There are very few aspects of our life for which there is no wearable technology yet. Inspired by the growing popularity of wearables, a startup created a device called Bloomlife, which monitors the contractions of pregnant women. The device shows the intensity and interval of the contractions, so that mothers are fully prepared and know when their time is due.
The targets of this product are women in their third trimester of pregnancy, who at this stage experience contractions. The data recorded by this device can be stored on both iOS and Android, making it easier for women to monitor their pain.
Identifying The Length And Frequency Of Contractions
What this device brings from a medical point of view is the user feedback on the contractions' intervals. Knowing how many minutes apart two contractions are can suggest that delivery time is getting closer, therefore allowing women to prepare for the event properly. In many cases, contractions are not the signal of labor starting, but only false alarms. This device helps families make more informed decisions about the birth of their babies.
The contractions that do not signal labor, known as Braxton Hicks contractions, are very common during the last trimester of pregnancy. However, not having a tool to calibrate the importance of these contractions can lead to unnecessary trips to the hospital and alarm the mothers, which can also be detrimental to the baby's health.
The device is meant to be attached to the mother's belly. Through the means of electrical sensors which identify contractions and their characteristics, the wearable records the length and frequency, being able to announce when labor starts. Although the device does not offer any medical diagnosis, it is medically tested for accuracy.
"Despite one in eight women delivering preterm, the underlying causes and triggers of preterm birth are poorly understood. Traditional approaches to clinical research are fraught with red tape when it comes to pregnancy. Naturally, anything that is perceived to risk a mother and her baby remains strictly off limits," noted CEO and co-founder Eric Dy.
The wearable is designed to eliminate the guesswork, as stated on the product's website.
"Bloomlife has undergone extensive clinical validation against hospital based systems and has been proven to be accurate, reliable, and safe. We even have published our work at the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine," notes the descriptive copy.
A Practical Solution
There already are women who have started using the device, and it has proven to be more than helpful in times of need.
"You go through so much of this so blindly, and you lose complete control of your body," noted Molly Cruit, a jewelry designer who is 8½ months pregnant.
During the past few years, there have been serious efforts aimed at reducing the stress of women who are about to become mothers, through different gadgets meant for pregnant women.
