St. Luke's University Health Network recently launched its new St. Luke's Baby & Me mobile app to help pregnant and new moms stay informed and healthy throughout the stages of pregnancy, labor, birth and newborn care.

The mobile app, which can be downloaded for free, is part of St. Luke's ongoing commitment to mothers, babies, fathers and support persons before, during and after they have a baby.The app's launch coincides with the announcement of the new St. Luke's Baby & Me Support Center, opening this summer.Both the app and the support center are part of St. Luke's philosophy of care that implements evidenced-based practices such as skin to skin contact, rooming in and strong encouragement of breast-feeding while listening to and respecting each patient's choice and personalizing care accordingly.For many first-time moms, pregnancy and motherhood can be overwhelming and confusing, prompting them to seek out information from untrustworthy sources found through random internet searches.But the Baby & Me app helps moms stay on top of all the relevant pregnancy wellness information from highly skilled, well-regarded pregnancy and newborn experts, consultants, obstetricians and maternal fetal medicine specialists."The Baby & Me app is another way for patients to really connect with St. Luke's and their doctors," said Holli Warholic, DO, of St. Luke's Riverside Women's Healthcare."We pride ourselves on being able to get to know our patients and be their true guide throughout pregnancy and new motherhood. The Baby & Me app and St. Luke's Baby & Me Support Center are a big part of that."Users can view photos of baby's development and a synopsis of what's happening at each phase, tips on what to ask your provider at your next visit and a rundown of prenatal testing and why each is important.And after the baby comes, the app provides a pediatrician finder, as well as videos about breast-feeding, taking care of your newborn (including everything from how to install a car seat properly to infant CPR and signs of jaundice.)Through the use of animation, video and milestone markers, Baby & Me app users can keep track of doctor appointments and feeding and immunization schedules.With access to tools and support like this, moms feel prepared and in control every step of the way."Having and caring for a baby is one of the most important experiences and responsibilities in life and while it's not always without challenges, we believe that moms, babies and families can truly thrive when they have the support they need and are able to make the most appropriate decisions for their individual circumstances," says Jared King, St. Luke's Women's and Children's service line administrator."The Baby & Me app is specifically designed for today's on-the-go moms and brings into the online space what St. Luke's has always been known for - providing the highest level of maternal and newborn care."Wherever moms go, whenever they can find the time, they can quickly and easily get the information they need to do what's best for their babies and themselves with the St. Luke's Baby & Me app.The app is available for download in the App Store if you have an iPhone and on Google Play for Android users.The Baby & Me Support Center is slated to open later this summer at 1425 Eighth Ave. in Bethlehem.