The best apps for pregnancy and tracking your pregnancy 2021

So, want to know which apps mums-to-be rate highest?

Well, the last thing you want is a home screen full of similar apps just sitting there, untouched, still sending you annoying notifications.

Because lots of the trackers are, for lack of a better term, really quite similar. They all kinda do the same thing, essentially - which is keep track of your pregnancy.

It’ll save your data (and your sanity) to stick to one tracker app, and maybe enjoy a couple of others that have fun features to help you enjoy this happy time in your life ?

So, we're examining the very best apps for pregnant women: looking at cost, what it does, and what pregnant MFMers and mums honestly think of them…

The best pregnancy apps for pregnant women

1. Pregnancy+

What it does: Provides you a space to keep track of your pregnancy and take bump progress pictures, as well as showing you how your baby develops week on week.

It also explains pregnancy symptoms, and is a general ‘guide’ with near-daily updates and blog-style posts.

What it costs: Pregnancy+ is free to download and use.

What our mums said: One of our Bump Project mums, Laura D, says: "I use Pregnancy+ to keep track of my weight and see any fluctuations."

While another, Fiona H, likes it "for its detailed week by week summaries, list features and kick counter".

Lots of our mums on the MFM forum have had a go of Pregnancy+, too.

“There’s this really cool baby app I would recommend you all get,” says Chanel25. “I absolutely love it.

"You can keep track of your own progress, take pictures - it even shows you week by week what and how the baby develops, also talks about things like bleeding. It’s called “Pregnancy+”

“Chanel I have this app and we're on the same week at the moment ? I love it. I like seeing the new comments each day!” replied Chkitty.

“I have that app too!” agrees Mellymop92. “It’s brilliant, love the daily “blog” style information ?“ I loved it for the weekly images of what baby looks like,” added MFMer @olivia_daisy18.

Download Pregnancy+ for iOS or Android

2. Sprout Pregnancy

What it does: Sprout gives you loads of info about your growing baby and your pregnancy symptoms, and offers '3D' interactive models to show you your baby's development. There's also a weight tracker and a contraction timer.

There's a 'count the kicks' function - which we'd suggest avoiding, as counting kicks isn't usually recommended these days.

What it costs: Sprout Pregnancy is free to use.

What our mums said: A couple of our mums have told us they love Sprout, and it's been useful for some women over multiple pregnancies.

"I really love the app called Sprout - I’ve had it with both pregnancies x" says Mamabear17.

Lauren CL, one of our Bump Project mums, says she likes the weekly growth updates.

Download Sprout Pregnancy on iOS or Android

3. Flo

What it does: Flo's typically used for ovulation and period tracking - but it also takes you right through your pregnancy, with all the baby growth info and personal health updates you'd want.

The fact it covers everything is one thing our mums seem to like best about it.

What it costs: Flo is completely free. Woo!

What our mums said:

"I use Flo, it is great as it can be used for tracking, TTC and then pregnancy. I had to switch from my old app last year and I downloaded Flo, Ovia and Clue and others.

"Clue went away as it is not for pregnancy, and I don’t remember what was my issue with Ovia ? but I just downloaded many and then deleted the ones I did not like :)," shares Everness.

Download Flo on iOS or Android

4. MadeForMums Pregnancy Emails

What it does: OK, so it’s not an app - instead a weekly, personalised pregnancy email from MFM straight to your inbox.

Think of it as an old school app. Technically, you’ll get it through your Gmail or Outlook app. That counts, right? ?

What it costs: MadeForMums - the emails, the site, everything - is totally free!

5. Ovia Pregnancy Tracker

What it does: Ovia allows you to personalise how you compare your baby's size each week (fruit? LEGO? All the options!)

Plus it shares weekly videos, has a due date calculator and lets you look up symptoms and food safety advice. You can keep track of your photos with a diary function, too.

What it costs: Ovia is free to use.

What our mums said: Bump Project mum Amelia O gave us a full review of Ovia, her app of choice, at 25 weeks pregnant.

"The only pregnancy app which I still look at regularly is Ovia Pregnancy. I like that it gives you a daily update on the progress with baby.

"It has forums you can browse. A food list of what's considered safe or not. Although it think it's American so I tend to double check things like that.

"You get a weekly update on baby's size and you can pick from four categories as to what to compare it to. My fave is cute animals. You also get a foot and hand size estimation as well as weight."

Fellow Bump project mama-to-be Chloe C agrees: "I also use Ovia Pregnancy as I used the Ovia Ovulation app for the duration of trying to consider.

"They have a nice feature that shows you if the baby were here how big their hand/foot would be if placed on the screen."

Indeed, lots of our IG mums like Ovia, too. “Excellent app for documenting pregnancy and for baby updates,” says @milandmethven.

“Ovia, because I loved seeing how big baby was in weird items, i.e. the size of a LEGO brick!” adds @sophimay_

Another, @missrobynsmith, loved Ovia because it “shows your baby’s size in terms of household objects”.

"I loved Ovia Pregnancy. The weekly videos and articles were great. It has a diary, contraction timer and symptom checker," notes @trousseadiaries.

Download Ovia on iOS or Android

6. Contraction Timer – Time Labour

What it does: This simple app's one-button press makes it easy to start and stop the timer as needed. You can see how long each contraction lasted, when it happened, the time between your contractions - and you can also make notes on each individual contraction.

