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Not everyone knows that I have a child. You might not care either, but I mention this because, as I recently discovered after doing a Gallup test, one of my personality characteristics is a “Learner”. It means I like to read everything, and I do mean everything, before embarking upon a task.
How does this relate to me having a child? Well, when I discovered I was pregnant, I immediately went and downloaded an app. Ok, not just one app, multiple apps. How was my baby growing? What symptoms should I currently be experiencing? How much weight should I have gained at this stage in my pregnancy?
Many of these apps probably don't tell you anything you didn't already know if you listened to your doctor, but on the plus side they do provide you with a quick and easy way to check up on the development of your baby, especially if you're a first time mom.
In no particular order here are the best 3 apps I used while I was pregnant:
What To Expect: Pregnancy (Free)
Almost every new mom I know has Heidi Murkoff's What To Expect When You're Expecting. The companion app to this is really rather excellent as well, with detailed information not only on the weekly development of the new life inside you, but also on the changes your body will be going through which let's be honest, can be rather depressing no matter how exciting the prospect of having a child is.
Many apps only give weekly updates, so you can really only check in once a week to find out what's happening. This app also gives you daily information that is mostly (not always) useful, and counts down to your due date.
Available on both iOS and Android.
My Pregnancy Today (Free)
Babycenter is one of the websites I still refer to when trying to figure out if I should take my kid to the doctor or not. I discovered it when I was pregnant, primarily because of this app which was recommended by a number of other parents.
This app will help you track your pregnancy on a daily basis and includes features such as weekly fetal development, videos (some are birth videos which might not be something you want to watch!), a due date calculator, nutrition guide and a kick tracker, the last of which is particularly useful if you're feeling bit worried about movement.
It's definitely one of the best apps I had on my phone when I was pregnant, with a whole community of moms you can share your worries with (if that's your thing, it's not mine), and a database of answers to questions you never thought you would be asking.
Available on both iOS and Android
Pregnant Dad: Surviving pregnancy as a father-to-be ($1.99 and free lite version)
Lastly is an app that I downloaded for my husband when I was pregnant. I even caught him looking at it on occasion. We often neglect the other partner in our pregnancies, forgetting that oftentimes the men are just as anxious about the development of our babies as we are.
It's not perfect, but overall Pregnant Dad doesn't over complicate the pregnancy process, and provides clear, easy to understand information. It's not updated daily, which I think is a flaw, and it includes horoscope information that certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it attempts to inject humor into the process and is one of the few apps geared towards men as opposed to women.
Available only on iOS
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How does this relate to me having a child? Well, when I discovered I was pregnant, I immediately went and downloaded an app. Ok, not just one app, multiple apps. How was my baby growing? What symptoms should I currently be experiencing? How much weight should I have gained at this stage in my pregnancy?
Many of these apps probably don't tell you anything you didn't already know if you listened to your doctor, but on the plus side they do provide you with a quick and easy way to check up on the development of your baby, especially if you're a first time mom.
In no particular order here are the best 3 apps I used while I was pregnant:
What To Expect: Pregnancy (Free)
Almost every new mom I know has Heidi Murkoff's What To Expect When You're Expecting. The companion app to this is really rather excellent as well, with detailed information not only on the weekly development of the new life inside you, but also on the changes your body will be going through which let's be honest, can be rather depressing no matter how exciting the prospect of having a child is.
Many apps only give weekly updates, so you can really only check in once a week to find out what's happening. This app also gives you daily information that is mostly (not always) useful, and counts down to your due date.
Available on both iOS and Android.
My Pregnancy Today (Free)
Babycenter is one of the websites I still refer to when trying to figure out if I should take my kid to the doctor or not. I discovered it when I was pregnant, primarily because of this app which was recommended by a number of other parents.
This app will help you track your pregnancy on a daily basis and includes features such as weekly fetal development, videos (some are birth videos which might not be something you want to watch!), a due date calculator, nutrition guide and a kick tracker, the last of which is particularly useful if you're feeling bit worried about movement.
It's definitely one of the best apps I had on my phone when I was pregnant, with a whole community of moms you can share your worries with (if that's your thing, it's not mine), and a database of answers to questions you never thought you would be asking.
Available on both iOS and Android
Pregnant Dad: Surviving pregnancy as a father-to-be ($1.99 and free lite version)
Lastly is an app that I downloaded for my husband when I was pregnant. I even caught him looking at it on occasion. We often neglect the other partner in our pregnancies, forgetting that oftentimes the men are just as anxious about the development of our babies as we are.
It's not perfect, but overall Pregnant Dad doesn't over complicate the pregnancy process, and provides clear, easy to understand information. It's not updated daily, which I think is a flaw, and it includes horoscope information that certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it attempts to inject humor into the process and is one of the few apps geared towards men as opposed to women.
Available only on iOS
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
