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These tools can help if you want to self-monitor your pregnancy

Dannielle Beardsley
By

If you want to keep an additional eye on your pregnancy, we have some tools that you can use. In between your normal prenatal checkups, you can download these apps and grab these gadgets for some home-style checkups on that belly. Sometimes it’s just nice to hear the heartbeat while sitting on the couch or not feel rushed in the doctor’s office and forget your questions.

You only have so many doctor’s visits during your pregnancy. Between all of the routine checks, steps, and questions, you might not get to fully embrace the little parts of being pregnant. That’s why we found these pregnancy tools to help you enjoy and monitor your bump at home.

A pregnant woman checking on her pregnancy using a phone app.

The Bump pregnancy tracker app

  • For iPhone and Android
  • Free app
  • Daily updates and weekly 3D images
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If you want to enjoy the journey, but are also excited about the end of pregnancy, The Bump app can help you along your way. Not only will you get daily developmental updates on how the baby is growing, but you’ll get to see it with a weekly 3D interactive model.

Put in your questions so you never forget what you wanted to ask the doctor at your checkup. Then look through all of the baby gear you might need and read countless articles to help you prepare for the baby.

Full Term contraction timer app

  • Help know when it’s time to get to the hospital
  • Monitors contractions and baby kicks

If you’ve had false labor with a previous child or it’s your first baby and you don’t know when it’s time to really go to the hospital, this app can help. You can track the start and end of your contractions with the Full Term contraction timer. You can even send data to your health care professional so they can let you know when it’s go time.

Full Term saves all of the information and any notes you want to make about the early stages of labor. This is also helpful when you want to look back and let your child know exactly how long you labored and how they owe you at least one hug for it.

Baby2Body app

  • Free basic app (premium costs extra)
  • Monitor your body’s health
  • Keep baby healthy through you

From mental health to physical health to nutritional health, the Baby2Body app will keep track of it all throughout your pregnancy, birth, and up to three years of your postpartum journey. Look up safe workouts, meal plans, recipes, and meditations to bring your stress down.

Monitoring your pregnancy isn’t only about measuring the size of your babe’s little feet. You want to make sure your personal and mental health is being taken care of as well. This app is there for you during your whole journey.

A pregnant woman monitoring her blood pressure at home in her kitchen.

Blood pressure monitor

  • Good for during and after pregnancy
  • Best if you’re already prone to high blood pressure

You get your blood pressure checked only when you are at the doctor, but really, your blood pressure should be a weekly check. It’s a way to look out for preeclampsia, which can occur during pregnancy and after childbirth.

It takes less than a minute to check your blood pressure and can help keep you and the baby healthy. The PARAMED Automatic Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor takes 30 seconds to let you know your numbers on a big LCD screen. It comes with a case so you can easily bring it while traveling.

Touchless thermometer

  • Should have all of the time
  • Will use for years to come

A thermometer should always be around your house. But if you are pregnant and feel a bit off, you should take your temperature. If you have other little ones in the house, you don’t want to share thermometers.

A touchless one, like the FLTR No Contact Infrared Digital Forehead Thermometer is what you’ll want. It’s for any age or situation and will read your temp from up to two inches away.

Urine test strips

  • Best for monitoring for preeclampsia
  • Can check for UTIs

How uncomfortable is it to always have to pee in the cup at the doctor’s office? It’s the worst. And all they tell you is that your urine is good or not good. But what does that really mean?

With something like the Life2O Urinalysis Testing Kit you’ll not only watch out for signs of preeclampsia or a UTI, but you can read all of the things the doctor checks for with your urine sample. You’ll also get enough practice that the doctor’s visits won’t be such a pain.

Two women listening to the baby's heartbeat of a pregnany woman.

Baby heart monitor

  • Good to use with siblings
  • Reassuring to hear the heartbeat

If you want to hear your baby’s heartbeat more often than at the doctor’s office, get a Sonoline B Fetal Doppler. Not only will you be able to listen to your baby’s beating heart, but you can track those little kicks from 32 weeks on. You’ll be able to share your baby’s progress with your loved ones, too. Get siblings excited about the new addition by letting them have a listen.

Some of us are worriers. Some of us want to get more out of our doctor visits. Some of us want to watch our bodies more closely. Some of us had a rough first pregnancy and don’t want a repeat. Whatever the reason, there’s nothing wrong with additional precautions during your pregnancy.

Your doctor is your first line of defense when it comes to keeping track of your pregnancy. But for extra monitoring at home that can include the whole family, make sure you use these tools for expecting moms.

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Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle Beardsley
Contributor
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
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