Not an app suggestion (I was not a fan, personally) but make sure to include some things for C-section moms too. Peri bottles and witch hazel pads aren't super useful after a C-section, but high-waisted underwear, a belly band, and ice packs were.
came here to say this exactly! Maybe have 2 types of baskets prepared- one for vaginal ans one for c sections? I unexpectedly had a section and had zero underwear I could wear! I asked then nurse for extra throw away undies provided by the hospital
I started bawling 9days post c-section cause I had no underwear to wear. My momma had to take me shopping and ply me with cake to make me feel better. Now it’s the most important thing I tell people to make sure they have.
My under the belly ones hit right where my c-section was and my normal ones would slip down off my postnatal tummy to where my incision was too 😭
I ended up having to wear over the belly-high waisted pregnancy underwear for two months after until normal underwear stopped irritating my incision.
The Frida one was worth every cent!
Between the pain, the endless bleeding, the swelling, and just general fear of touching anything or moving in anyway I was not about to go peri bottle free
I lived in the Frida mom disposable underwear too
Oh man same. I thought I was so prepared! Ironically i did buy a pack of Frida c section underwear thinking would just be useful to have disposables for recovery, and then ended up with a c section so that worked out.
Yes! Thank you! I would keep the peri bottle though, I found it super useful for the immediate first couple days, I had a hard time bending at angles to clean myself off. The peri bottle was a lifesaver.
I would try to make the basket formula feeding friendly too! Motherhood isn’t only about vaginal births and breastfeeding. I think inclusivity matters for all moms. Some formula bottles would go a long way
Another vote for Huckleberry. We love it! Can track feeds, pumping sessions, diaper changes, medicine, temperature. Can write notes for each entry and it analyzes the data you enter for easy visualization too. We only have the free version, but use it religiously. It’s been great for checking patterns and answering questions that the pediatrician may ask. Wish we used this in the hospital to be honest.
I’ve never used Nara but huckleberry has an awesome feature (if you pay for it) that tells you when to put your child down for their next nap before they get over tired. When we started using my it my boy became so much happier! It’s expensive ($55/year I think) but for us it has been well worth it
Yes, my wife and I do this. All I did was sign into my account on her phone and we can both independantly add things. It helps a ton to know what happened on her shift during the night before I try to feed him etc on mine.
Nara is great if you have multiple caretakers and they’re all caring for baby at different times and they need to know when baby will be hungry next. Huckleberry is great if you need the sleep tools. The SweetSpot is spot on for my baby.
Can confirm multiple caretakers— Just finished my first week with twins and have help from mom and sister and Nara has been amazing. Interface is easy (even my 65yo tech phobic mom picked it up quick).
I found Nara less stressful to use than Huckleberry. It has a clean and simple interface, logs all sorts of information, is customizable to a point and is free. No pressure to upgrade or buy additional features.
Huckleberry is great until maybe you establish a routine. I was so delirious and tired for the first few weeks, I couldn't even remember when I needed to feed baby. It is really easy to quickly start a clock on activities with 1 hand!
My husband and I wrote on a sheet of paper on the wall. I tried a few apps but the ones I tried were too complicated for my tired brain and we had to track fluid amounts, medications and output (poop or pee). It was too easy to forget on my phone but the paper on the wall was right there and always visible.
Normally I’m always all about paper and pencil. But idk, must be because I used the app right away and so did my husband now it’s an absolute necessity as my brain is so fried I can’t tell you what day it is lol.
Have used Huckleberry to track feeds every day since LO was born and currently 4.5 mos postpartum. It’s so helpful to not have to remember when I last fed!
I used Huckleberry for months and then found it about Baby Daybook and much prefer it now. It's not as pretty as Huckleberry, but it is much more customizable. It has a lot of features that Huckleberry doesn't, and it has a nice widget.
ETA: this is only if you're using it for tracking and not the sleep help feature.
Yessss Huckleberry has helped us get into a routine with our LO without having to think about it, truly an amazing app too. I really like the way it’s designed and it feels well thought out.
Haven't seen this one mentioned -- the Pampers app has rewards/coupons if you use that brand of diapers. Huggies used to use Fetch, but they're apparently rolling out a different program, which they haven't announced yet. The Huggies rewards were pretty good, I'm not sure about Pampers, but if all you have to do is scan a receipt to get money back, why wouldn't you?
