Useful Apps That Can Make a World of Difference to New Parents

Guest Writer: Emily Graham, http://www.mightymoms.net

As a first-time parent, there are countless things you’ll have to learn. Thankfully, there are many terrific, simple-to-use mobile apps that can help to cut down the learning curve, so you can focus on taking care of your baby.

In order to get the most use out of these apps, there are a few key accessories you’ll need for your phone. So make sure to get a durable phone case to keep your treasure trove from falling victim to water, spit-ups and the inevitable diaper leaks. Additionally, keep a portable phone charger in your diaper bag (along with wipes, nursing pads, and well-fitting clothes) for those days when you forgot to charge your phone the night before.

Here are a few great apps for new parents.

Feeding Schedule Apps

According to Kids’ Health, newborn babies should eat between eight and twelve times per day for the first month. When your baby is a month or two, those feeding times usually taper down to seven to nine times per day. That’s a lot of feedings to track while getting used to a newborn. Apps like the Baby Tracker nursing app can help you keep track of your baby’s feeding schedule. The app allows you to note which breast your baby fed on and even accommodates information for twins. You can also track bottle feeding and if you express milk, then this app is great for recording how much you expressed. Feel free to add medications and diaper changes as well.

Baby Sleep Apps

It can be tricky to get babies to sleep through the night, but according to The Military Wife and Mom, it can be done. If you feed your baby just before you’re ready to go to sleep, it might decrease the likelihood of them waking you up just as you fall asleep. It’s also helpful to limit your baby’s daytime naps, and that’s where apps like Sleep Baby Sleep can be handy. This is the kind of app that provides white noise sounds like a fan, womb sounds or a clothes dryer to help your baby fall asleep. Over time, you can determine the length of your baby’s naps by setting a timer. Most importantly, it’s okay to take a quick peek to see what’s happening as babies can babble or coo and still be very much asleep.

First-Year Information Apps

Quite a few things happen in your baby’s first year that you’ll want to know about. This can include cooing within the first two months and improved hand-eye coordination at the three- month mark. At six months old, you may see signs of them imitating speech, and crawling is not usually far behind. Standing as well as walking can happen as soon as 11 months to a year, so you’ll need to watch out for that, too. With so many events happening, it will be helpful to have an app like Ready, Set, Baby! on your phone. With this app, you’ll be able to keep up with the milestones your baby should be hitting as they age. It also has helpful guides on your baby’s hygiene and diaper care.

Apps That Help With Potty Training

Parents often dream about their children moving away from diapers and using the bathroom. According to What to Expect, your child may be ready for potty training as early as the age of two. As long as they are staying drier longer and have started to talk about going to the bathroom, it could be safe to start. When you’re potty training, consistency is important, and experts usually discourage switching back to diapers when leaving the house. You don’t have to worry about finding a decent restroom when you’re out if you have an app like SitOrSquat. You can use the app to not only find the restrooms that are close to your location but also get a cleanliness rating based on published reviews.

Being a first-time parent can have its challenges, and you’ll need as much help as you can get with doing it well. With the above apps and a few good phone accessories like a portable charger and durable case, you’ll have all the helpful resources you’ll need in the palm of your hand.

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