Helping Expectant Mothers Stay Connected and Informed

Partnership with BabyScripts

All expectant mothers gain weight during pregnancy. But Amanda Linzau, a first-time mother-to-be, was concerned she was gaining a bit too much.

So she turned to her app for help.

That app is BabyScripts, a Washington, D.C.,-based mobile software used in partnership by Obstetrics/Gynecology (OB/GYN) practices at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center to help guide patients throughout their pregnancies with information and resources tailored specifically to them.

“Now, every week I can check my app to make sure I’m on track with exactly how much weight gain my doctor recommends,” says Linzau, 22. “This is my first baby, so this app helps me know exactly what to expect in each stage of my pregnancy.”

Expectant mothers using the app receive month-specific information on what’s happening, what to do and what to expect through their pregnancies. This includes upcoming tests and bloodwork, nutrition guides, weight and blood pressure tracking, and information on pregnancy-specific topics, such as gestational diabetes, headaches, hemorrhoids, and spotting.

Patients can even receive alerts and updates from their doctor’s office, including changes in office hours, new staff announcements, and weather-related closures.

Dona Griffin, clinical director, Ambulatory Services at MedStar Montgomery, says that patients are finding BabyScripts more informative and useful than the average pregnancy app.

“Knowing that their own physicians endorse the information provided on the app makes patients feel more comfortable and confident,” she says. “It’s more efficient than going to Google or another app when they have questions. With BabyScripts, they don’t have to think twice about whether their OB agrees with the medical advice they’re receiving.”

Linzau has used other pregnancy apps, and found they only give general information and fun facts. But the customized information she gets with Babyscripts has proven invaluable.

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention – https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-complications.html

“I had an appointment coming up for my glucose test, and an alert popped up on my phone telling me what to expect and how to prepare for it,” says Linzau. “That made me feel so much better on the day of my appointment, because I felt like I knew what to expect.”

Indeed, Griffin says MedStar nurses are noticing that patients who use the app come to their appointments more informed, with fewer questions for their doctor. This allows both patients and providers to devote office time to more pressing concerns.

More than 550 MedStar Health patients have used the Babyscripts app. And now, the program has expanded to help mothers even after delivery with one year of postpartum information, resources and updates for mother and baby.

“I’ll definitely use Babyscripts after the baby comes,” says Linzau. “If it helps me during pregnancy, I know it’ll help me after, too.”