A is for Apps
The greatest thing about being a mother in this day and age is that information is easily accessible. If you don’t want to read an entire book you can easily search the web or download an app. There are tons of apps that can make your pregnancy and postpartum experience easier. Here are my top 5 pregnancy/childbirth/parenting apps in no particular order:
1. Ovia/Ovia Pregnancy/Ovia Parenting. Before I got pregnant I used Ovia to track my periods. You can mark when your period starts, check off any symptoms that you have each day, and you can add notes. The app then tracks when you should get your period the following months and it also predicts the days that you would ovulate. Once I became pregnant I switched to Ovia Pregnancy. My information from Ovia was carried over to Ovia Pregnancy and it kept track of how far along, what was occurring in the body/with the fetus each week, and there's also a community to post and answer questions. I’ve recently downloaded Ovia Parenting. The app allows you to keep track of your baby’s milestones and it contains an archive of articles that you can search by topic.
2. BabyCenter. The BabyCenter app is a great and interactive app that keeps track of your pregnancy and the age of your baby after he/she is born. There are features such as a growth tracker where you can keep track of your baby's measurements and there are also helpful tools such as a sleep guide and a feeding guide which gives you sample schedules and tips on how much your baby should be eating and sleeping. For pregnancy, there are extremely helpful tools such as a kick tracker, registry checklist, contraction timer, and 'bumpie' where you can take photos of your growing bump each week and even create a slideshow. There is also a community on this app where you can post and answer questions.
3. The Bump. The Bump is one of the main apps I used throughout my pregnancy and still use to this day. The Bump allows you to keep track of your bump selfies each week as well as weekly pictures of your baby for a year. When you open the app at the very top is a link to view more on what's going on with your fetus/baby this week. Below that are several helpful articles and lists. The Bump also features a tab called 'Real Answers' where you can search for answers to your questions from professionals and regular people. I love the idea of having professional doctors, midwives, lactation consultants provide detailed and knowledgeable answers.
4. Baby Tracker. This app is one of my favorites! It's so good that I spent $4.99 for the pro version. This app allows you to tracks feeding, sleeping, diaper changes, pumping, milestones, medicine, temperature, and much more! If you have an Apple device then purchasing the pro version allows you to download the app to other devices and sync the information that's already stored. Each section allows you to be as detailed as you'd like. For example, the feeding tab allows you to time breastfeedings, keep track of how much pumped breastmilk your baby drank, how much formula your baby drank, and how much purees, solids, or cereal your baby ate. Under the miscellaneous tab, you can keep track of baby's temperature, medicine/vitamin intake, bathes, and more! Another perk of having the pro version is you can shake the phone and activate night mode (black screen as opposed to a white one) which is perfect for nighttime feedings.
5. Cloud Baby Monitor. This. App. Is. AMAZING! If you have more than one Apple device this app is a NEED! For only $3.99 you get a high-quality baby monitor that has a night mode, flashlight, plays lullabies, allows you to ‘video chat’ with your baby, and can be used away from home. If you’re curious to see the clarity and how this app works, stay tuned! I will be uploading a video review on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/mwatts0928
If you have any apps that you recommend please comment and share them!