WSVN — Today might be Labor Day, but for some parents, that could mean a whole different thing. Having a baby is one of the greatest joys, but labor and childbirth can be a long and exhausting experience. As 7’s Lynn Martinez shows us, luckily these days, there’s an app for that.
Claudia is expecting her first baby.
Claudia Napoles: "The realization of what’s coming next is exciting, a little scary."
But technology is making labor day a little less scary with labor and contraction apps on their smartphones.
Claudia Napoles: "I probably have like at least 10 apps. I’ve downloaded probably 30."
There are dozens of pregnancy apps
Natalie Grillo, labor doula: "From the get-go we’re teaching them how to download, you know, how to use it."
Natalie Grillo is a labor doula. She prepares mothers for childbirth, and stays with them during delivery.
Natalie Grillo: "If you have a contraction, you go ahead and press start."
Natalie teaches clients how to use the labor apps, from the start of each contraction to the end, keeping track of duration, frequency and intensity of pain.
Natalie Grillo: "These apps for women who are in labor make them feel a little safer, make them feel a little more comfortable laboring at home."
You can print out the information or e-mail it to your doctor, doula or midwife. And accurate timing helps new parents know when they should head to the hospital.
Andrea Preston (to baby): "Hi, sweetheart. How was your day?"
Andrea was in labor for son Dylan for 36 hours!
Andrea Preston: "I had a long labor day, yes."
She wanted to stay home for as long as possible before heading to the hospital.
Andrea Preston: "You’re having contractions for an hour, and it tells you the average for the past hour. As the hours were increasing, it would tell me what my average was, three minutes apart or four minutes apart."
Her fiancé says, when her pain was intense, it was one less thing for them to worry about.
Olivier Casse: "It empowered us without giving us all the necessary responsibilities of accuracy. It did it for us."
Smartphone technology, giving birth to a whole new way to go through labor.
Natalie Grillo: "Today, why not use technology to make your life easier? As easy as one can make labor day."
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contraction Master for iPhone & Android
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/contraction-master/id309120441?mt=8
Labor and Contraction Timer For iPhone & Android
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/labor-and-contraction-timer/id328767197?mt=8