What mother-to-be or recent mum doesn't need all the support and help she can get?
Not everyone can rely on partners or family. And even if you can, nobody knows everything; except for Baby Buddy.
And Baby Buddy can be on your side 24/7 at no cost. Baby Buddy is a unique smartphone app which has been created with mums, midwives and doctors so you can be sure the information – both local and national – is reliable, accurate, and is available 24 hours a day. The app sets out to be your personal baby expert who will help guide you through your pregnancy and the first six months of your baby's life. Now Buckinghamshire's NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) – the GP-led organisations who plan and pay for local healthcare – are rolling out Baby Buddy across the county.
Dr Juliet Sutton, local GP and Aylesbury Vale & Chiltern CCG Children's Clinical lead, said: "Baby Buddy is designed to support all parents, but in particular younger parents, in making positive lifestyle and behavioural changes during pregnancy and post-birth to improve their physical health, mental health and wellbeing and lead to the best possible health outcomes for their child.
As well as providing straightforward advice and information, the app also contains information to support the 25% of UK parents who are under 25. Their children are more at risk of premature birth, poor nutrition and developmental delays which all affect their life chances. Teenage mothers are known to be less likely to attend antenatal appointments and often do not access health information and support through books, leaflets or internet search engines.
Commissioned by NHS Aylesbury Vale & NHS Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Groups and Buckinghamshire County Council, Baby Buddy is free and is endorsed by the Department of Health and the Royal College of Midwives. It has been designed to help you give your baby the best start in life and support your health and wellbeing.
Download Baby Buddy to receive daily information to support you and to help you look after your baby. Any mother-to-be or new parent can download it free from the App Store or Google Play. . There's more information on the CCG websites here.
For those who don't have access to a smartphone there is also a web version of the app at https://web.bestbeginnings.org.uk/web/lets-get-started
