Tracking Baby-to-Be
Are you a gestational carrier who wants to keep track of how far along you are and how long you have left? Maybe you're baby’s parents and want to know what fruit or vegetable that little bundle of joy is supposed to be the size of this week. Either way, with today’s technology, it’s never been easier to keep track of exactly what’s going on inside the bump week by week. There are so many pregnancy tracker mobile apps out there. As an intended parent, you can have a wealth of information at your fingertips of how big baby is, what body parts are forming on baby, and helpful articles about the stage of development your baby is in. There are so many possibilities – the only thing we found truly disappointing is there was nothing that was geared specifically toward surrogacy. With that in mind, these trackers are still great tools to help you to feel connected to your baby even if he/she is not actually growing inside of you. We’ve done a bit of research into the plethora of pregnancy tracking apps and have come up with just a few that seem to be pretty popular ones. Here they are for your researching pleasure!
What to Expect's Pregnancy & Baby Tracker
Nearly everyone who has ever been pregnant or a parent-to-be has heard of the “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” books. Well…now there’s an app for that!
Key Features*:
- Personalized pregnancy tracker shows your baby's daily development
- 15,000+ medically accurate articles on every aspect of pregnancy and parenting, from preconception through the toddler years
- Daily tips, up-to-the-minute health news, and personal stories from real parents
- Week-by-week development info, helping you understand your [gestational carrier’s] changing body and baby's amazing development through each stage of pregnancy
- Pregnancy videos showing just what to expect this week
- Search tools to help you find fast, accurate answers for your [gestational carrier’s] pregnancy questions
- Special groups devoted to birth locations, interests, medical conditions, parenting styles, must-have baby gear, and more!
WebMD Pregnancy
Who hasn’t tried to self-diagnose using the famous WebMD site? Now they have a pregnancy app! One helpful feature that this app might excel at is the suggested questions for your doctor visits. It’s easy to forget all of those questions during the appointment or think of them AFTER you leave!
Key Features*:
- Week-by-Week Pregnancy Photos - View interactive visuals for a sneak peek at what’s happening with your [gestational carrier’s] body and your baby each week.
- Questions for Your Doctor Visits - Make the most of prenatal visits with suggested questions for your doctor -- and a place to record the answers -- for every stage of pregnancy.
- Checklists - Keep track of what baby gear to buy, what to take to the hospital, and more.
- Belly Photo Album - Take a photo each week and watch your [gestational carrier’s] baby bump grow right before your eyes.
- Customized Content for Twins - Expecting multiples? Get tailored information and advice about twins or triplets.
- WebMD Pregnancy Community - Get help, advice, and support from other expectant parents on WebMD’s Pregnancy Message Boards.
Get it for iOS
Ovia Pregnancy Tracker
This was a new one for us. Ovia Pregnancy Tracker is from a company called Ovia Health which was founded in 2012 and focuses on women’s health, from preconception and pregnancy through postpartum and parenthood. It definitely popped up on every list of “best pregnancy tracking apps,” so here you go.
Key Features:
- 2000+ pregnancy articles, tips, and tools to support you throughout your [gestational carrier’s] pregnancy
- Illustrations of your baby's current hand and foot size
- Fun size comparison themes: fruits & vegetables, animals, Parisian pastries, and fun & games
- Calendar to organize and track all things pregnancy, from baby bump photos to doctor appointment reminders
- Customizable health tracker: log the data that fits into your life!
- Apple Health: Fully integrated to share blood pressure and weight data
- A safe, supportive Community of moms and moms-to-be
- Health assessment: unlock more content, tips, and tools!
Completely Personalized:
- Customizable baby name, gender, goals, and health tracking
- Dynamic timeline with articles and tips based on your data
- Weekly reports on your [gestational carrier’s] pregnancy progress
- Pregnancy milestone tracking for [your gestational carrier’s] belly pics, ultrasounds, baby shower, and more
- Postpartum support: receive articles and tips in your 4th trimester
My Pregnancy & Baby Today
This app is from a staple website in the pregnancy/parenting world, Baby Center. Baby Center allows you to get customized emails throughout your pregnancy that continue weekly after your child is born that lets you know what your child should be learning/doing at that stage in his/her life. So, if it follows form of the Baby Center model this app is pretty comprehensive as well!
Key Features*:
Get expert advice and insights every day of your pregnancy
- Learn how your [gestational carrier’s] body is changing and how to cope
- Find out everything you need to know [for your gestational carrier] to have the healthiest pregnancy possible
- Get well-timed tips and advice from medical experts every day
- See what your baby looks like each week with detailed fetal development images and videos
- Connect with other moms-to-be due the same month as you and learn from each other
- Turn weekly bumpie pics of your [gestational carrier’s] growing belly into a time-lapse video keepsake
- Track your baby with a kick counter and your labor with a contraction timer
Get daily parenting guidance through your baby’s first year
- Support, advice, reminders, laughs, and everything else you need as a new parent
- Track your baby's development with a personalized daily calendar
- Get well-timed expert advice on sleep, feeding, health, activities, and more
- Organize photos of your baby's "firsts" and funny moments all in one place
- Connect with moms of babies born the same month as yours – the same moms you met when you were pregnant [via a gestational carrier].
Do a little research and find out which app is best for you and your bundle of joy! We think you’ll love having all this helpful information at your fingertips.
*As advertised by baby tracker app.