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Amazon’s Alexa will soon start doling out pregnancy advice

By Lulu Chang September 5, 2016

baby-in-crib — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Alexa already boasts plenty of skills, but now, it might be adding the most important one of all — pregnancy. No, Alexa won’t be bearing a child anytime soon, but if you’re expecting, Amazon’s AI assistant just may be able to help.

It’s all thanks to the new “My Pregnancy” skill for Amazon Alexa from BabyCenter, heralded as “the first Alexa skill to provide pregnancy resources for expectant parents.” Now, mothers and fathers-to-be can count down to their bundle of joy’s delivery date and receive weekly medically reviewed updates from BabyCenter. Curious parents will be able to check out tips, see fetal development images via the companion Alexa app, learn more about what to expect, and more.

“BabyCenter strives to make moms and dads’ lives easier, and this new voice activation technology from Amazon Alexa is the next step to simplifying their busy, hectic lives,” said Linda Murray, Global Editor-and-Chief, BabyCenter. “We know from our research that moms are early adopters of technology, and we are excited to see how this new convenience helps navigate their path toward parenthood. We’re looking forward to moms and dads’ feedback so we can determine what additional features we can add next to our Alexa Skill.”

The firm claims that some 45 million parents turn every month to BabyCenter for information on their impending arrivals, with 8 in every 10 new and expectant mothers online using BabyCenter each month. Branded as the leading “pregnancy and parenting digital destination,” BabyCenter promises to provide parents with “trusted information, advice from peers, and support” as they move from pregnancy to child rearing and beyond.

“The Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) is just over a year old and we’re excited to have ‘My Pregnancy’ from BabyCenter as one of the first skills created specifically for soon-to-be parents,” said Rob Pulciani, Director Amazon Alexa. “Alexa enables hands-free, voice control that makes life simpler, but is especially convenient for multi-tasking parents. We’re pleased that BabyCenter has identified Alexa as the place for its first voice-enabled application.”

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Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

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