Baby Blocks – The NEW "Go-to" App for Pregnant Women and New Parents! #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post; however, all opinions are those of Coupon Savvy Sarah

If you are currently pregnant or a new parent, you should check out this really awesome app called Baby Blocks!  This app would have been extremely helpful to me if it had been around when I was pregnant! When you enroll, you can earn incentives and rewards just for going to your prenatal and postpartum, including gift cards, toys and diapers. How cool is that?


Once enrolled, you can access interactive “baby blocks” via the mobile web app on your iPhone or Android smartphone that shows your prenatal visits, plus opportunities to earn incentives and rewards for following a prenatal and postnatal visit schedule. You can also receive email appointment alerts and wellness-related text messages, connect directly with maternity nurses and earn rewards for keeping the appointments, including rewards such as gift cards to retail outlets and maternity-related items such as teething rings, diaper bags and thermometers.

 New tools, including myriad mobile apps, are helping pregnant women and new parents with prenatal and postnatal care. For instance, UnitedHealthcare’s Baby BlocksTM is a mobile incentive program now available to Medicaid beneficiaries in 14 states and people enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans. 

Encouraging a healthy and full-term pregnancy is the responsibility of parents and health professionals, and technology is helping make that possible. The last few weeks of pregnancy for many mothers can seem endless and often uncomfortable. But expectant parents should take the opportunity to learn just how important the last few remaining weeks are for their baby’s development and health.

Apps like Baby Blocks are important because keeping up with your prenatal care is your number one priority if you want a healthy baby. More than 11 percent of the babies born nationwide last year were considered premature, earning the nation a “C” grade according to a new March of Dimes report. Full-term deliveries are important for the health of babies and mothers, considering births before 37 weeks of pregnancy account for 35 percent of all infant deaths, according to the CDC. See below for more statistics on premature babies.

National Prematurity Awareness Month: A Time to Talk About the Risks Associated with Delivering Babies Before 39 Weeks

By: Sam Ho, M.D., chief medical officer, UnitedHealthcare

November is National Prematurity Awareness Month, an ideal time for families nationwide to think about the health of expectant mothers and babies, and to raise awareness of and increase safe and healthy pregnancies and deliveries.

One out of eight babies nationwide each year is born premature, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Premature births represent a small percentage of all births; however, these infants comprise a large proportion of all infant deaths.

Appropriate prenatal and postnatal care is critically important for mothers’ and babies’ health. It is also important for mothers and families to understand the risks associated with elective deliveries before 39 weeks of gestation and their potential impact on infant health. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) defines full-term as 39 weeks and advises against elective deliveries before that.

The potential complications involved with elective childbirth before 39 weeks are very real, yet some first-time mothers may be unaware of the risks. Babies born before 39 weeks are more likely to have respiratory problems and developmental delays, according to numerous published studies.

A review of claims data by UnitedHealthcare showed that 48 percent of newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at select hospitals were from scheduled admissions for delivery – many before 39 weeks of gestation. By being scheduled, or electively induced, these deliveries were prevented from progressing to full term. After sharing these findings, physicians and hospitals altered practice patterns and realized a 46-percent decrease in NICU admissions in the first three months.

However, we need to do more. More than 1.3 million babies were delivered by cesarean section in 2011, with wide variation in C-section rates at hospitals nationwide, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota. The overall C-section rate was 33 percent, but the rate ranged between 19 and 48 percent at hospitals across the nation; the researchers could not identify evidence-based factors to explain the variation. C-section deliveries can carry a variety of risks, including infection, blood clots and problems in future pregnancies.

Don't forget to check out the app Baby Blocks to help you keep track of your doctor visits, get pregnancy tips - all the while earning incentives and rewards along the way, including gift cards, toys and diapers.

Disclosure: This is a Paid Sponsored Post.... All opinions are 100% my own. Some posts may contain affiliate links that I receive commission or payment from in exchange for referrals. In the event of a giveaway, the sponsor is responsible for deliver of the prize, unless otherwise noted in the posting. I only recommend products or services I personally use and believe will be a good fit for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 225: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"