Valley Health has announced the launch of its first mobile app, VHS Babies.
The first of its kind in the region, staff developed the app to help pregnant
patients learn about their developing baby and changing body, keep track
of appointments, know what to watch for, and feel well-prepared for the
birth of their child.
While pregnancy apps have become increasingly common, VHS Babies is unique
in that it also offers hospital-specific information and resources for
soon-to-be moms, and keeps them engaged with Valley Health during their
pregnancy. In 2017, around 2,500 babies were welcomed into the world at
Valley Health hospitals, Winchester Medical Center and Warren Memorial Hospital.
The free mobile app contains week-by-week growth and development information
on the baby, a place for moms to pre-register for their hospital stay,
as well as tools such as a kick-counter, contraction timer and appointment tracker.
“Pregnancy can create a lot of excitement and many questions, too,”
says Sharon Rigney-Dodson, Director, Women and Children at Winchester
Medical Center, and the mother of three. “Expectant moms are information
seekers who want to know the different stages of their baby’s development
and also have many questions about where they will give birth. VHS Babies
is a way for us to help pregnant families get the information and tools
they need to feel comfortable and informed going into their birth experience.”
The app was the brainchild of two young mothers on the Valley Health Marketing
and Communications team, one a former childbirth educator and doula; the
other a digital media coordinator newly-certified in app development.
The pair worked with clinical leaders to hone in on the content and features.
Misty Warren, Supervisor of Family Education at Valley Health, is pleased
that parents can even view childbirth classes and register right from
the app. “We’re still building up the education features and
will be adding online childbirth education courses later this winter,”
Misty notes. “We want to make it easy for families to find useful
information during pregnancy so that they’re informed before their
hospital stay and feel empowered to make decisions for themselves and
their babies.”
The app is now available for download on the
Apple App Store for iPhone and
Google Play for Android devices.