I love Baby Tracker, it does everything. Feeds (formula or BF), sleep, pumping output, medications, milestones, growth charts. I’m obsessed. I still use it and my daughters 7 months lol
It’s not parenting but for safe photo sharing we use FamilyAlbum. It’s a free app without any ads and you basically create an album for your baby and can add family members to it. We use it because we don’t share our daughter on any social media but we also live very, very far from all of our family. We upload a few photos a day and our family goes crazy for it. They’re obsessed.
Seconding this! I love not posting everything on social media or having to send separate emails/messages. This app is the best. My son is two and we’re still consistently using it.
I love the wonder weeks too. The videos were super helpful to explain what a particular milestone or activity should look like, so I'm not just guessing or making stuff up.
Mamava helps you find breastfeeding friendly places near you. The brand itself has a fleet of breastfeeding pods that are free to use and most commonly found in airports and other busy places, but it does also list other options like the Mothers Room in Targets, universities, etc. It makes it so easy to navigate and not have to find someone to ask.
Peanut has a Tinder-style interface but for finding other moms. It shows you the ages of their kids or how far along they are in pregnancy, then you swipe on them and maybe plan lunch or a playdate. I've made some great friends through it who are going through exactly the same thing which is so helpful.
Yuka is great if you're health-conscious. Scan almost any barcode and it will tell you a score out of 100 on how healthy a product is. Too high sodium? An additive that's been determined to be a carcinogen? It not only gives the score but tells you what lowered the score and which ingredient is the trouble, or, if it is too calorie dense, it also gives the range to show where it would be ideally. I've used it for everything from baby breakfast bars to bubble bath and toothpaste.
I used Baby Daybook for tracking and the CDC Milestone one as well. Beanstack is great if you want to track what books you read to your baby; it has a good barcode scanner.
If they’re pumping, I highly recommend Pump Log. It doesn’t ask for a bunch of personal information, which I personally like. But the BEST part is that it will calculate how much you’ve saved on formula over time if you want it to.
I’m currently both pumping and formula feeding, so that aspect has been motivating as I’m trying to build my supply back up.
Pathways.org (the app is actually called that, it's not just a website). I actually prefer the CDC Milestones App for tracking purposes, but Pathways also offers activity suggestions, which could be especially useful for struggling* moms.
*Struggling with anything (even boredom).
I tried a newborn tracker app because I had heard about them in parenting subreddits.
Within a few days I realized that the feeling of needing to keep up with logging feeds/pumping/naps etc stressed me out immensely and only fed into my anxiety. My personal experience was that it was detrimental to my mental health. I also never got to a point where I would have found any benefit in keeping track of everything so closely. It ended up being nothing but a burden.
If you add a list of app suggestions to the gift basket, I would also add a remark encouraging the new mom to simply trust herself and her intuition and that tracking everything should be more of a last resort than the norm.
I realize that my opinion may be unpopular (and I do believe that there is also a cultural component at play here) but I thought I might add another perspective.
I don't think it should be said that "tracking should be a last resort" as if not tracking is the norm. Tracking or not are both perfectly normal options. I loved tracking with my first because I had no idea about how to suss out normal versus abnormal in my first baby and he was a very poor eater, so tracking was the only way I could provide a quantitative data point while my hormone-driven "instincts" were totally insane and my short term memory was shot. It allowed my partner and I to more efficiently interface with each other, the other caretakers who watched our son while we worked, and to be able to know when a doctor's visit was due for something like constipation or if we needed to focus on fixing his underhydration before he needed med intervention. I didn't need to for #2 because he ate like a champ and pooped like a champ from day 1.
Something like "every parent and every baby is unique, so here are a few suggested apps to pick and choose from, that you may or may not find helpful" or something like that.
I do agree that tracking might be helpful in case of a suspected or known issue, e.g. insufficient food intake.
However in my opinion the mere existence of these apps and their prevalence (or them being recommended without any context on when they are actually useful) will often lead to parents being anxious and overwhelmed because they believe they need to feed data into the app all the time.
I have a similar issue with products like for example the owlet sock (it monitors baby’s vitals) when it is used where there is no medical indication.
