Pregnancy Keepsakes: Photos, Videos and Heartbeat Bears

Pregnancy goes by faster than anyone expects. One day you are seeing the first flicker of a heartbeat, and a few months later you are packing a hospital bag. Pregnancy keepsakes help you hold onto those moments, and they often become the pieces families treasure most once the baby is here.

In this post we look at the keepsakes parents love most, from printed pictures to full videos and Heartbeat Bears, and share simple ideas for displaying and storing them.

Why pregnancy keepsakes matter

Keepsakes tell the story of the months before your baby's first day. Older siblings love looking back at the pictures of "when I was a baby in your tummy", and many parents keep them for the day their child is old enough to ask.

They are also a lovely way to include family members who cannot come to every appointment. A printed picture on a grandparent's fridge or a video shared with relatives abroad brings everyone a little closer.

Keepsakes do not have to be expensive or elaborate. A simple journal with a few lines after each appointment, a photo of the growing bump each month or a letter to your baby can mean just as much years from now as any printed image.

Ultrasound pictures and full videos

Printed pictures are the classic keepsake. Every one of our ultrasound packages includes pictures, and several include digital pictures and the full video of your session, which you can access easily through the Bomee app and share with family.

Many families also save a short clip of the heartbeat from an early visit. Hearing that sound again months later, when the baby is already sleeping in the next room, is a moment many parents describe as unforgettable. If you are early in pregnancy, our guide to weeks 6 to 10 and your baby's first heartbeat explains what you can expect to see and hear at that stage.

Later in pregnancy, 5D and HDlive images can show your baby's features in beautiful detail, and an 8K hyperrealistic image is available too. Our post on what an 8K hyperrealistic ultrasound image is explains how it differs from a regular picture. Every baby is different, and image quality depends on factors like position and fluid, so it cannot be guaranteed.

Heartbeat Bears: a keepsake you can hug

A Heartbeat Bear is a small plush bear with your baby's heartbeat inside. Many parents love having something soft to hold, and older siblings often adopt the bear as their own special connection to the new baby.

At Video Prenatal, the Heartbeat Bear is included with our Mommy Bundle, together with everything in Golden Memories, unlimited digital pictures, the digital video and an 8K hyperrealistic image.

Some families keep the bear in the nursery, others tuck it into the hospital bag so it is there on the day the baby is born. Either way, it becomes a small, soft reminder of the months you spent waiting to meet your little one.

Simple ways to display and store your keepsakes

• Frame a favorite ultrasound picture or 8K image for the nursery wall.
• Start a baby book with a page for each scan and a note about how you felt that day.
• Create a keepsake box with the pictures, the gender reveal card and the Heartbeat Bear.
• Write the date and the week of pregnancy on the back of each printed picture.
• Save the videos in more than one place so they are never lost.
• Make a short slideshow for grandparents or for the baby's first birthday.

Build keepsakes into your preparations

Keepsakes fit naturally into the rest of your planning. A framed image can be the finishing touch in the nursery, and the reveal card from a party makes a sweet addition to the baby book. For more on those steps, see our guides to setting up the nursery without the stress and planning a gender reveal your family will remember.

For the full picture, from the registry to the hospital bag, our calm checklist for preparing for your baby's arrival keeps everything in one place.

Keepsakes are also a lovely way to bring the family in. Grandparents often treasure a framed copy of an ultrasound picture, and older siblings love having their own printed photo of the baby to show friends at school.

Choosing a keepsake package

If keepsakes are what you are after, the later weeks are a popular time. Golden Memories ($129, 27+ weeks) includes a 30 minute 5D/HD session, 6 color 4x6 pictures, digital pictures and the full video, and you can add an 8K hyperrealistic image for $25.

The Mommy Bundle ($169, 27+ weeks) includes everything in Golden Memories plus unlimited digital pictures, the digital video, an 8K hyperrealistic image and a Heartbeat Bear. Compare both in our ultrasound packages and book when you are ready, with no deposit required.