Best apps for a healthy pregnancy on iPhone in 2023

A pregnancy app can take most of the mystery out of childbirth, monitor a mother's health, and track a baby's growth. Here are our top picks -- and a word of caution before using any of them.

Pregnancy can be a daunting road for new parents, but these top-rated pregnancy apps can help you each step of the way. With a few taps, women can track health data from ovulation through each trimester and into postpartum.

It is tedious to keep track of things like prenatal vitamins and morning sickness symptoms, leading busy new moms to neglect to track their health, but pregnancy apps make it easier. However, caution is needed before entering any sensitive information into an app.

A word of caution when using femtech

Pregnancy apps are part of femtech, or "female technology," a term that refers to technology focused on women's health. Ida Tin, the founder of a fertility-tracking app, coined the term in 2016.

Before downloading a femtech app, look at the app's privacy policy and do a cost-benefit analysis. Many women readily use these apps because they help them to stay healthy, while others flatly refuse to expose themselves to any privacy risks.

Since these apps require entering sensitive information, be well-informed before using them. Here is a roundup of top apps and what we like about them to help you have a healthy pregnancy.

Pregnancy +

The standout of this pregnancy tracker app is its interactive 3D models that include heartbeat SFX. There are 40 fully animated 3D models, and you can also choose from multiple ethnicities.

Each 3D model includes information about the baby's weekly development, and you can zoom and rotate it for a closer look. There is a baby size guide to help you visualize your baby's size in fruits, animals, or sweets.

Pregnancy + has article guides written with the help of medical experts, lactation consultants, and midwives. There are daily blog posts on topics like breastfeeding, exercise, food, twins, and more.

This app comes with a pregnancy due date calculator and a kick counter that tracks your baby's movement and activity. When it is time to go into labor, there is a contraction timer to measure each contraction during delivery.

With so many things to keep track of when expecting a baby, a to-do list and a baby shopping list helps you to organize everything you need. There is also a Hospital Bag feature to prepare items for the mother and baby.

Pregnancy + has a built-in calendar to plan and document doctors' appointments. Expectant mothers can invite a family member to download the app and use it together so they can be involved in supporting the expectant mother.

This app can sync with Apple's Health app if users choose to grant access.

Pregnancy + is free to download with a point system to access premium tools or subscription options from $3.99 to $29.99.

Nurture

Nurture is a baby tracker app with postpartum features that include miscarriage support. It includes an all-in-one pregnancy chart so you can see a comprehensive view of all your health logs.

For example, it tracks your intake of prenatal vitamins and morning sickness symptoms.

This app offers realistic 2D images of fetal development with over 1,500 expert articles about each trimester. This way, mothers are better educated on what is happening inside their bodies and know what to expect next.

There are trimester-specific pregnancy trackers like a kick counter that monitor your baby's movement and personalized insights as you keep a daily health log of your pregnancy. There is also a contraction timer to track the duration and intervals of each contraction.

Although experiencing a miscarriage is not uncommon, it is heartbreaking. Nurture provides miscarriage support to track unusual symptoms like spotting or bleeding and things related to the mother's emotional well-being.

To work as a team during pregnancy, there is an option to add someone else to your profile. The added member will not be able to log in or make changes to your profile, but they will be able to see how the pregnancy is progressing and provide support as necessary.

To save a record of your health throughout your pregnancy, you can email yourself a PDF of all your pregnancy symptoms, weight, and other health data. This health record is essential for mothers with health concerns during pregnancy.

The app integrates with Apple Health and MyFitnessPal for seamless tracking and easy viewing of health metrics.

Once the baby is born, mothers can use all the help they can get to care for this new bundle of joy. For example, you can keep track of breastfeeding and pumping sessions to ensure regular feeding and healthy weight gain for the baby.

Connect Nurture to a baby registry from any store and link existing baby registries to manage everything in one place. That way, friends and family who want to support you by purchasing items on your list can get them from stores that are best for them.

If you need ideas on specific items or want to read reviews from other parents before adding them to your list, check out their personalized recommendations of product reviews.

Nurture by Glow is free to download, but with subscription models ranging from $29.99 to $79.99

Baby2Body

Baby2Body is a pregnancy workout app that acts like a trainer, nutritionist, and well-being coach. You can choose from hundreds of workouts, recipes, and meal plans to stay healthy and prioritize your well-being through each stage of pregnancy.

There are many pregnancy apps on the App Store, but not all include features related to trying to conceive. Baby2Body has a free Trying to Conceive program to track your cycle and predict your fertility window.

The activity rings on Baby2Body are strikingly similar to the ones on Apple Fitness. These activity rings track a mother's movement, self-love, nourishment, and healthy habits.

Baby2Body features Daily Bites, short articles presented as daily tips from your coach. These articles center around building healthy habits and updates on baby's development and are perfect for busy expectant moms.

For many newly pregnant women, keeping up with their workout routine is challenging. To stay healthy and active, you can set your weekly workout goal and track your progress.