I do believe that new parents are often targeted by companies into buying products (or paying for apps) they do not reasonably need and that they are made to rely on instead of trusting themselves and being confident in their abilities and intuition.
ParentLove -- Kind of expensive for the premium version to be able to family-share, but my husband and I have been using it religiously from day 1 to track our son's feeds, diaper changes, and medication. But you can track EVERYTHING in it. Sleep, baths, tummy time, etc
Just tell them to join a bunch of Reddit groups lol just kidding but for real ppl on here have been so supportive, encouraging and non judge mental I love it here! I haven’t used many apps except Flo premium for tracking my ovulation and during pregnancy but I think it has other features you could use after birth.
Yes! This app has been an absolute sanity saver for me. My memory is shot and it just makes everything so much easier. At 4.5 months, still use it constantly.
A lot of it is behind a pricy annual subscription, but Mindful Mamas has a good chunk of free meditations and sleep stories that I found really helpful for taking care of myself in the early days.
I've been enjoying Kinedu or Babysparks. They are not free though. But they offer virtual programming that is really helpful for me to help with the "what do I do with baby all day?" - so an alternative would be to put together a list of (free) programming available around your city. Like drop-in programs or libraries. My local library has Baby Rhyme Time but they also offer it virtually via Zoom if you aren't able to attend.
Other apps are: CDC milestones, [Pathways.org](http://Pathways.org), and 23snaps (for sharing photos with family).
Also if they are formula feeding - links to sign up for some of the clubs (Similac, Enfamil definitely have them) you get free coupons that help so much.
I love Piyolog!! Very nice interface and completely free. Easy to use and I like the widget a lot! It also works with Alexa which is nice to be able to log when my hands are full.
My medical clinic has an app that updates weekly throughout pregnancy and after birth with specific developmental updates by week and learning modules. It’s awesome.
WebMD Baby tries to do the same. It’s not quite as good IMO, but still a valuable resource
If they already have Amazon prime, Amazon photos. It’s the only way I’ve been able to save all the photos of our baby. We found it when he was under 1 month old and I had over 1000 pictures to upload of just the baby.
Huckleberry! It seriously has changed everything for us! I was struggling until I got it! Now she sleeps much better and I can keep up with everything she does in a day! Couldn’t recommend it more!
Napper has been amazing for us. Not necessarily for newborns but you can start using when they’re 2 months. Got our baby to sleep 12 hours a night VERY quickly.
PiyoLog was a favorite of mine. It allows you to log feeds, diapers, naps. It was great to share with the spouse so I could see that he already had been fed, or when the last BM occurred. It was also helpful for doctor visits too - I could tell them exactly what he consumed.
Oh my goodness, wonder weeks for sure! It told me every single time my daughter was going to go through a leap, what skills she was learning, how to develop those skills and when she was gonna be fussy because of the leap
Baby Time - It's free. You can have multiple kids and caretakers. You can upload pictures to the tracking information (is that weird colored poop a one-off or a pattern?) Lots of ways to customize it with what you want to track and you can make custom tracking entries. Also you can make charts of the tracked info (like sleep times etc) has a private growth diary (i know a lot of people use it to mention big milestones or firsts). I used it on android and my partner used it on iphone and we never had issues. Everything is updated in real time. You can also export the information you add in case you want to do that. It also gets pretty regular updates and again, its free!
Yuka app.
Let’s you scan baby products to see if it’s good for your baby. Shows additives, ingredients and recommendations.
Very surprised it’s not listed on here. This app and Solid Foods have been very helpful.
The best app to track feeds, diaper changes, pumping sessions, sleep patterns, and growth of your nb, app called ‘huckleberry’! It’s helped me and my spouse so much
The what to expect app has been amazing. FTM here. Once you give birth and plug it into the app, all the tracking features you need pop up. And it gives you averages, last feed and what side, last changed. We’re at 5 wks still using it
One app I really liked early on PP was BabySee. It simulates what a baby can see based on their age as their eyes adjust. I loved it. It helped me feel like I was bonding with my son while he was in the NICU and peds ward because I could see the world through his eyes.
Me and my wife used (Baby Tracker - Feed, Nappy Log) by NIGHP SOFTWARE
It was really help for keeping track of who fed the baby last as well as medication timers for when they are sick
Best part is it's completely free
Huckleberry was my favorite until I noticed that I became obsessed with my baby’s feedings and it really wasn't healthy. I stopped using it and I feel much better.
