In our latest video, hear Dr Devender Roberts discuss the impact apps can make in the delivery of maternity care. Improving Me, a partnership of 27 NHS organisations across Cheshire and Merseyside, has introduced an app library so that patients can access safe health apps with confidence. The app library includes the top-rated apps for maternity, and can be found at improvingme.orcha.co.uk

As it’s Fertility Awareness Week, we’re taking a look at apps for Women’s Health. From period-tracking apps, to fertility and pregnancy apps, there’s been a huge rise in the number of apps in this field, but testing reveals that 85% don’t meet our quality threshold.

Take a look at our videos of three top scoring women’s health apps on ORCHA’s App Library, including an app that uses a smart algorithm to learn your ovulation cycle, and apps that empower women during pregnancy and beyond:

Natural Cycles – This app uses a smart algorithm to learn your cycle and identify your ovulation by analysing your basal body temperature, making it a useful fertility tracker. Backed by scientific research, the app is also the first digital method of birth control available in both the USA and Europe.

Mum & Baby – Developed in partnership between families and maternity staff from NHS trusts in North West London, Mum & Baby can provide support from the start of pregnancy to early parenthood. The app allows you to access information for all stages of your maternity journey, and make personalised plans for your care during pregnancy, birth and beyond.

Mush – This app empowers women to build local friendships with other mums, share advice and find support from an understanding community. Mush creates opportunities for mums to socialise, bridging the gap between appointments with healthcare professionals, and provides support for those who don’t have family networks nearby.

Due to our continual re-review process, all app scores are subject to change. As such, we’d always encourage you to view our app reviews on our App Library, as this reflects Live data and app updates which are continuously changing. Our re-review process ensures that the most up-to-date information for the latest version of an app can be accessed via our App Library.

There’s been a huge rise in the number of apps that address women’s health. From period-tracking apps, pregnancy and nursing care, women’s sexual wellness to reproductive system health care, it’s the most searched for category on Google and is attracting the attention of Venture Capital investment.

We’ve reviewed more than 200 of the market’s most downloaded apps, looking at 160 criteria across three main components: Data Security (DS), Clinical Assurance (CA) and User Experience (UX), to spot the strengths and weaknesses of the sector and spot the stand-out apps.

To reveal the results, we’ve plotted their results in a 3D chart.

This reveals 3 main themes:

1. This is a market of low quality apps. More than 85% of the apps do not meet our quality threshold of 65% and have areas that need addressing, primarily around Clinical Assurance. Roughly one third of these scored less than 45%. This is particularly worrying given the high consumer demand and lack of regulation in app stores.

2. There are three stand-out apps. There are three outlying apps that scored well above our quality threshold. These include Natural Cycles – Birth Control, Baby Buddy, and Mum & Baby, which all scored well across all three dimensions (Circled in Black and Blue). In fact, Mum & Baby scored over 85%, which puts them in a select group of only 42 out of 4,213 apps that have ever done so.

3. Clinical assurance is not enough for a well-rounded app. The outlier app (Circled in Red) offers patients a real benefit whilst pregnant, and it deservedly achieves one of the highest scores for Clinical Assurance (45/50). However, it scores 10% lower than the top apps, as it scores low in Data Security and User Experience.

To explore our 3D chart, click here.

Or to read our pregnancy app reviews, follow this link.

For more information about some of the top scoring pregnancy apps on our App Library and how these meet user demands, read our blog post here.

Want to find the best pregnancy apps but don’t know where to start?

With so much to keep track of, learn and prepare when expecting a baby, it can be hard to find the time for all your usual day-to-day commitments, never mind research the most effective apps to help you and your baby. That’s where ORCHA steps in as your trusted health app guide.

How do I know which pregnancy app is the best when there are thousands to choose from?

ORCHA has reviewed hundreds of pregnancy apps so that you can find the safest and most effective. Each app’s ORCHA Score provides a clear way of seeing which pregnancy apps are the best. Whether you’re looking for a pregnancy test app, pregnancy tracker app, the best fertility app, or week by week pregnancy app, ORCHA finds the best ones so you don’t have to, whilst still giving you a wide variety of apps to choose from.

What are the best pregnancy apps on ORCHA’s App Finder?

There are many high scoring pregnancy apps on our App Library which can be useful before, during and after your pregnancy. Whilst these apps can never replace professional medical advice, they can be a useful addition as a quick and easy way of tracking fertility and pregnancy. Here, we explore six of the best pregnancy apps reviewed by ORCHA:

• Mum & Baby – Developed in partnership between families and maternity staff from NHS trusts in North West London, Mum & Baby can provide support from the start of pregnancy to early parenthood. The app allows you to understand your choices for maternity care in North West London, access information for all stages of your maternity journey, and make personalised plans for your care during pregnancy, birth and beyond. Mum & Baby achieved an ORCHA Score of 86% on Android, making it the highest scoring pregnancy app on our App Library.
• Baby Buddy – Designed with parents and health professionals, Baby Buddy provides personal baby support in the form of a pregnancy and parenting app. It is a virtual friend that provides video resources, personalised ‘Daily Information’, and allows you to track the progress of your pregnancy and child. Baby Buddy achieved an ORCHA Score of 84% on iOS and 83% on Android.
• Natural Cycles – Birth Control – This app can be used as a fertility tracker, or, in the USA and Europe only, as a method of birth control. Natural Cycles uses a smart algorithm to learn your cycle and identify your ovulation by analysing your basal body temperature. Backed by scientific research, the app is the first digital method of birth control available in both the USA and Europe. Natural Cycles achieved an ORCHA Score of 84% on both iOS and Android.
• Ovia Pregnancy Tracker – Ovia Pregnancy Tracker allows you to track your baby’s development and your own wellbeing as your pregnancy progresses. It includes a customisable health tracker, a calendar for organisation, a community of mums and expectant mums, and over 2000 pregnancy articles and tips to help you. The app achieved an ORCHA Score of 79% on iOS.
• Glow Nurture – Pregnancy App – Glow Nurture is a pregnancy tracker app in which you can log your symptoms on a daily basis, as well as receiving reminders for appointments and medication. It also includes a trimester-specific pregnancy tracker which changes as your pregnancy moves to the next stage. Further, the app provides postpartum and miscarriage support. Glow Nurture achieved an ORCHA Score of 73% on iOS.
• Breast Start – This app provides evidence-based information from NHS professionals about all aspects of breastfeeding. It also allows you to find support locally and nationally, including giving advice on local breastfeeding-friendly places. Breast Start achieved an ORCHA Score of 71% on Android.

Due to our continual re-review process, all app scores are subject to change. As such, we’d always encourage you to view our app reviews on our App Library, as this reflects Live data and app updates which are continuously changing. Our re-review process ensures that the most up-to-date information for the latest version of an app can be accessed via our App Library.