The latest articles on Forem by Marketa Balazova (@myli). https://forem.com/myli https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3845927%2Faf8a21b2-ccfb-4930-9884-b7d04aca9a95.png https://forem.com/myli en Marketa Balazova Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:37:18 +0000 https://forem.com/myli/from-diapers-to-deployment-how-i-built-a-gamified-pregnancy-app-in-react-1je2 https://forem.com/myli/from-diapers-to-deployment-how-i-built-a-gamified-pregnancy-app-in-react-1je2 <p>When I was on maternity leave, I noticed a funny dynamic in our household. Like any expectant mother, I downloaded a bunch of pregnancy tracking apps. But my husband—a dedicated gamer—completely boycotted them.</p> <p>Why? Because the UI was always pastel pink, and the apps constantly compared our unborn child to fruits. He didn't want to know his baby was the size of a "blueberry" or a "kumquat." He felt entirely disconnected from the process, like a mere side character in a rom-com.</p> <h2> <strong>The Mission: A "Tacticool" Survival Guide</strong> </h2> <p>I realized there was a gap in the market: a pregnancy app that actually speaks a gamer's language. So, during the baby's nap times, I started learning to code.</p> <p>My goal was to build a dark-mode, gamified survival guide purely for expectant dads. I called it <strong>Partner in Action</strong>.</p> <p>Instead of standard tracking, I designed features that made sense to him:</p> <p><strong>Hardware over Fruit:</strong> Size comparisons use tools.</p> <p><strong>Recon Operator:</strong> Dads upgrade a tactical operator based on the pregnancy's progress.</p> <p><strong>AWOL Status:</strong> If the app is ignored for 7 days, the dad's status automatically changes to "Desertion" (this one was my personal revenge!).</p> <p><strong>Inventory Management:</strong> Tracking baby gear exactly like an RPG inventory system.</p> <h2> The Tech Stack: React + Capacitor </h2> <p>Since I was a solo mom-dev learning on the go, I needed a stack that would allow me to move fast and deploy to mobile without learning two different native languages.</p> <p>I chose <strong>React</strong> for the frontend because of its massive community and component-based architecture. To get it onto mobile devices, I used <strong>Capacitor</strong>. It was amazing to see my web code turn into a real, installable Android app.</p> <p>Of course, it wasn’t without its hurdles. Figuring out the mobile UI quirks, handling state management while sleep-deprived, and making sure the "Cry Detector" audio feature worked smoothly through Capacitor plugins tested my sanity. But seeing the app finally live on Google Play made every late-night coding session worth it.</p> <h2> What's Next? (The Roadmap) </h2> <p>The app is out in the wild, but the mission isn't over. I am currently working on a "Postpartum DLC" (a fourth-trimester expansion pack) and a medical jargon glossary to help dads decrypt hospital terminology.</p> <p>If you are a dev, a gamer, or a dad-to-be, I would love for you to check it out and give me some harsh feedback on the architecture or UI.</p> <p><strong>Check out Partner in Action on Google Play:</strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.partner_v_akci.app" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.partner_v_akci.app</a></p> <p>Have you ever built an app just to prove a point to your partner? Let me know in the comments!</p> react indiehackers webdev showdev