As an obstetrician and gynecologist at The Longstreet Clinic, Dr. Keshma Saujani interacts with pregnant women on a daily basis. As the mother of two, Saujani has walked in their shoes too, so she’s always looking for ways to improve the experience of her patients.
Her idea? There’s an app for that.
Tapping into the smart phone craze, Saujani formed QMJ, Inc., and researched companies to help her develop two applications – better known as “apps” – for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
The first, named Luv Dub, was designed to help women keep an audio/visual journal of the most precious moments during pregnancy and share them through social media networks.
Saujani said the idea for Luv Dub came from patients who wanted to bring family members to office visits but couldn’t for one reason or another. “The goal was to getting families involved,” said Saujani, who has practiced with the Center for Women’s Health at TLC for the past five years.
Expectant mothers simply enter their due date or let the app calculate it, enabling them to capture thoughts about the baby and overall pregnancy in the “notes” section. Luv Dub also has the ability to record the baby’s heartbeat, share audio, video and photo memories with friends and family via email, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr, or watch a countdown to the due date.
“It basically serves as the mother’s journal,” Saujani said.
Her second app, Belly Booth, takes that same idea of keeping a journal, but adds a twist. Belly Booth allows a woman to create a time-lapsed slideshow of her growing belly during pregnancy, from the first day to the big day.
“Simply take a daily profile photo of your belly throughout the months and Belly Booth compiles them into a slideshow,” Saujani said. The finished product is similar to the cartoon flipbooks of old.
Both LuvDub and Belly Booth are available as free downloads in the iTunes App Store.
Saujani, along with her husband, Mark Hogan, M.D., and their two children, Maya, 8, and Kaiden, 5, has enjoyed watching more than 5,000 people around the world download the apps so far.
“I’m actually pretty proud of it,” she said. “The idea was for women to be involved in their own pregnancy, and to give them the ability to share the journey with their loved ones.”
Dr. Saujani sees patients at offices in Gainesville, Braselton and Dahlonega. The Center for Women’s Health has an additional office in Baldwin.
The Longstreet Clinic, P.C., incorporated in 1995, is a fully integrated multi-specialty medical group owned and managed by physicians. TLC has grown to include nearly 90 physicians in over 15 specialties, and more than 40 nurse practitioners, physicians assistants and certified nurse midwives. The Longstreet Clinic was ranked by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as the eighth largest physician group practice in Metro Atlanta, and as the third largest independent group practice. With its main campus located in Gainesville, TLC physicians also see patients at offices in Oakwood, Buford, Braselton, Dahlonega, Baldwin, Cumming and Toccoa. Doctors you know. Care you trust. The Longstreet Clinic, where patient care is always centered around you.
