Six great Pregnancy Apps
From plotting your fertility signs to researching weird pregnancy symptoms, these apps have it all.
PRE-PREGNANCY APPS
After spending years trying not to get pregnant, you might be surprised that falling pregnant is not as easy a task as you first thought. Acronyms like TTC, BFP and OPK will become familiar and you’ll probably start thinking more about your temperature than you ever have before.
Fertility Friend
This is a very popular app, with a five-star average rating. It’s simple to use and has reportedly tracked more than 650,000 pregnancies. The colour-coded chart follows basal body temperate and changes to your cervical fluids, amongst other things, to predict your personal fertility window and ovulation date. Also, this is the part that makes it stand out above many other apps: you can compare your own chart with other users.
Ovia
Another popular tracker with nearly 13,000 ratings in iTunes. It has the same basic features as Fertility Friend but there is no chart or chart comparison. However, it is an attractive app to use and there is a good selection of articles in categories such as Before You Try, Fertility 101 and Having Trouble. It is set out as a monthly calendar view and it updates your fertility score and cycle day each day. The home page will pop up with advice for the day, including TTC Tip or to report on the data you entered.
Glow
What stands out about this app is the strong community feel. You don’t have to join and you can remain in private mode, but there are multiple forums and groups on offer. You can also participate in polls, announce your positive pregnancy test, ask questions, and more. The home page is set out with that day’s chance of pregnancy as a percentage. The home page also features your daily log with quick access to input intercourse, symptoms, moods and basal body temperature.
PREGNANCY APPS
When you’re already pregnant, no doubt you have many, many questions. And there are only so many times you can quiz your friends or ask Google. Both Ovia and Glow have great pregnancy apps but we’ll mention some others too.
Pregnancy +
With 15 million users, this is beautifully set out with a floating fetus surrounded by golden light on the home page. Pregnancy + tells you the exact number of days you are pregnant, provides daily info and blogs such as “To polish or not to polish?” plus an in-depth explanation of what’s happening with your precious cargo that week. There is also a kick counter, image gallery, baby names, appointment logging and shopping lists.
What to Expect
You might recognise this name from the popular What to Expect When You’re Expecting book and website. What is a major positive about this app is the community feel. If you wish, you can join – or just read along with – discussion groups such as 1st Pregnancy, Single Mums, and Baby Name Game. It’s other main selling point is the huge amount of information in their blogs and articles. However, many women say the number of ads are a drawback.
Full Term
This app is a contraction timer to use during labour. It’s simple to use, with an uncluttered interface. When the first contraction starts, press start, and then press stop when the contraction ends. You can also put in notes about how intense each contraction was and anything else of importance. As an added bonus, you can email the progress report to your healthcare professional.
There are so many apps to choose from, with some focusing on dads, others on baby bump photos and some that listen to your baby’s heartbeat. Of course, all apps are intended for general information purposes only. If you have queries or worrying symptoms, please get in contact with your obstetrician.
About the Author
Dr Philip Rowlands is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecological Surgeon who has delivered more than 10,000 babies. To contact Dr Rowlands, visit
or call his rooms on (08) 9448 6064.