Becoming a parent for the first time can be both amazing and overwhelming; it's a whole new world and a steep learning curve, especially in those first few weeks. Even if you're a second or third time mum, having a newborn again is both wonderful and exhausting.
Anything that will make your life easier and help keep your baby safe, happy and contented is very welcome and that's where apps come in. With hundreds of apps now aimed at new parents to help with everything from feed times to sleep to photo sharing it can be hard to know which ones to choose. Luckily we've done the hard work for you and picked the 6 best rated, most useful apps for new mums. Simply follow the links to find each app on both the App Store and Google Play too!
The Night Feed App
Whether you follow any of mum of two, Ruth’s blogs this app is a must for any mums coping with lonely night feeds. Blogger Ruth Crilly came up with the idea for the app while she was feeding her baby through the night and has created a brilliant resource for tired mummies everywhere.
The app is full of really useful functions such as recording how much your baby has fed and for how long, however the it's real value is in helping you to stay awake and entertained during those small hours feeds. There are book and film reviews, fashion and beauty advice and news alongside lots of Ruth’s amusing ramblings. You can even chat to other night owls! When you are ready to go back to bed, there are soothing sounds to help you get back to sleep.
Image courtesy of thenightfeed.uk
Baby Sparks App
It can be hard to know what activities and interactions work best for your baby's stage of development, especially in the first few months. The Baby Sparks App has been designed by child development experts and creates a personalised programme of milestones and activities for your child from 0-3 years of age.
You can also search a library of thousands of activity ideas and parenting articles to find exactly what you need. It's great for helping you understand where your baby is in their development and suggesting activities other than feeding and sleeping that you could do.
Image courtesy of the Babysparks.com
Baby Connect App
A really friendly and super intuitively designed app which acts as your personal PA when it comes to juggling the demands of a newborn and coping with that feeling of baby brain! Keeping all the records you need for your baby in one place is super handy and makes transitions from one carer to another very easy - no more complicated handovers to daddy or grandparents - the app will sync your baby's information on multiple devices automatically.
The app gives you the flexibility to enter as much or as little information as you want; it could be used as a simple feed and wet nappy tracker but also has so much more to offer and grows with your child to potty training and beyond. The app can also be used for grandparents to keep in touch with your baby's developments and activities via photo and note uploads.
Extra features we love:
Integration with SIRI means that most actions can be voice-activated
Track as many babies as you like and set up as many parents and caregivers as you like
Customise the app for toddlers and older kids, with potty training and solid food.
The app has been designed for maximum security. Everything is password protected.
Baby Feed Timer App
Keeping track of how often your baby feeds, which side you last fed from and wet nappies used to be a job for a note book and a hairband on the appropriate wrist! Not anymore, Baby Feed Timer does it all for you!
This clever app tracks breastfeeds, bottle feeds, breast pumps, nappies, sleep, solid food, baby's weight and baby's length. You can also make your own notes (ideal for recording baby's temperature and medicine given) and set notifications/alerts. Data can be synced across multiple devices so you and your partner can easily keep up to date in your baby's day.
Some other cool features we love include, notifications to alert you when next feed is due on your lock screen and easy to use analysis charts to help you spot patterns or changes in your baby's behaviour. It's also recommended by midwives across the UK!
Sound Sleeper App
Newborn babies hate silence after being used to the noisy environment in your womb. White noise is a well know technique to help babies settle to sleep and something I always use to calm babies in the studio. Many new parents are surprised to discover that their baby falls sound asleep to the noise of their hairdryer and vacuum cleaner!
This app has a good range of white noise sounds - including rain, vacuum cleaner, womb, fan - so you can experiment to see which works best for your baby, along with the ability to record your own sounds if you prefer. The lullaby tracks are an added bonus for when you want to try something a little more musical! When used on two devices this app can also be used as a baby monitor and night light and it will self activate when your baby cries.
Baby Cloud Monitor App
Easily turn your phone, Mac or ipad into a video baby monitor! Using two devices, this app allows you to create a video baby monitor to keep an eye on your little one anywhere you go. Perfect for holidays or trips to grandparents when you either forget to pack the baby monitor or want to travel (relatively) light. There are lots of great features such as no distance limitation (as it works over 3G, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) and white noise and lullabies are included. Available for both IOS and Android with two compatible devices.
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