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

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Pregnancy comes with a LOT of homework. Appointments, birth classes, the registry, approximately 700 decisions about strollers alone. It's really easy to spend nine months in prep mode and forget that this part of your life can actually be fun.

So this list is the fun part. Some of these ideas are about relaxing and feeling good, some are ways to remember this time, and a few are dates with your partner or things to do with friends. It might feel like pregnancy is lasting forever right now (especially if you're in the third trimester and can no longer see your own feet), but most people look back and genuinely can't believe how fast it went.

1. Take weekly bump pictures

Weekly bump pictures are one of those things people either LOVE doing or keep forgetting to do, so let me make my case. I was really good about taking mine during my first pregnancy, and I still love looking back at them. Watching your belly grow week by week is just cool.

They also turned out to be useful during my second pregnancy. I waited to find out whether I was having a boy or a girl, so comparing the two bumps side by side made for some very serious (and very unscientific) guessing.

You can start wherever you are, so don't stress if you're already 25 weeks with zero photos. Weekly or monthly both work. There are a bunch of apps that let you add text or stickers, or you can grab a set of milestone blocks and use them in your bump photos AND in baby's monthly photos once they're here. Two uses, one purchase.

Keep a weekly journal to go with them

If you want a keepsake to go with the photos, jot down a few notes each week too. Cravings, symptoms, how you're feeling, what happened at your appointment, the first time your partner felt baby kick. It doesn't have to be long or pretty. You'll be really glad you wrote down the stuff you were SURE you'd remember (you will not remember).

2. Do a maternity photoshoot

Staying on the documenting theme: do the maternity shoot. I know not everyone does one, and I think a big reason is that a lot of us don't feel great about how we look while pregnant and would rather stay behind the camera.

But you really don't want to look back on this whole pregnancy and realize there are basically no pictures of you in it. A photographer who does a lot of maternity sessions knows how to pose and light a pregnant body, and a good one will make the whole thing feel way less awkward than you're imagining.

If a professional shoot isn't in the budget, do a DIY one. Put on an outfit you like, do your hair and makeup if that's your thing, hand your partner or a friend your phone and head outside around sunset. It's usually a lot more fun than people expect.

3. Write letters to your baby

Full disclosure, I didn't do this one, and I kind of regret it. I have friends who wrote letters to their babies throughout their pregnancies and are saving them to give to their kids when they're grown, which I think is so cool.

You could write after big milestones like an ultrasound, hearing the heartbeat or feeling the first kicks. It can also be a really grounding thing to do on nights when you can't sleep and your brain won't stop. The letters don't need to be polished or profound. What you were actually thinking about, worrying about and looking forward to is the part your kid is going to care about someday.

4. Book a prenatal massage

Ok, moving from documenting to relaxing. If you haven't had a prenatal massage yet, consider this your sign. Just make sure you book with a spa or massage therapist who specifically offers prenatal massage, so you know they're trained to position and support you safely and comfortably while you're pregnant (and you're not lying there trying to figure out what to do with your bump). If you have a high-risk pregnancy or any complications, check with your provider first.

I've also known people to put a prenatal massage gift card on their baby registry, which is a very smart move.

5. Plan a me-day in the final weeks

Sometime in the last few weeks of pregnancy, or even the week of your due date, plan a day that is just for you. No baby prep. No birth prep. No assembling the dresser that came with 47 bags of screws. Just a day of doing things you love.

That might mean getting your hair or nails done. A pedicure feels SO good when you can no longer reach your own feet, and it might be a while after baby before you get to sit in that chair again. Or maybe it's a day at the beach, a long walk somewhere pretty, lunch at your favorite spot or a whole afternoon with a book. There's no wrong way to do it. A really big transition is coming, and I love the idea of spending some intentional time with just yourself right before it happens.

6. Throw a freezer-stocking party

One of the best gifts you can give your postpartum self is a well-stocked freezer. After birth you're going to want warm, filling, homemade food, and you'll have basically zero time or energy to make it. Meals you can just reheat, or freezer bags of ingredients you can dump straight into the slow cooker, make those first few weeks SO much easier.

That's a lot of cooking to do by yourself, though, which is where the party comes in. You probably have a few friends or family members who keep asking what they can do to help, and you never know what to tell them. This is what you tell them.

A little planning makes it go way smoother. Pick your recipes and make a grocery list ahead of time. Family Freezer's 40 Pre-Baby Freezer Meals is a popular one to start from, and there are plenty of others out there. Get the groceries delivered, stock up on freezer bags and a Sharpie for labeling, put some music on and split up the recipes. With a few extra sets of hands, you can fill a freezer in a few hours.

7. Go on a few special dates with your partner

With so much prep happening, pregnancy can turn into one long to-do list really fast. So I want to encourage you to plan a few dates with your partner, on purpose, before baby gets here. Here are some ideas to get you started.

(And if you're the partner and you found this while googling things to do with your pregnant wife...hi! Any of these would make a great surprise. Bonus points if you handle all the planning.)

Shop in person for a special gift for baby

This one is really fun. Go out together, in person, and pick a special gift for your baby. It could be something meant for when they're older, like a guitar, a set of your favorite books or a piece of jewelry, or something they'll use right away, like a beautiful children's book or a really good blanket. Shopping at local boutiques makes it feel even more special, especially if you finish with a nice dinner out.

