It’s very possible these apps are available on iOS, but I didn’t double check on that. Life with a newborn can be hectic, crazy and a big whirly blur for the first few weeks. Especially if you have other kiddos already. Between medication schedules, feedings, diaper changes, daily life and existing on very little sleep sometimes you need a little help. In this day, how many of us don’t have smart phones attached to our palms… or at least our hips? Let’s use that to our advantage, shall we? Here are my very favorite, must-have, can’t survive without apps…
1. BabyESP. This app is amazing. If you only check out one app on this list, make it this one. I bought this when Big J was born nearly five years ago. It is my lifeline every time a new kiddo joins our family. You can track EVERYTHING with this app. Diapers, baths, feedings – both bottle and nursing, medications, growth, sleep – both naps and nighttime sleep. This app just keeps getting better and better. Baby N is three months old now and I still use this app multiple times every day. So worth the money.
UPDATE 03/2016: This particular app is no longer available. I was so disappointed. BUT, it made me do some searching and I think I found one that’s pretty similar. Baby Connect has most of the same features, although I did like the Baby ESP layout better. I’ve never used Baby Connect with an infant – which is when Baby ESP was the most valuable to me – but I have used it with my boys to track growth and things like that. It does a great job. Find out more about Baby Connect!
2. Baby Monitor. The only downside to this app is that you have to leave a phone with the sleeping baby and it has to stay on. If you don’t need your phone attached to your body and you can plug it in, this app is fabulous. You download this app on two phones, one is the monitor and the other is the number that will be alerted if baby wakes. You set a volume threshold and the monitoring phone will listen. If baby wakes and begins to cry, it will call the number you’ve put in and alert you that baby is making noise. We have used this on multiple occasions – camping, at a family dinner held in a church, and during a birthday party. You can tuck baby away in a quiet corner so they get a decent nap without worrying you won’t hear them wake or having to check on them every twenty minutes.
3. A noise maker. I have tried a couple different apps and don’t have one that I am just completely in love with. But, Baby Sleep Instant is usually my go-to. It’s your average noise maker app, but I like that it has the basic sounds and some other, not-so-common ones too. Like, washing machine for example. And shushing. I’ve had the thought that I should record a shush sound before… now I can just turn it on and I don’t have to get a major 20-minute workout for my cheeks at 3am.
4. WebMD Baby. While this in no way replaces your pediatrician or family physician, it can be helpful when junior develops a weird rash or something minor. Even after 3 kids, weird things still pop up at 4 in the morning. When I start to suspect my kids are sick, I can check the symptoms and see if they fit with the illness I suspect. It gives me enough info to know if I need to make a call to the Peds Line or if I can wait and call my doctor in the morning. It’s also got tracking abilities similar to BabyESP as well as a fun milestones tracker.
5. Newborn Development is nice for the first few months and can help you know what to expect. Newborns change and grow so fast that sometimes it’s overwhelming. It’s got good basic information on the first 16 weeks of your baby’s life. It would be nice if the info went further than the first four months, but it’s better than nothing.
