🤰 Pregnancy Journey

Let’s reflect on our project as if it were a pregnancy journey—celebrating growth, navigating cravings and changes, and preparing for what comes next. Together, we’ll nurture our process and ensure a healthy delivery of results!
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🤰 Pregnancy Journey

Template Columns

🍼 Nurturing Habits to Start

Share new practices or ideas we should embrace for a healthier, smoother journey ahead.

Base column: Start
🚫 Unwanted Symptoms to Stop

Highlight practices or obstacles we should leave behind, just like avoiding pregnancy cravings that aren’t good for us.

Base column: Stop
💖 Healthy Routines to Continue

Identify tried-and-true approaches that are helping us grow strong—let’s keep them going!

Base column: Continue

About this template

A metaphorical retrospective that treats the project like a pregnancy, helping the team nurture good practices, discard harmful habits, and reinforce healthy routines.

When to use this template

Ideal for mid‑project checkpoints or when the team feels stuck and needs a fresh perspective on growth and change.

How to facilitate

1

Set the stage by explaining the pregnancy metaphor and invite everyone to think of the project as a developing child.

2

Ask participants to write down nurturing habits they want to start on sticky notes and place them in the Nurturing Habits column.

3

Collect unwanted symptoms to stop, encouraging honest sharing of obstacles and unproductive behaviors for the Unwanted Symptoms column.

4

Gather healthy routines to continue, having the team highlight practices that have been beneficial in the Healthy Routines column.

5

Facilitate a group discussion to prioritize actions, assign owners, and create a simple delivery plan for the next sprint.

Pro Tips

Use visual icons (baby bottle, stop sign, heart) on virtual boards to keep the metaphor vivid.

Limit each participant to three items per column to keep the conversation focused.

End with a quick “birth plan” where the team outlines the next deliverable as the newborn.

FAQ

What if the team is unfamiliar with the pregnancy metaphor?

Spend a minute sharing the analogy and give a concrete example, such as comparing a sprint review to a prenatal check‑up, to make the concept relatable.

How do we handle sensitive topics that feel like ‘unwanted symptoms’?

Encourage phrasing issues as behaviors rather than personal critiques and assure the group that the focus is on process improvement, not blame.

Can this format be used for a project that is already near completion?

Yes, treat the final phase as the ‘delivery’ stage, focusing on last‑minute habits to start, stop, and continue to ensure a healthy launch.

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At a glance

  • Duration

    45–60 min

  • Team Size

    4-12 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    Start, Stop, Continue

Tags

process improvement
team health
reflection
action-oriented
creative

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective