The Best Pregnancy Apps for Momma | While He Was Napping

I promise not to go crazy on pregnancy posts for the next three months, but as I was sitting with my fingers poised on the keyboard last night at 10pm trying to decide what to write for today I was in need of something easy. Ok, easy isn’t the right word. You know this if you’ve ever constructed a blog post at 10pm. There is no such thing as an easy blog post… unless it’s also not very good. Seems to be the case, anyway.

Sorry, got distracted… where was I? Oh, yeah. I was in need of something I could write from my position on the couch. I spent most of yesterday standing or bending over to clean up yet another mess and my back was protesting with a nice dull, achy pain. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any project photos just waiting to be edited. When I got a notification from one of my apps reminding me to take those awesome prenatals, this post was born.

TOP EIGHT PREGNANCY APPS FOR MOMMA

I am an Android girl. I don’t have anything against the iPhone, but Mr. Napping is my tech support and Android is his preferred platform, so that’s what I use and what I’m familiar with. There are apps in this list that are available on iOS and I have included which platform(s) each app is available on with each description. I have linked to the Google Play Store for easy access if you’re on Android. Applers, you’ll have to search the App Store. Sorry.

1. Baby Bump Pregnancy. This is the app I use for most of my pregnancy needs. There is a free version and a Pro version. I use the free version. There are a few more features with the Pro version, but I haven’t wanted any of them bad enough to hand over the $3 for it. I don’t mind using a couple more apps to cover the extra features (contraction timer, kick counter, name database, preparation lists and the like).

The free version includes day-by-day and weekly info and reminders (your baby is the size of a carrot and don’t clean the litter box kind of stuff), groups or community boards (if that’s your thing), a place to store weekly photos, private messaging, friends circles (got a BFF that’s expecting too?). There’s also a little journal section where you can keep tabs on weight and waist size (because who doesn’t like those numbers to climb higher and higher?!), as well as moods and other ailments. All the fun things. If you decide you want to update to the Pro version, it’s an easy in-app option, but the free version provides what I want.

Available on Android (Free or $2.99 for Pro) and iOS.

2. Contraction Timer. I haven’t needed this yet, thankfully (I’m only 29 weeks), but it’s the one I used with my last pregnancy and what I intend on using again. I love the simplicity of this app. You push a button when the contraction starts and push it again when it’s over.

A list of contractions shows up on the screen and bars appear on the time line at the top of the screen. You can edit, delete or add comments to each contraction. There is a “donate” version that allows you to share or beam your info to another device.

Available on Android (Free). I don’t think this specific app is on iOS, but there are similar ones available, according to my brief Google search (try Contraction Monitor by Maxwell Software).

3. KickMe – Kick Counter. My other two babies were active enough that I didn’t really feel like I needed to do kick counts. This baby is quite active, but nothing like Little J. That boy gave me motion sickness, he moved around so much. At my last OB appointment though, the doctor I saw requested kick counts. In the off-chance I saw her again, I figured I’d better do something since she mentioned it about two dozen times.

This app is also pretty simple and easy to use. Review past sessions, get statistics about baby’s activity, add notes, email data and delete or edit information anytime. This should satisfy that doctor’s need for a kick count and it’s kind of neat that it’ll tell you when your baby is the most active.

Available on Android (Free).

4. Baby Names. I wouldn’t say this app could replace all naming books or other resources, but it’s not bad for when your sitting at the doctor’s office or lounging in bed at night or just browsing while you have a few minutes. I’ve tried a few different apps and this one seems to work the most smoothly and still has a decent database of names. You can favorite names with a rating system and they show up in a separate list. There are multiple ways to sort the names and you can also sort by gender and popularity.

See a name’s meaning, check popularity for any year back to 1880. Search by name, gender, origin or any of those criteria (and even by initial). Sort your favorites by gender, date, spelling and your ratings. Share names by e-mail and Facebook  .

Available on Android and iOS (Free).

5. My Pregnancy Today. This app is from Baby Center and is a good option for info on lots of different topics. I have used this one before, but not as much with this pregnancy. I started to feel like I already knew everything they were sending me, being my third time around. I know there are chores to avoid and that painting the nursery at 32 weeks isn’t a good idea. It just seemed like I was getting whatever random info they had on the top of the pile and started to feel like clutter. However, for a first-time momma I would definitely say check this app out!

There are some neat features though. Daily info on your growing baby, images of what your baby looks like, pregnancy checklist so you don’t forget anything, birth clubs with other moms that are expecting the same month you are, nutrition guide and a kick counter. I found the pregnancy checklist quite helpful. Some of the things on it are more than I feel the need to be reminded about (such take a belly photo or catch up with a friend), but some of the reminders are nice. Pregnancy can get busy and a little reminder to jot down the questions I have for my Doctor can be nice, because will my pregnancy brain, I probably forgot all about it.

Available on Android and iOS (Free).

6. Pregnancy+. This app is very similar to both Baby Bump and the Baby Center app. What I really liked about this app though was the “organiser” section! This app has British/Australian spellings and slang terms (like nappies for diapers or dummy for pacifier), so there are a few things you might find confusing or unfamiliar at first. It’s really not too distracting and doesn’t interfere with the function of the app.

There are both lite (free) and full (paid) versions of this app. I have only used the free version and did’t feel like I was missing out on anything really. The biggest disappointment was that the weekly info only goes up to 13 weeks before it is paid content. However, there are lots of other apps that you can get the info from for free. Like I mentioned above, the “organise” section was impressive and by far my favorite part of the app. Shopping lists, names lists, to-do lists, a packing list (in the paid version) and a place to track doctor’s and other appointments.

Available on Android (Free or $2.99 for Full) and iOS.

7. Pregnancy Care. Prenatal Yoga. An exercise routine is the last thing on my to-do list right now. Sad, but oh so true. I’m a little more distracted with things like feeding my almost-2-year-old, bottomless pit, keeping enough laundry done that everyone has clean clothes to wear and a similar situation with the dishes. Besides, cleaning up the billion and one messes that my boys make every day is about all the physical exertion I can handle with my third-trimester belly and ever-decreasing energy level.

While I don’t use this app a lot, if I’m feeling particularly achy, this does seem to help a little bit. My favorite part of this app is that the positions are divided into trimesters, because I definitely don’t have the flexibility now that I did even four weeks ago. There are even photos of each pose to help you do it correctly.

Available on Android ($0.99) and iOS ($0.99)

8. Countdown Widget. This isn’t a specific app, just whatever widget strikes your fancy the most. I use the simple (free) version of Days Left, as it translates easily to other things I might be counting down as well (Little J’s birthday day and our anniversary for starters). It’s simple to just add another widget with it’s own details and be able to see, at a glance, what’s coming up.

It’s easy to use, straight forward, simple and basic. And it’s free.

Available on Android.

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

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