What to Expect

My wife and I are expecting our first child in a couple of months, and like any overzealous new parents, we are reading as much as we can to be sure we know everything there is to know once that little bundle of joy joins the family. We both realize how ludicrous such an idea is, and that nothing really “prepares” you for having children, but that hasn’t stopped us from trying.

In the course of looking for information, I turned to my iPod, knowing full well that there was an app for that. I found a wonderful app that my wife could use called “What to Expect”. This app brings a lot of important information into a nice small easy to navigate app that makes following the progression of the baby fun and easy. Each day and week, the app is updated with new information. These transitions are based on the expected due date that we inputted.

The first screen in What to Expect is a summary screen that includes information on the estimated due date, how long the babies development has left, trimester and gestational age, and the current size of the baby. From a father’s perspective, the biggest fun from this entire app comes from this page, and specifically the current size of the baby. This app doesn’t just summarize based on weight, but includes physical objects that you can compare the baby’s size to. These are mostly vegetables, and last week we had an ear of corn growing in my wife’s belly, this week it’s an eggplant.

The next two parts of What to Expect include weekly and daily updates. The weekly updates are geared towards women, and unless you’re a father who is really into the whole medical side of the process, I would steer clear of these updates. They usually are extremely descriptive to help the mother know exactly what is going on, but the one update I did catch wasn’t exactly something I needed to know. My wife however, loves these updates, and shares all of the great changes that are occurring to the baby. This week, the baby’s eyes are opening for the first time!

The daily updates are more generalized, and provide good eating tips and healthy habits that assist in the healthy development of the baby. At certain points throughout the pregnancy, certain daily updates are time specific however, including the recent one we received about being able to possibly hear the baby’s heart beat now by putting an ear up to the belly. I haven’t been able to get this to work, but I would love to know if anyone else has.

The final two parts of the app include a photo upload section, to monitor the growth of the belly, and a link to the forums at whattoexpect.com. We weren’t very interested in photo monitoring, and haven’t done much with the forums, but I am sure that these two options are great for those that need it.

“What to Expect” is an amazing app that has increased mine and my wife’s enjoyment of this process. It’s a wonderful and education heavy app that provides excellent information on things your doctor might not cover in the visits each month. With a high price of free, every pregnant or hopeful family should check it out.