Ovia Pregnancy: App Review.

Two posts, one day, ftw.

After scheduling my first appointment with my OB, I decided to download some pregnancy-related apps. I was looking for an app that would let me keep track of symptoms, check in on Babykirk's progress, and allow me to look up foods/medicines that might be unsafe.

I started out with "The Bump," because I had used its sister site "The Knot" for wedding-planning and really liked it. The best thing about The Bump - something that I was not initially looking for - is it gives you access to something called a Birth Club - a forum with all the other Moms-to-be who are due in the same month as you. Since I'm still in the "don't tell anyone!" stage of pregnancy, I've found it to be surprisingly comforting. Also, the "Your baby is the size of a..." section is pretty cute.

That being said, the app is otherwise pretty useless. Even their checklists are kind of stupid. Some are useful, like "Schedule your first ultrasound," but "Give yourself some 'Me' time?" Gross.

I tried a couple other "Can I eat this?" apps, but I didn't find anything worth keeping.

But today, a fellow Bump member recommended the Ovia Pregnancy App. If you find yourself looking for a pregnancy app that is comprehensive, cleanly designed, and easy-to-use, then look no further.

The front page presents a quick overview of your pregnancy to-date; complete with trimester, week counter, illustration of size of baby, and illustration of size of baby's handprint (awww).

Below that, it gives you a live feed of your "data." By clicking the "Add Data" button you can include updates on your weight, exercise, sleep, nutrition, symptoms, medications, and even blood pressure. Further along, you can also utilize a kick counter and a contraction timer (so cool). It allows you to set goals in all of these categories and gives you little updates (and recognition!) as you accomplish them

Also included in your feed are relevant articles and information about pregnancy and parenting. And...drumroll please...

Ya. It's basically like the holy grail of pregnancy info. The Food Safety Lookup has just about every food you can image, and allows you to search, rather than browse (good for very hungry pregnant women rummaging through the fridge at midnight). Pregnancy week-by-week provides enough information without being "too much." And Symptoms Lookup explains what the symptom is, whether or not it's expected, why it occurs, and what you can do about it.

Overall, I give the App 5 stars...or thumbs up...I don't know, I don't exactly have a functional rating system. I like it. You should use it.

** I also looked into "I'm Expecting," by Medline, "What to Expect," and "Sprout," by American Baby. They were pretty good, but not as comprehensive as Ovia.