7 Apps for Help with Pregnancy
By Tracey Dowdy
Being pregnant is a beautiful combination of the most nerve-wracking, confusing and exciting times in your life. There’s more information and advice available than anyone could possibly comprehend and sifting through what is good advice and what is nonsense can be challenging. Sushi or no? How much exercise is safe? At what point in your pregnancy is it too late to fly? And is it normal to have heartburn so bad you’re afraid your shirt will catch fire?
Obviously your doctor or midwife are your best resources for prenatal care and advice but these apps can help with tips for everything from conception to timing contractions when math is the last thing on your mind.
Ovia Fertility
Ovia Fertility gets rave reviews for being exceptionally user friendly with its bold and color coded design making it easy to sift through complex information. It’s regarded as one of the most accurate fertility apps as it uses complex algorithms to track your cycle making it easier even for those with irregular menstrual cycles to conceive. As a bonus, the app includes a MyQ quiz to help you discover what is fact and what is fiction regarding pregnancy and conception.
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS, Android
Glow – Ovulation Calculator, Fertility & Period Tracker
Glow helps women understand their menstrual cycle. The app tracks your period, mood, symptoms, sex, and any medications you take and uses that information to map your fertility. Because of the medication tracking element, it’s an excellent app for those undergoing fertility treatments like IVF or IUI.
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS, Android
Ovia Pregnancy Tracker
Ovia Pregnancy Tracker is a follow up to their fertility app and also stands out from the crowd. Using those scientific algorithms to track weight, sleep patterns, symptoms and even your moods, the app transforms all that data into a custom plan to record milestones and will even alert you to signs you or the baby are at risk.
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS, Android
Sprout Baby Tracker
Sprout Baby Tracker gets consistently high marks from moms and professionals alike. With vivid and beautiful images of your baby at each stage of development and resources from Parent’s Magazine, the app also has unique features like the ability to track twins progress individually and share and sync information across devices. One user pointed out how it’s easy-to-use interface made it both simple and fun for older siblings to understand the baby’s development. Sprout offers additional apps and can be purchased as a bundle for comprehensive care from conception to delivery and beyond.
Cost: Free, with in-app purchases
Platform: iOS
BabyBump
BabyBump goes beyond the average pregnancy app by incorporating a social networking element for parents. Each day brings tips and new information while tracking progress for both you and your baby. Connect with other parents to ask questions like “Is this normal?” you can’t or don’t want to ask the doctor, get suggestions on how to treat heartburn and insomnia, and even find out which products are must-haves or a waste of money from the people actually using them.
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS, Android
Pregnancy ++
Pregnancy ++ is a comprehensive app that includes a daily diary and tips that enable you to track weight, diet, doctor appointments, and a contraction timer. It even offers a list of over 1000 baby names plus a baby size guide that offers practical information to help you really understand how big the baby is at each stage. For example, did you know at seven weeks your baby is the size of a blueberry? Best of all, the app includes beautiful images of babies at each stage of development. It will be one of your favorite features and is a great teaching tool to help older siblings watch the baby grow and develop.
Cost: $3.99
Platform: iOS, Android
Full Term
Full Term offers features like a kick counter, nutrition and fitness information, but where it really shines is in its primary purpose as a contraction timer. Like other apps on this list, it’s easy-to-read interface makes starting and stopping the timer simple. Each contraction is recorded in a log making it easy to report to the nurses and doctors – especially valuable at a time when you want to be able to focus on breathing, not on math.
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS, Android
Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.
