Guide | Mobile Apps for Tracking and Managing Every Stage of Pregnancy
From trying to conceive through childbirth, dedicated mobile apps can support expectant mothers at nearly every stage. They can help with everything from choosing a baby name to documenting a growing bump.
Dr. Alyssa Dweck, assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said: “Overall, the growth in pregnancy-related apps is positive. They can give women greater control over their health, provide education, help them understand their bodies and bond with their babies, and offer reassurance during pregnancy.” These tools can help throughout the process, but apps do not replace medical advice. Ask your doctor if you are unsure whether an app is appropriate.
Track Your Menstrual Cycle
The first step toward parenthood is becoming pregnant. Ovulation-tracking apps ask you to record key menstrual-cycle information, such as changes in cervical mucus and basal body temperature, to identify the days when conception is most likely. Cervical mucus becomes clear and slippery before ovulation, while basal body temperature rises slightly afterward.
Estimate Your Due Date
After a positive pregnancy test, you may want to know when your baby is due. Enter the first day of your last menstrual period into a due-date calculator app for an estimated delivery date. Some apps also provide a possible conception date, gestational age, and the end date of the current trimester.
Understand Your Baby's Development
Your baby is already growing and moving before your bump appears or you feel the first movement. Apps can track development day by day, and some create 3D images to help you understand the baby's activity and feel more connected.
Help You Stay Healthy
With your doctor's approval, staying active during pregnancy may reduce back pain and the risk of gestational diabetes, improve mood and sleep, and support postpartum recovery. If you are unsure which exercises are safe and comfortable, pregnancy fitness apps or online classes can provide guided workouts. Many offer exercises and stretches tailored to your current trimester.
Apps for Expectant Fathers
Expectant fathers cannot feel every fetal movement, but they may still want to bond with the baby and support their partner. Apps designed for them may include due-date countdowns, daily tips, hospital-bag checklists, contraction timers, and to-do lists.
Check Medication Safety
For symptoms such as headache or heartburn, some apps let you scan the barcode of a prescription or over-the-counter medication to check its use during pregnancy. After birth, they may also provide information about medication use while breastfeeding.
Time Contractions
During labor, apps can record the duration of each contraction, the number per hour, and other details. Although paper, pen, and a stopwatch also work, an app keeps the information together for discussion with your doctor.
Apps to Avoid
Pregnancy can sometimes feel stressful. Although some apps claim to let you hear your baby's heartbeat, Dr. DeNicola advises against them. Even trained doctors may have difficulty finding a heartbeat early in pregnancy, which can cause unnecessary concern.
Another technology to avoid is nonmedical ultrasound. ACOG advises against “keepsake” scans because they may create false reassurance or, if a scan suggests a problem, may not provide the clinical information or care available in a medical office.
Guide | Mobile Apps for Tracking and Managing Every Stage of Pregnancy
Guide | Mobile Apps for Tracking and Managing Every Stage of Pregnancy
From trying to conceive through childbirth, dedicated mobile apps can support expectant mothers at nearly every stage. They can help with everything from choosing a baby name to documenting a growing bump.
Dr. Alyssa Dweck, assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said: “Overall, the growth in pregnancy-related apps is positive. They can give women greater control over their health, provide education, help them understand their bodies and bond with their babies, and offer reassurance during pregnancy.” These tools can help throughout the process, but apps do not replace medical advice. Ask your doctor if you are unsure whether an app is appropriate.
Track Your Menstrual Cycle
The first step toward parenthood is becoming pregnant. Ovulation-tracking apps ask you to record key menstrual-cycle information, such as changes in cervical mucus and basal body temperature, to identify the days when conception is most likely. Cervical mucus becomes clear and slippery before ovulation, while basal body temperature rises slightly afterward.
Estimate Your Due Date
After a positive pregnancy test, you may want to know when your baby is due. Enter the first day of your last menstrual period into a due-date calculator app for an estimated delivery date. Some apps also provide a possible conception date, gestational age, and the end date of the current trimester.
Understand Your Baby's Development
Your baby is already growing and moving before your bump appears or you feel the first movement. Apps can track development day by day, and some create 3D images to help you understand the baby's activity and feel more connected.
Help You Stay Healthy
With your doctor's approval, staying active during pregnancy may reduce back pain and the risk of gestational diabetes, improve mood and sleep, and support postpartum recovery. If you are unsure which exercises are safe and comfortable, pregnancy fitness apps or online classes can provide guided workouts. Many offer exercises and stretches tailored to your current trimester.
Apps for Expectant Fathers
Expectant fathers cannot feel every fetal movement, but they may still want to bond with the baby and support their partner. Apps designed for them may include due-date countdowns, daily tips, hospital-bag checklists, contraction timers, and to-do lists.
Check Medication Safety
For symptoms such as headache or heartburn, some apps let you scan the barcode of a prescription or over-the-counter medication to check its use during pregnancy. After birth, they may also provide information about medication use while breastfeeding.
Time Contractions
During labor, apps can record the duration of each contraction, the number per hour, and other details. Although paper, pen, and a stopwatch also work, an app keeps the information together for discussion with your doctor.
Apps to Avoid
Pregnancy can sometimes feel stressful. Although some apps claim to let you hear your baby's heartbeat, Dr. DeNicola advises against them. Even trained doctors may have difficulty finding a heartbeat early in pregnancy, which can cause unnecessary concern.
Another technology to avoid is nonmedical ultrasound. ACOG advises against “keepsake” scans because they may create false reassurance or, if a scan suggests a problem, may not provide the clinical information or care available in a medical office.
Source:
Collected online