Remote monitoring means using devices like blood pressure monitors, digital scales, or glucose monitors to keep track of your health at home. Then you share the results with your doctor during telehealth visits or in-person visits. Some devices can also send results right to your doctor.

Regular checkups help make sure you and your baby are healthy. Checkups also help find problems early, when they may be easier to treat. Remote monitoring lets you have some checkups without having to go to the doctor’s office or clinic in person. This can help if you live far from the doctor’s office. It can also help if you have a higher risk of health problems and need to see your doctor more often. And it can make it easier to plan checkups around other things, like work or child care.

You still have to see your doctor in person for visits to get vaccines, ultrasounds, or other tests that can’t be done remotely.

Your doctor will help you get the tools you need to keep track of your health at home. For example, you might need:

• A digital scale. This helps youkeep track of your weight. Weight changes are normal during pregnancy. But gaining too much or too little weight can cause health problems for you and your baby.
• A blood pressure monitor. High blood pressure can be dangerous for you and your baby. That's why it’s important to track your blood pressure and make sure it stays within a healthy range.
• A fetal monitor. This can track your baby’s heartbeat at home. It uses a sensor that you place on your belly.
• A glucose monitor. This checks your blood sugar (blood glucose). Your doctor will check your blood sugar at least once during your pregnancy. This usually happens between 24 and 28 weeks. If you have type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes (diabetes that starts during pregnancy), you’ll have to measure your blood sugar regularly. That way, you can adjust your diet, activity, or medicine if you need to.

Your doctor will let you know how often to measure your weight, your blood pressure, your blood sugar, or your baby's heart rate. You might do it daily or weekly. It depends on your health, your baby’s health, and how likely it is for problems to happen.

Some devices can stay on your body for longer and take measurements constantly. For example, continuous glucose monitors track your blood sugar through the day. They can send an alert when your blood sugar gets too high or too low. Wearable devices, like some smartwatches, can track your heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen level, and other vital signs. Then they share the information with your doctor.

Some wearable devices made for pregnancy, like bands that you wear around your belly, can track your baby’s movement and heartbeat through the day. These devices should not replace regular prenatal care or medical evaluation. Experts are still studying how well wearable devices work to find health problems during pregnancy.

Remote monitoring during pregnancy has many benefits. But it also comes with possible risks—like inaccurate measurements. Doctors and nurses are trained to use blood pressure monitors, fetal monitors, and other devices to get the most reliable results. At home, it may not be as easy to get the same reliable results every time.

Inaccurate measurements might cause you to worry when you don't need to. Or they might cause you to miss signs of a problem. That’s why it’s important to have regular in-person visits and to contact your doctor if you’re concerned about your own or your baby’s health.

Remote monitoring may also come with privacy concerns. For example, you may worry about whether it’s safe to send your personal health information from a device to the doctor’s office. Make sure to ask your doctor about the technology they’re using. Also ask about who has access to your information and what safeguards are in place to keep your health information private.