed when you come in for either your induction or C-section!

Do a foods-to-start-labor date

Okay, this is a totally fun idea that one of you sent me over on Instagram. Find out if there are any locations in your area that are famous for their labor-inducing dishes. In my town there is a place that serves THE hottest jalapeno poppers around, so we went there to try to get labor going (and it actually kinda worked).

Someone else on the MLN team lives in a town where there’s an Indian restaurant that is famous for a spicy dish that will put you into labor, and I’ve read about a few other famous restaurant dishes around the country too.

You can also totally do this at home! Our article, 6 Ways to Naturally Induce Labor, has some ideas!

 
 
 
 
 
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8. Meet a bump buddy (future mom friend!)

Okay, let’s round out this list with something fun and social just for you! I challenge you to go out and meet a bump buddy during your pregnancy. Connecting with a mama that’s due around the same time as you is so awesome. You’ll have someone to empathize with in real-time, and you’ll have an instant mom friend once baby is here.

Some ways to connect with other pregnant mamas include:

  • Prenatal fitness classes
  • Local pregnancy support groups
  • The waiting room at prenatal appointments (okay, tred lightly here, but it can work!)
  • The Peanut App
  • Local Facebook groups
  • Other pregnancy/prenatal happenings in your community – yoga, meditation, general meet-ups, registry events, etc.

A big piece of this is just going to be putting yourself out there! Trust me when I tell you that everyone wishes they had someone to talk to and bond with over their pregnancy. So if you make the first move, I think you’ll have good luck!

Let’s keep this list of fun things to do during pregnancy going!

All right! Mamas, that wraps up my ideas for this list! But I’d love to keep it going in the comments section, so definitely chime in and let me know what we can add.

And if you’re the kind of mama that loves lists, I’ve got a few more to point you to here on the MLN blog:

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Liesel Teen, RN-BSN

Liesel Teen

BSN, RN, Practicing Labor and Delivery Nurse

As a labor and delivery nurse, I’ve spent countless hours with women who felt anxious — even fearful — about giving birth. I want you to know it doesn’t have to be that way for you!

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