What it costs: This app - along with plenty of other contraction timers - is totally free.

What our mums said: One of our regular mums, Dominique R, can't remember exactly which app she used - but she SO recommends using a contraction timer while in labour:

"We’d been told you should monitor how close your contractions were and how long they lasted and at first were writing it all on a piece of paper.

"Then we found this app where you clicked a button when your contractions started and stopped – so it recorded how strong they were and how close or far apart they were.

"It was brilliant and meant we weren’t ringing the hospital too early."

Download Contraction Timer on iOS only

7. Bloom

What it does: Bloom is a music app, but one that uses colour and ambient sounds and tones in a repetitive pattern to help relax you, or help you sleep.

Ideal if you're struggling to keep your anxiety levels down during your pregnancy, if you're desperate to drift off for a decent night's kip with your bump in tow, or you're feeling stressed during labour.

What it costs: £3.99 for a one-off download.

What our mums said: One of our team, Tara B, says: "I used this as a distraction in the later parts of labour.

"You press the screen and get bursts of colour and corresponding mellow notes. I have previously used the sound only bit of the app for around 2 years to help me sleep at night but found concentrating on the colours and sounds together in labour kept me calm.

"Unfortunately I did come to associate the sounds of the app with the pains of labour and wasn’t able to listen to it again for about 3 years afterwards!"

Download Bloom on iOS only

8. The Bump

What it does: Provides interactive, 3D growth updates each week, as well as tailoring daily articles to your specific needs, and providing a bunch of health information and tracker system.

What it costs: The Bump app is free to use.

What our mums said: A few of our mums used the US-based app, and response was generally positive.

“Easy to use and lots of info,” says @lauraelizabeth17 on Instagram.

It's got a high-rating on the Apple app store, too, with nearly 49k reviews. It also ranks #69 in the Everyday Heath category.

Download The Bump on iOS or Android

9. Glow Nurture

What it does: Basically what all these other trackers do - but also uses your data to help give you the right alerts and insights, and you also get matched up with a partner to chat to.

There's also a community element. Oh, and it pairs up with your iPhone's Health app and MyFitness Pal. Handy.

What it costs: It's free - but watch out for those in-app purchases.

What our mums said: "The Glow app was great before, during and after pregnancy," shares Hanna YD.

Download Glow Nurture on iOS or Android

10. Who’s Your Daddy?

What it does: A witty explainer for first-time dads, which offers daily tips for helping dad-to-be understand his partner's pregnancy, weekly updates on baby's growth, all kinds of tips and advice, and a pregnancy timeline to follow.

What it costs: £2.99 to download.

What dads said about it: We've seen dads tout this app as quite brilliant, given that it doesn't assume a lot of pregnancy knowledge, but likewise doesn't patronise.

It's funny, too, and a great way for nervous dads-to-be to seek advice from the comfort of their phone.

Download Who's Your Daddy? on iOS only

Did you know MadeForMums has a weaning app - perfect when your baby turns 6 months?

11. Bounty

What it does: Another pregnancy tracker - though Bounty's also entitles you to 3 packs of freebies throughout your pregnancy and when your newborn arrives.

They're redeemed through the app, and picked up at your local Argos. It also keeps you connected with your local hospital.

What it costs: Freeeee as a bird.

What our mums said: "Bounty for updates on the baby, articles and free packs," says @lucy_coe2017.

Laura C, another Bump Project mum-to-be, reckons all these apps do the same thing, but she's picked Bounty, telling us:

"I only downloaded the Bounty one and I don’t really look at it a lot, I didn’t get more than this as I think that they all tend to tell you same thing.

"What I like on the Bounty one is the foot size indicator. I think that’s cute and it helps me visualise the size of what’s kicking me!"

Bump Project mum-to-be Ruth Q also agreed re: the foot size feature.

And fellow participant Charlie F told us: "Bounty is good for keeping a weekly bump diary (photos) to show the gradual increase in size."

Download Bounty on iOS or Android

The honest MFM review of Bounty's freebie bags

12. Emma's Diary

What it does: Week-by-week updates, a journal function and more - you can also personalise a bump pic time-lapse movie! Of course, it'll help you get your hands on those freebie packs, too.

What it costs: Emma's Diary is free to use.

What our mums said: A fair few of our mums cited Emma's Diary as their app of choice, though didn't really say why.

Though @shortiza on Instagram told us: "Emma's Diary was fab for freebies!"

Download Emma's Diary on iOS or Android

The honest MFM review of Emma's Diary freebie packs

13. BabyCentre

What it does: Daily guidance, weekly updates on your baby's growth using pics and vids, a baby name finder, a tool to help you turn your bump pics into a time lapse video, and a tool to allow you to figure out which local hospital you'd like to give birth in (if you want to go to a hospital, that is).

What it costs: Free.

What our mums said: MFM's own Bump Project mum Kate T said she used the BabyCentre app, admitting:

"I look at Baby Centre the most, mainly as it gives me a weekly update on what my body is doing and what stage baby is at."

"You can talk to other mums at the same gestation," says @nicol21409. "I still use!"

"Good weekly updates," agrees @positively_katiebee. "The October birth board was my salvation in the middle of the night!" adds @themamacharl.

Download BabyCentre on iOS or Android

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Elizabeth Atkin