Turn birth class into a movie night

Ok, hear me out. One thing I hear a LOT from pregnant people is that their partner isn't exactly excited about taking a birth class. So don't call it a birth class. Call it movie night.

If your class is online (my Birth It Up class is, and it has a bonus lesson just for partners), split it across a couple of evenings, get the good snacks and settle in on the couch. By the end, you'll both know what to expect when labor starts, and your partner will actually understand how to help you. It's also a nice way to feel like a team heading into the big day, which is a pretty good return on two nights of popcorn. If you're not sure where to start, my free mini birth class is only 45 minutes, which makes it a pretty easy first "movie."

Go on a due-date date

So many people go past their due date (myself included), and it can be a little deflating when the day finally comes and...nothing. So make a date out of it instead.

Celebrate making it to your due date and everything that's happened over the last nine-ish months. It's also a really good time to talk about what's coming. Talk through the specific ways your partner can support you during labor and postpartum, and be honest with each other about how different life is about to look. It helps a LOT to have that conversation before you're both running on two hours of sleep.

Have an induction or C-section eve date

If you have a scheduled induction or C-section, make the night before a celebration. Big things are happening tomorrow, so enjoy the anticipation together.

Just keep it low-key. Follow whatever instructions your hospital gave you about when to stop eating and drinking, and don't stay out late. Inductions in particular can take a while (sometimes more than a day), so trust me, you'll want to show up rested.

Try a "labor-inducing" food date (just for fun)

This idea came from one of you on Instagram, and I love it. Find out if there's a restaurant near you with a dish that has a reputation for sending people into labor. In my town there's a place that serves THE hottest jalapeño poppers around, so we went there to try to get labor going (and it actually kinda worked). Someone on my team lives near an Indian restaurant with a spicy dish that has the same reputation, and there are places like this all over the country.

To be clear, there's no research showing that spicy food actually starts labor, and I can't prove my poppers had anything to do with it. Go for the fun and the story, not because you're expecting results. And if spicy food gives you heartburn (VERY common in late pregnancy), pick something you'll actually enjoy eating.

8. Find a bump buddy

Let's end with something social. I really want you to try to find a bump buddy, someone who's due around the same time as you. Having a friend going through the exact same stage in real time is SO nice, and once your babies are here you've got an instant mom friend who gets it.

Where to meet other pregnant people

• Prenatal fitness or yoga classes

• Local pregnancy support groups

• Childbirth or breastfeeding classes

• The waiting room at your prenatal appointments (tread lightly, but it can work)

• Apps like Peanut

• Local Facebook groups for expecting parents

• Community events like prenatal meetups and registry events

A lot of this just comes down to putting yourself out there, which I know is awkward. But most pregnant people would love someone to talk to about all of it, so if you make the first move, odds are pretty good it'll be welcome.

Fun things to do with a pregnant friend

If you already have a pregnant friend (or you're the friend trying to come up with something to do with her), here are a few easy ideas:

• Get pedicures or have a spa day. Low effort, high reward, lots of time to talk.

• Take a prenatal yoga or fitness class together. Speaking as someone who will simply not exercise unless a human being is expecting me somewhere at 10:30, this works.

• Go baby shopping or work on your registries. It's a lot less overwhelming with someone to talk through the options.

• Have a cravings night. Pick a movie, gather whatever you're both craving and call it a night.

• Do a joint bump photoshoot. Side-by-side bump photos are a great keepsake, especially if your babies end up being friends too.

• Cook freezer meals together. Double every recipe and you both go home with a stocked freezer.

If she's the one who's pregnant, let her energy level make the plan. Some days a big outing sounds great. Some days the couch is the only acceptable venue.

Fun things to do while pregnant: FAQ

What can I do for fun when I'm tired or not feeling great?

Fatigue and nausea are really common, especially in the first trimester, so low-energy fun absolutely counts. Start your bump photos, write a letter to baby, watch a show with whatever snack you can stomach, take a short walk or have a friend come to you instead of going out. Save the bigger plans for days you feel more like a person.

How can I celebrate my birthday while pregnant?

Plan something that feels good in a pregnant body. A prenatal massage, brunch or dinner somewhere you love, a maternity shoot scheduled around your birthday or a low-key night with friends all work. A restaurant with a good mocktail list doesn't hurt either.

How can I celebrate being pregnant?

A lot of the ideas on this list double as pregnancy celebrations, especially the maternity shoot, the due-date date and the night before a scheduled induction or C-section. Some couples also take a babymoon, or mark milestones like hearing the heartbeat or a big ultrasound with a special dinner or a small gift for baby.

Are there any fun activities I should skip while pregnant?

Most everyday fun is completely fine during pregnancy, but a few things are worth skipping or running by your provider first. Hot yoga isn't recommended, and hot tubs and saunas should be limited, because they can raise your body temperature more than is ideal (especially early in pregnancy). Scuba diving, skydiving, contact sports and activities where you could easily fall (think horseback riding, gymnastics or downhill skiing) are on the avoid list too. If amusement parks are on your list, check the ride restrictions before you get in line, since a lot of rides post warnings for pregnant guests. And if you have a high-risk pregnancy, ask your provider what's okay for you specifically.

Pick one and put it on the calendar

There's a lot of serious stuff to get ready for during pregnancy, but there's room for the fun stuff too, and these are the things you'll be glad you made time for. Pick one or two that sound good and actually put them on the calendar. (If you're anything like me, writing it down is the only way it's happening.)

~Liesel

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