Six apps for expecting and new parents – General information to creating feeding logs to engaging the child – these apps are must-haves!
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In the modern days of technology, it is no surprise that there is a host of parenting tips on the web. We all make sure that we are on different online parenting groups, have various applications on our phones to stay informed, do our best for our children, and make lives comfortable.
And this effort is well-placed because many of these resources are priceless. However, amid a large number of websites and applications, it is tough to recognize the ones which are of substantial value.
To give you an example, I downloaded an application to decipher my son’s crying – I would record his cry, and the app would flash if it is “sleep,” “hunger,” “dirty diaper” or “boredom!” Today, I can do nothing but laugh at myself for doing that because the app made no sense, and I deleted it soon.
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On the other hand, there are six fantastic applications which helped us a lot, and we frequently used them. I have listed those below, and we are glad that we came across them. Instead of many unnecessary apps cluttering our phones, I have listed the needed features and the app which fits the bill in that category.
I hope you find the post useful.
1. Baby Center: For Information
It is highly likely that you already have or know about this app. Baby Center is a one-stop resource for everything baby: from pregnancy to way after. It lists expectations at every stage, milestones, tips for usual concerns that we might have, and more! From the mundane to the sublime, they have it all covered. In summary, for information only, this was an app which we found perfect and sufficient.
To my surprise, the app also had name suggestions for baby, with large filters that we can set. Every week, they send an email that goes, “your baby is <> weeks old, and this is what to expect.”
Please keep in mind that each child is different, so we shouldn’t take this information very religiously, but it is suitable for general know-how.
2. Baby Connect: For Logging
Baby connect turned out to be more than a useful app for us. Picture this: Going to a pediatrician office and being asked for how long and how often the child fed when you are exhausted after delivery. My answer: I’m clueless! But this app saved right then! After every feeding session, I’d log it into this app and show it to the pediatrician. Done.
Wait, there’s more! I might sound like BabyConnect’s agent, but you can also save the height and weight of the child after every pediatrician visit (you don’t have to do it, but if you’d like, this is a perfect app!)
Again, for maintaining a log of multiple things, we found this app useful and sufficient.
3. Baby Sparks: For activity ideas with babies/toddlers
If you are at home with the child and are thinking of engaging her/him, BabySparks is an apt app. I loved this app when I was home alone with my son. Thinking about activities, however mundane they might be, can be tricky for a few of us, particularly in the beginning.
The app suggested fun small activities for developing motor skills, cognitive, etc. To me, it was worth spending the money on it.
I skipped the part where the app would ask if the child is achieving the targets etc. but my goal was to avoid boredom and stay interested. Now, it saves you a lot of time of browsing for ideas on Pinterest (but you may remain glued to my blog, though :))
4. mySugr: For Gestational Diabetes
This app is specifically for moms who have Gestational diabetes (GD) and are monitoring diet, blood sugar levels, activity levels, etc. When I was managing GD in my third trimester, mysugr helped significantly. I have an article on managing Gestational Diabetes, which might be of help if you are in the same boat.
Coming back to the app, it comes handy when you visit a dietician’s office and want to share the chart of sugar levels and foods that you ate.
Furthermore, it helps you track your diet patterns, foods that work, and foods that don’t. These lessons about nutrition and insulin are for life, as I discussed in the GD article here.
5. Precious: For creating graphics with baby images
Precious is a photo-app; in those initial few months when you are swooning at your baby pictures, this app is a cherry on the cake. It sends you daily and weekly images with graphics to brighten your day. As a bonus, there are collages too from time-to-time.
Also, you can create your edits, print them, share them with friends and family from the app itself, and more! Again, we found it sufficient to edit our child’s pictures.
6. Blinkist or Kindle: To keep our minds relaxed
Blinkist is an app for reading the synopsis and ten highlights of non-fiction books. When you are feeding the child or just trying to unwind, Blinkist is an excellent app to download. Of course, once you like the blinks or synopses, you may order a digital/audio or a hard copy of the book. Kindle is another app which comes handy during these times.
I found reading on the phone for the eyes in the first few weeks of delivery, but later on, it felt okay. That’s why Blinkist turned out to be better than Kindle earlier on – Blinkist had short and quick overviews while Kindle would take long to wrap a chapter up. Please make a judgment call per your health in those initial months.
If you liked this article, please leave a comment and share it with your friends who might benefit from it. If you have any favorite app which helped you as a new parent, please leave a comment below! We’d love to know about those.