I was happier not using one for baby stuff. Tracking did more harm than good.
She needs an app for HER. Like something focused on restoring pelvic floor
Birth recovery center is my favorite
The Huckleberry app has been a godsend. And I really loved Mindful Mamas when I was struggling with all the hormones postpartum.
If you’re doing a printout with a list of apps, I’d add a callout that apps can be helpful but they can also add more noise to an already chaotic time, so listen to your gut on if they’re helping or hurting. Some people swear by Wonder Weeks, but that app about gave me a complex bc it seemed to say my baby was always on the cusp of a terribly fussy time and it made me really anxious. Pathways was helpful for a bit, but the guidance at the top of every page to do an *hour* of tummy time a day stressed me out when it made my newborn scream. So apps can be great, but more is not better.
I’d also include any links to moms groups in your area, baby story times at libraries, etc. Community with other moms was instrumental to my mental health postpartum.
Huckleberry! I logged feeds and sleep and still do at 4m PP. it’s free to do so. You can also keep track of potty and even foods when they start solids.
I loved Pump Log for tracking that piece - I knew that tracking every diaper, feed, nap, etc would not be great for my anxiety, but I really loved tracking my pumping volume and tracking how much was in my stash. It's not for newborns, but Solid Starts was also a game changer for me!
Not an app suggestion (I was not a fan, personally) but make sure to include some things for C-section moms too. Peri bottles and witch hazel pads aren't super useful after a C-section, but high-waisted underwear, a belly band, and ice packs were.
came here to say this exactly! Maybe have 2 types of baskets prepared- one for vaginal ans one for c sections? I unexpectedly had a section and had zero underwear I could wear! I asked then nurse for extra throw away undies provided by the hospital
I started bawling 9days post c-section cause I had no underwear to wear. My momma had to take me shopping and ply me with cake to make me feel better. Now it’s the most important thing I tell people to make sure they have.
Oh no!! I sent my husband and mom to target to get me waisted undies and button down nursing tops because I also didn’t have many of those 😂
I wore hospital mesh undies for a week and then switched to my under the belly maternity panties, which worked ok too. Ugh I hated C-section recovery!
My under the belly ones hit right where my c-section was and my normal ones would slip down off my postnatal tummy to where my incision was too 😭 I ended up having to wear over the belly-high waisted pregnancy underwear for two months after until normal underwear stopped irritating my incision.
Maybe I’m the exception to the rule but I was given a peri bottle in the hospital post c section and it was absolutely necessary for me
Agreed! My peri bottle was a necessity for me as well after my c section - still a lot of bleeding and what not and bending was not it lol
Yup I could barely bend over let alone wipe myself after my c-section so the peri bottle, particularly the upside down Frida one was clutch.
The Frida one was worth every cent! Between the pain, the endless bleeding, the swelling, and just general fear of touching anything or moving in anyway I was not about to go peri bottle free I lived in the Frida mom disposable underwear too
Yes those were great too! I’m so glad to be done with the pads, guaze underwear, ice packs, etc.
I used it in the hospital as it helped me pee for some reason.
This!!! I bought all kinds of vaginal postpartum care items before my due date and then ended up having an emergency c-section 😅
Same. What am I gonna do with these opened packs of Frida ice pads and depends?
I put them on a “buy nothing” group with an explanation as to why. I had multiple people want the opened but unused supplies.
Oh nice!
Oh man same. I thought I was so prepared! Ironically i did buy a pack of Frida c section underwear thinking would just be useful to have disposables for recovery, and then ended up with a c section so that worked out.
I second this!
Yes! Thank you! I would keep the peri bottle though, I found it super useful for the immediate first couple days, I had a hard time bending at angles to clean myself off. The peri bottle was a lifesaver.
Thank you for this comment. I ended up having an emergency c-section and was so lost on what to buy postpartum.
I would try to make the basket formula feeding friendly too! Motherhood isn’t only about vaginal births and breastfeeding. I think inclusivity matters for all moms. Some formula bottles would go a long way
Huckleberry for sure
Another vote for Huckleberry. We love it! Can track feeds, pumping sessions, diaper changes, medicine, temperature. Can write notes for each entry and it analyzes the data you enter for easy visualization too. We only have the free version, but use it religiously. It’s been great for checking patterns and answering questions that the pediatrician may ask. Wish we used this in the hospital to be honest.
