bumpf launches new pregnancy and parenting app

We are delighted to announce the launch of bumpf, a new pregnancy and parenting app, which uses evolving technology to allow users to personalise their journey. Our app saves the NHS money and resources by channelling proven life-saving content, interwoven through a fun, interactive interface to help our audience mentally, physically and practically navigate through this exciting time of their life.

The conception and evolution of bumpf

As three business owners (all mums; Heidi, Sarah & Rachel) working on physical channels, already reaching expecting parents, we saw an opportunity to collaborate to provide a fresh contemporary digital app. We combined our insight, knowledge, proven life-saving content and relationships with brands, the NHS and other stakeholders.

Research by Cambridge University and our user stats show that less clinical, all-encompassing approaches are more readily desired and used. In light of this, we recently added new features to the app, which include the ability for users to personalise their journey, but with pre-positioned core content from us aiming to increase safety and good mental health during the journey. The app also now combines this content with funny, light-hearted interactions, commercial offers, and practical tips to help parents feel supported, whilst in control of their unique journey. We remind the users through push messages of important milestones and issues, ranging from pelvic floor notifications, to monitoring baby movements from 24 weeks.

What are the NHS challenges we wish to help with?

  • The Government has a target to halve the number of stillbirths in the UK by 2025. 
  • Currently, there is a midwifery crisis with a shortage of 2000 (1) midwives, putting pressure on staff, which has a knock-on effect of reducing the amount of time staff are able to spend with their patients. 
  • Mental Health costs the UK economy £118bn (2) a year, with the third largest contributor being depression.

How will bumpf help save NHS resources and meet some of these objectives / issues?

  • Time– reducing the burden of repeated questions from patients.
  • Safety – empowering parents-to-be with proven life-saving information to seek medical help at the right time. Swifter and wider patient action reduces complications and is proven to reduce mortality rates; hence providing a cost and resource saving to the NHS, whilst helping to achieve the Government’s ambition to halve the amount of stillbirths in the UK by 2025.
  • Mental Health – the benefits of a diary and the ‘normalising’ diary prompts in our app, are designed to show parents that they are not alone and help empower them to make appropriate decisions and feel comfortable to find help.

DigitalHealth.London’s Launchpad programme has been invaluable in its support and ideas guiding us on how to navigate the NHS landscape and helping us understand all considerations in this area.  We believe our team have the passion, experience, and desire to bring this vision to life in-line with NHS, WHO and BFI guidelines and we’re looking forward to continually tracking, learning and optimising bumpf content to help provide this support and improve the wellbeing of parents.

The finishing touches

Should any Midwives or Health Visitors (or other interested parties) wish to have access to our app, in order to help improve / provide feedback on our content and platform, we would be delighted. If you are interested, please email us on peeps@mybumpf.com.

We hope that you will feel happy to recommend our app to your patients and let the bumpf team support your patients, alongside you and your team.


References:

1. Midwife numbers drop in latest NHS report (rcm.org.uk)

2. Mental health problems cost UK economy at least GBP 118 billion a year – new research | Mental Health Foundation


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bumpf is part of the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad which is part of the Accelerator programme.

The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator is a collaborative programme funded by two of London’s Academic Health Science Networks – UCL Partners and the Health Innovation Network, MedCity, CW+ and receives match funding from the European Regional Development Fund.

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