Pregnancy App Glow Uses Big Data to Help Couples Conceive

A new pregnancy app from a PayPal cofounder aims to use big data and machine learning to help couples get pregnant.

Max Levchin demoed Glow this week onstage at the annual All Things Digital conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.

Glow, which tracks and forecasts fertility, according to Levchin, hasn't launched publicly yet.

"It's a big data or machine-learning-driven approach, where we look at our accuracy as the consumers ... users of the app enter their information, we adjust our weights on the formula," Levchin told AllThingsD's Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg.

Women input details about their menstrual cycle and other personal data (e.g., emotional discomfort, basal body temperature) and the app can provide a fertility window. The app's calendar can show the likelihood of pregnancy on specific days. To share in the process, women can invite their partners to connect with them on the app.

In the future, Levchin mentioned that Glow may have an open API and could integrate with hardware sensors.

SEE ALSO: Brave New World of Prenatal DNA Sequencing

An Infertility Risk Pool

Levchin is also launching a companion service for the app called Glow First.

"What I really want is to solve the ridiculous financial state of health insurance at large," Levchin told AllThingsD and, to begin, he's creating a sort of infertility insurance, since that doesn't exist today.

Glow First basically lets couples "share the risk of infertility with other couples that are going through the process of trying to start families," the site's FAQ section explains.

To participate, a couple can contribute $50 a month toward the risk pool for a 10-month duration. If the couple is successfully pregnant within those 10 months, they forfeit that money and it goes toward infertility treatment for unsuccessful couples. For those that don't get pregnant, with proof of a fertility screening at an approved facility, they can get a grant to help with their treatment. This non-profit program involves an application process.

Levchin, who is a father himself, told AllThingsD that he's going to kickstart the pool with $1 million of his own money.

How comfortable are you, couples, with sharing personal details about your pregnancy process in an app? Let us know in the comments.

1. 1. Ovuline

   Ovuline is a tracker that helps women keep tabs on their monthly cycles. The more information you input, the more intelligent it becomes when determining the prime time for babymaking. Developed by Harvard scientists, this app gives you tips for improving your chances of conceiving, and provides a day-to-day reading about your chances of conceiving.

   Free, iOS – an in-app purchase of $9.99 is available for premium tracking features.

   

2. 2. My Days - Period and Ovulation Tracker

   This app is similar in concept to Ovuline, but made for Android devices. My Days also offers an easy-to-follow interface that lets you input personal information about your cycle, birth control, days of sexual intercourse and more. You can even track your basal metabolic temperature, which many rely on as another means of identifying fertile days.

   Free, Android

   

3. 3. Pregnancy++

   You're pregnant! From the minute you find out, you want to know every little detail of what's happening inside. Pregnancy ++ lets you input your due date and then provides comprehensive data and visuals on a daily/weekly basis of what's happening with your body and the baby's growth. There's also additional resources, such as name suggestions, packing lists, star signs and exercise tips and more.

   $2.99, iOS and Android – lite version available as well.

   

4. 4. Belly Snaps

   Some people wait until they're in the "safe" zone (after 13 weeks) to tell friends about a pregnancy, while others want to tell the world the minute they find out. If you want to go a little high-tech with your announcement, Belly Snaps lets you customize a photo with a cute "pregnant" banner to share the good news. There are also other banners you can attach to belly photos that reveal the baby's sex or just allow others to see that beautiful baby belly.

   $0.99, iOS

   

5. 5. CineMama

   Speaking of belly photos, the CineMama app is a great one to use right from the start of the pregnancy. Created by the March of Dimes, CineMama lets you document your belly bump through pictures for the entire nine months. At the end, the app compiles all the photos into a cute movie that you can accompany with a soundtrack of your choice. The more shots you take, the better the movie is, making a true keepsake of your pregnancy. (Free, iOS)

   

6. 6. Pregnancy Food Guide

   Most women are familiar with the typical things they should stay away from during pregnancy, like alcohol, raw fish and soft cheeses. But for more ambiguous questions, the Pregnancy Food Guide is a helpful companion. It features hundreds of foods either by category or search and provides details about pregnancy-safe foods and what benefits or dangers they bring. There's also a shopping list included so moms-to-be can list their pregnancy super foods for the next trip to the market.

   $2.99, Android

   

7. 7. Sculpt My Pregnancy

   Studies have shown the positive effects exercise has on babies in utero and women, both during and after pregnancy. But it can be hard to know what is still appropriate and safe for women and their changing bodies. Sculpt My Pregnancy provides moms with a rundown and video demonstration of exercises that are safe for each month, and exercises that will help strengthen those important muscles for labor. Each month features approximately three stretches and 15 exercises.

   $3.99, iOS

   

8. 

9. 9. Houzz Kids

   As the pregnancy progresses, so do the nursery plans. Houzz Kids is a great app for getting ideas for the perfect baby room décor, aside from the typical pink and blue walls. Rife with visuals and links to purchase directly, Houzz Kids provides great bedroom ideas for babies all the way to teens.

   Free, iOS

   

10. 10. Full-Term - Labor Contraction Timer

    It's time! Grab the hospital bag and use this timer to begin tracking contractions. Full Term uses a very simple, no frills interface that lets you or your partner track contractions, so you'll know when to get to the hospital. It keeps a log so you can see the progression of labor and lets you input notes to provide more details on those labor pains to your doctor.

    Free, iOS.

    Very similar Contraction Timer available for Android, too.

    

Thumbnail and lead image via iStockphoto, digitalskillet. Screenshots by Mashable, courtesy of Glow/Glowing.com.