In addition, you can track your weight, water intake, and exercise. As your body changes during each stage of your pregnancy, you can choose from a selection of safe workouts for pregnant women.

Baby2Body tailors your exercise routine to meet the needs of your changing body shape. There are labor prep exercises to improve your breathing and pelvic mobility.

After labor and delivery, new mothers can set health goals related to postpartum wellness and weight loss. These goals help new moms stay motivated and not neglect their health while caring for a newborn.

It is easy to grab unhealthy fast food when exhausted from sleepless nights and taking care of a newborn. The app comes with dietary guidance, meal plans, and simple recipes to help maintain a proper diet of nutritious food.

Baby2Body is free to download, with premium subscription costs ranging from $19.99 per month, or $119.99 per year.

Ovia

Ovia calculates your due date and tracks your baby's growth. This app also allows you to search your pregnancy symptoms to learn about them and how to manage them.

New moms love to see the growth of their precious babies. There's a feature in this app that allows mothers to see the size of the growing baby's hands and feet compared to how they will be on their due date.

There are realistic illustrations of your baby with brief information so you can track your baby's growth each week. Ovia can sync with Apple Health if you share data such as your blood pressure and weight.

Besides the realistic 3D illustrations, there are delightful illustrations of the baby's development. It compares a baby's size with relatable themes like animals, pastries, and fun games.

These cartoon-like illustrations are accompanied by educational information specific to each week. Mothers can share these with their kiddos, so they can share in the excitement and know when their baby brother or sister is arriving.

Ovia has a customizable health tracker, so you can choose to track your weight progress, weekly symptoms, sleep, mood, and exercise. There is a calendar to organize everything from baby bump photos to prenatal appointment reminders.

Like other pregnancy apps, Ovia includes a kick counter and contraction timer.

If you are concerned about a specific symptom, you can quickly search from more than 100 symptoms, and get immediate alerts if your symptoms indicate a health risk. There are over 2,000 pregnancy articles for tips and tools throughout your pregnancy.

You can record your daily servings of protein, fruit, vegetables, and water to ensure you get all the nutrition you need. You can also find healthy recipes with essential vitamins and nutrients.

Ovia is free to download and use, with some employers offering it as part of the company health plan.

BabyCenter

BabyCenter is one of the more popular pregnancy apps, with over 186,000 ratings on the App Store. The app has over 2,500 expert-reviewed articles with over 40 medical advisors.

This app includes 3D videos showing the baby's development, with accompanying pregnancy symptoms and body changes to expect as the baby develops. The baby development tracker also helps you see how many days and weeks are left, how many inches the baby is, and the baby's weight.

There is a feature where you can enter your preferences for labor and delivery to share with your medical provider. There is also an option to join Birth Club, an active community where you can ask questions, share stories, and vote in weekly polls.

BabyCenter comes with pregnancy trackers like a kick tracker and a contraction timer. There is a search tool in the app to check if certain foods and activities are safe, which is useful for mothers constantly wondering ifit's OK to eat certain foods.

This app helps you prepare for the big day, with articles telling you things like what to pack in your hospital bag and how to tell when you are in labor. Conveniently, there are resources in this app regarding baby product information so you can buy the best products for your little one.

Once you bring your bundle of joy home, you can use the app's important health and safety information for the baby's first year. You can find information such as newborn feeding tips, whether it is breastfeeding, formula, or both.

BabyCenter is free to download and use but be aware that it contains ads.

What to Expect

This app was created in line with the popular What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. This bestselling parenting book series was released ages ago and updated throughout the years -- and this app is a perfect companion to use along with the books.

What to Expect is a powerhouse of a pregnancy app with over 300,000 ratings in the iOS App Store. It is one of the most comprehensive pregnancy apps, including features relating to trying to conceive into the toddler years.

This app shows a visual countdown for each week of pregnancy. You can check the app every day for helpful tips related to where you are in your pregnancy.

There are many trackers and calculators packed into this app. There is an ovulation calculator, a due date calculator, a week-by-week pregnancy tracker, a monthly baby milestones tracker, and more.

Busy new moms have an endless list of things to keep track of, but they can use this app to easily keep track of essential tasks and take care of their little ones. For example, moms can use the baby feeding tracker to record breastfeeding bottles, pumping sessions, and the baby's eating habits.

This app can document the baby's sleep, solid food intake, tummy time, and more. The more details get tracked, the easier it becomes to spot problems if any concerning patterns develop.

New moms can check in for daily helpful tips related to postpartum recovery. This app contains thousands of informational articles and videos geared towards a healthy pregnancy and the baby's growth.

According to What to Expect, all content gets regularly reviewed by their medical review board and pregnancy health experts. The medical information presented in their app comes from expert health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What to Expect and BabyCenter are both under the same parent company Everyday Health Group. Both apps were developed to support parents before, during, and after pregnancy, but What to Expect has more tools for new parents to keep track of their newborn's routine, and BabyCenter is great for those looking for more trackers during pregnancy.

What to Expect is free to download and use, but it does contain ads.