Track your pregnancy with these handy apps, says Yvonne Walus.
First things first
Period Tracker
If you’re trying to get pregnant, Period Tracker is super-easy to use. Simply press one button on the first day of your period each month, and the app will predict your fertile days and even predict your moods. It’s free but it contains ads and will need access to photos and files on your device. Disclaimer: This app should not be used to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
Free from itunes.apple.com.
Kindara
lets you track your body temperature in order to help pinpoint your next ovulation window. You can measure your temperature the traditional way, or use Wink, an oral fertility thermometer that syncs with Kindara.
Free. Visit kindara.com for more info.
Bumping along
I’m Expecting
makes you feel part of an online pregnant community, because it links you to other mums-to-be and lets you share all your dreams and worries in online chats. It also provides daily updates on where you’re at in your pregnancy, as well as expert tips on how to combat nausea, fatigue, leg cramps, and cravings.
Free from itunes.apple.com.
Pregnancy Food Guide
reminds you what foods are best avoided when you’re expecting. Better still, it offers suggestions as to what foods you should be eating more of, and why. It even contains a few easy-to-follow recipes.
$4.90 from itunes.apple.com.
Pregnancy Exercise
Bad news first: Exercise is still on the menu, even if it’s not exactly your very top priority. Pregnancy Exercise – Weekly Workout motivates you with 34 weeks’ worth of safe, bump-friendly workouts.
$4.99 from itunes.apple.com.
Pilates for Pregnancy
Along the same lines, Pilates for Pregnancy delivers an interactive fitness and pregnancy organiser app, with ready exercises and to-do lists that correspond to the trimester you’re currently in.
Free from itunes.apple.com.
Baby Checklist
If you’re feeling lost and confused as to what baby products you need and how many of each, Baby Checklist is for you. This app will offer advice on which items are must haves and lets you track your purchases.
$1.99 from itunes.apple.com.
50,000 Baby Names
is the perfect place to start looking for your baby’s name. The app details the origin of first names and allows you to keep track of your top choices.
Free from itunes.apple.com.
BellySnaps
helps you create fun photos to announce your pregnancy milestones. It also keeps a record of your growing baby bump.
99c from itunes.apple.com.
Mindfulness for Pregnancy
converts pregnancy stress into pregnancy bliss with easy-to-follow breathing and meditative exercises to keep you calm during these nine months and beyond.
$2.99 from itunes.apple.com.
Baby MedBasics
is based on a book of the same title. Created by a doctor dad and a nurse mom who had to save their son from choking, it provides new parents with step-by-step emergency medical advice and safety tips for infants to one-year-olds. Brightly color-coded tabs guide you to the section you need. The instructions are easy-to-follow and deal with CPR, choking, burns, bleeding, allergies, and other health emergencies. A great resource to keep at hand (or in your pocket!).
$2.99 from itunes.apple.com.
Baby Kickson iTunes or KickMe on android
are apps that enable you to keep track of your baby’s movements. You can even e-mail the results to yourself or your midwife or doctor.
Free from itunes.apple.com or play.google.com.
Contraction Timer
allows you to time your contractions to distinguish false labour from the real deal. In true labour, your contractions will get progressively longer, stronger, and closer together.
Free from itunes.apple.com or play.google.com.
HoneyDo
Although marketed as an app for men, HoneyDo is a popular task manager used by women to keep track of their own to-do list as well as their partner’s. Invaluable for pregnant couples, it’s fast an simple to use.
$4.99 from itunes.apple.com.
For the dad-to-be
Pregnancy For Men on iTunes or New Dad on android
are apps designed with expecting dads in mind. Full of helpful advice and information for the future father, it is centred around pregnancy milestones. Informative without being too detailed, it offers a month-by-month guideline to the bump as well as to the moods of the bump-carrier.
99c from itunes.apple.com or play.google.com.
How to Cook Everything
How long does it take for rice to cook? How do you make breadcrumb pie toppings crunchy? How to Cook Everything is an app full of cooking tips and recipes from Mark Bittman’s cookbook of the same name. Easy enough to follow for those who don’t cook, yet interesting enough to inspire more experienced meal-makers.
99c from itunes.apple.com.
The Guys Guide To The Delivery Room
explains various delivery room situations, including stages of labour, episiotomies, and C-sections. Straightforward and helpful, particularly for newbie dads-to-be.
99c from itunes.apple.com.
Planning Ahead
The Baby Wheel of Responsibility removes the “whose-turn-is-it” arguments from your daily routine. Simply spin the virtual wheel and accept the deal. Whether it’s changing the nappy or getting up at night, this app has a ready answer for you – whether you like it or not.
99c from itunes.apple.com.
By Yvonne Walus