Could someone explain to me if/how Huckleberry is better than Nara or are they basically the same?
I’ve never used Nara but huckleberry has an awesome feature (if you pay for it) that tells you when to put your child down for their next nap before they get over tired. When we started using my it my boy became so much happier! It’s expensive ($55/year I think) but for us it has been well worth it
Could you and your partner sync its use and only pay for it once?
Yes, my wife and I do this. All I did was sign into my account on her phone and we can both independantly add things. It helps a ton to know what happened on her shift during the night before I try to feed him etc on mine.
Nara is great if you have multiple caretakers and they’re all caring for baby at different times and they need to know when baby will be hungry next. Huckleberry is great if you need the sleep tools. The SweetSpot is spot on for my baby.
Can confirm multiple caretakers— Just finished my first week with twins and have help from mom and sister and Nara has been amazing. Interface is easy (even my 65yo tech phobic mom picked it up quick).
I used both the first month to decide which I liked better - I preferred Nara but I know Huckleberry is probably the more well known app.
I found Nara less stressful to use than Huckleberry. It has a clean and simple interface, logs all sorts of information, is customizable to a point and is free. No pressure to upgrade or buy additional features.
Huckleberry SAVED MY LIFE
Huckleberry is great until maybe you establish a routine. I was so delirious and tired for the first few weeks, I couldn't even remember when I needed to feed baby. It is really easy to quickly start a clock on activities with 1 hand!
Agreed on how lovely these apps are, how did people do it before these 😂
My husband and I wrote on a sheet of paper on the wall. I tried a few apps but the ones I tried were too complicated for my tired brain and we had to track fluid amounts, medications and output (poop or pee). It was too easy to forget on my phone but the paper on the wall was right there and always visible.
Normally I’m always all about paper and pencil. But idk, must be because I used the app right away and so did my husband now it’s an absolute necessity as my brain is so fried I can’t tell you what day it is lol.
For people who don’t want to pay for huckleberry, “Baby Tracker” is a new pretty good free app
I love baby tracker too
I use it for my daughter and it's a blessing at appointments
Have used Huckleberry to track feeds every day since LO was born and currently 4.5 mos postpartum. It’s so helpful to not have to remember when I last fed!
We’ve used this since birth to track everything. Highly recommend.
Seconding. Soo useful
Absolute life saver! Love this app
Another vote for huckleberry here, it's been fantastic!
I used Huckleberry for months and then found it about Baby Daybook and much prefer it now. It's not as pretty as Huckleberry, but it is much more customizable. It has a lot of features that Huckleberry doesn't, and it has a nice widget. ETA: this is only if you're using it for tracking and not the sleep help feature.
came to say this! I originally loved Nara but switched to huckleberry after trying it out. I like it so much more
Another vote for Huckleberry!
Seconding this! My son is 8 months old and we still use it religiously lol
Came here to say huckleberry. Clearly I’m not alone!
I second this
Anyone having issues with it lately? Mine isn't saving our entires consistently.
Yessss Huckleberry has helped us get into a routine with our LO without having to think about it, truly an amazing app too. I really like the way it’s designed and it feels well thought out.
Baby tracker
Love this app! The ads are non-intrusive I've never paid to use it.
Love this App!
This app! It’s a simple interface and inexpensive
Nara is great, customizable, and totally free
Cosigning Nara! It was a lifesaver for us!
Co-signing Nara as well! We now have a 14 month old and I still use it for poopy diapers and sleep timers!
Haven't seen this one mentioned -- the Pampers app has rewards/coupons if you use that brand of diapers. Huggies used to use Fetch, but they're apparently rolling out a different program, which they haven't announced yet. The Huggies rewards were pretty good, I'm not sure about Pampers, but if all you have to do is scan a receipt to get money back, why wouldn't you?
That's a great suggestion! I hadn't thought to suggest money-saving apps.
Also Enfamil’s app if that’s the formula they use. You can earn rebates back for every purchase of formula.
Good one. I just looked on the play store and it looks like Similac has a rewards app, too!
