Health and fitness technology company FitTrack launched today its new smart scale designed for moms-to-be, called FitTrack Beebo.

The maternity scale is programmed with four modes – infant, pregnancy, athlete and general mode – and has 17 different health metrics that it can measure. Beyond telling users their weight and body mass index, the scale measures muscle mass, hydration level, obesity degree and more.

The scale, which is designed to be used both during and after pregnancy, according to FitTrack, can also track the baby’s growth. When the mother steps on the scale holding the baby, Beebo automatically deducts the mother’s weight to give a picture of the baby’s development.

In addition to the insights provided directly on the scale, Beebo can connect to the FitTrack Pro app or with Fitbit, Apple Health or Google Fit.

The FitTrack Beebo maternity scale is available for purchase starting today for $129.

WHY THIS MATTERS

The amount of weight that a woman gains during her pregnancy is important to the long-term health of both the mother and baby, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How much weight a mom-to-be should gain depends on her BMI before pregnancy. For women who were underweight before getting pregnant, the CDC recommends gaining 28 to 40 pounds. Women who were of normal weight should gain between 25 and 35 pounds. Overweight women should gain between 15 and 25 pounds, and obese women should gain between 11 and 20 pounds.

Although research shows that both the mother and baby can have detrimental health outcomes when the mother doesn’t gain the appropriate amount of weight during pregnancy, only about a third of women gain the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy, according to the CDC. About 21% gain too little, and 48% gain too much weight.

Gaining too little weight during pregnancy can lead to the baby having difficulties breastfeeding, increased risk of illness and potential developmental delays. Too much weight gain during pregnancy can lead to delivery complications, a Caesarean delivery and obesity during childhood.

To meet the recommended weight during pregnancy, the CDC advises women to confer with their healthcare provider throughout the pregnancy, regularly track their weight to make sure they are on track, eat a balanced diet and exercise.

THE LARGER TREND

More and more women are using technology to help track their health during pregnancy.

A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research mHealth and uHealth examined the widespread use of pregnancy apps in high-income countries. It found that pregnancy apps are likely here to stay as many women use them to seek out pregnancy-related information.

On the whole, most developments in the femtech world are targeted toward fertility, pregnancy or motherhood. A recent Rock Health report found that 65% of all femtech funding has gone to these areas.

The report, along with other experts, calls for investments in femtech to go beyond fertility and pregnancy.

ON THE RECORD

“We are thrilled to offer a unique, accurate and truly reliable smart scale that’s tailored to pregnant women at a time when their health – and that of their baby – is more important than ever," said Jeffrey Sawyer Lee, founder and CEO of FitTrack, in a statement. "Beebo is made for moms, by moms, because we want to make sure we're bringing them smart technology they can rely on, through every step of their pregnancy journey and beyond."