By Fiona Ellis, Programme Manager for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Maternity Service
Baby Buddy is a multi award-winning app for parents and parent-to-be. It has been created with parents and professionals to help give give your baby the best start in life and and to support your own health and well-being.
The app will guide you through your pregnancy and the first six months of your baby’s life. It’s the best place for new or expectant parents to access all the information they need in one convenient place.
When you download the app you’ll receive relevant, personalised daily information, reminders about immunisations, appointments and signposts to local support services such as breastfeeding.
Unlike other ‘free’ pregnancy apps, which require payment after a few weeks or months, Baby Buddy is advert-free and free of charge throughout.
The app has been developed by the national charity Best Beginnings, accredited by the NHS, and is endorsed by organisations including the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Royal College of Midwives.
It has since been download over 200,000 times since its release in 2014.
Baby Buddy App features
- You can do it! – parents can set goals and the app helps them keep up with these goals.
- What does it mean? – parents can access definitions of hundreds of relevant words and ask can their ‘Buddy’ questions.
- Video library – an extensive library of informative videos on a number of subjects related to pregnancy and parenting.
- Remember to ask – a section to compile all the questions parents have for their GPs or midwives, ready to ask at their next appointment.
- Appointment tracker – parents can track and set reminders for upcoming appointments.
- Bump Book and Baby Book – parents can keep track of their thoughts and feelings during their pregnancy and early stages of parenthood.
- Bump Around and Baby Around – a tool for finding local health services.
- Tell us what you think – allows users to give feedback on the app.
- Crisis Line – The new Baby Buddy crisis messenger is an amazing resource for people in crisis or in emotional pain. This is a 24/7 text message service which offers non-judgemental support.
The Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Maternity Service (LMS) has funded the app to be localised. This means that women and their families now have local information and support availble through the app.
Health care workers in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin have been trained on the app and will be encouraging parents to take advantage of all the features it has to offer.
How to download
The Baby Buddy app can be downloaded for FREE via Google Play or the App Store.
Visit the Best Beginnings website to download the app and for more information.