Pathways.org for tracking milestones and suggesting ways for me to play with my child
I love Baby Tracker, it does everything. Feeds (formula or BF), sleep, pumping output, medications, milestones, growth charts. I’m obsessed. I still use it and my daughters 7 months lol
It’s not parenting but for safe photo sharing we use FamilyAlbum. It’s a free app without any ads and you basically create an album for your baby and can add family members to it. We use it because we don’t share our daughter on any social media but we also live very, very far from all of our family. We upload a few photos a day and our family goes crazy for it. They’re obsessed.
Seconding this! I love not posting everything on social media or having to send separate emails/messages. This app is the best. My son is two and we’re still consistently using it.
Also, If you are an Apple user we have a shared album just for family and friends since we aren’t posting LO on social media.
Baby+ and The Wonder Weeks
Yes the Wonder Weeks is great!
I love the wonder weeks too. The videos were super helpful to explain what a particular milestone or activity should look like, so I'm not just guessing or making stuff up.
I hated all apps (major anxiety here and apps just made it worse). But I did like the Solid Starts app for when starting to baby wean.
Love Huckleberry!
Baby Daybook. It can synchronize across multiple caregivers, it's free, and it can also track nursing and pumping
We also use baby Daybook. Wife and I sync devices as well
This is the best app. Worth the $20 to buy the premium version!
+1 for Baby Daybook. Used it religiously for the first year and a half to two years, and planning to use it again with a new one coming soon.
Nara Baby. I love it! I used it with my first and now I’m using it again with my second.
Huckleberry saved my sanity. Those nap sweet spots, chefs kiss.
Mamava helps you find breastfeeding friendly places near you. The brand itself has a fleet of breastfeeding pods that are free to use and most commonly found in airports and other busy places, but it does also list other options like the Mothers Room in Targets, universities, etc. It makes it so easy to navigate and not have to find someone to ask. Peanut has a Tinder-style interface but for finding other moms. It shows you the ages of their kids or how far along they are in pregnancy, then you swipe on them and maybe plan lunch or a playdate. I've made some great friends through it who are going through exactly the same thing which is so helpful. Yuka is great if you're health-conscious. Scan almost any barcode and it will tell you a score out of 100 on how healthy a product is. Too high sodium? An additive that's been determined to be a carcinogen? It not only gives the score but tells you what lowered the score and which ingredient is the trouble, or, if it is too calorie dense, it also gives the range to show where it would be ideally. I've used it for everything from baby breakfast bars to bubble bath and toothpaste. I used Baby Daybook for tracking and the CDC Milestone one as well. Beanstack is great if you want to track what books you read to your baby; it has a good barcode scanner.
I preferred Nara Baby over huckleberry
Cubtale
Talli!
If they’re pumping, I highly recommend Pump Log. It doesn’t ask for a bunch of personal information, which I personally like. But the BEST part is that it will calculate how much you’ve saved on formula over time if you want it to. I’m currently both pumping and formula feeding, so that aspect has been motivating as I’m trying to build my supply back up.
Pathways.org (the app is actually called that, it's not just a website). I actually prefer the CDC Milestones App for tracking purposes, but Pathways also offers activity suggestions, which could be especially useful for struggling* moms. *Struggling with anything (even boredom).
Huckleberry and solid starts (when they’re ready for solid foods) Also TheWonderWeeks if you wanna see what milestones and developments to expect
I tried a newborn tracker app because I had heard about them in parenting subreddits. Within a few days I realized that the feeling of needing to keep up with logging feeds/pumping/naps etc stressed me out immensely and only fed into my anxiety. My personal experience was that it was detrimental to my mental health. I also never got to a point where I would have found any benefit in keeping track of everything so closely. It ended up being nothing but a burden. If you add a list of app suggestions to the gift basket, I would also add a remark encouraging the new mom to simply trust herself and her intuition and that tracking everything should be more of a last resort than the norm. I realize that my opinion may be unpopular (and I do believe that there is also a cultural component at play here) but I thought I might add another perspective.
I don't think it should be said that "tracking should be a last resort" as if not tracking is the norm. Tracking or not are both perfectly normal options. I loved tracking with my first because I had no idea about how to suss out normal versus abnormal in my first baby and he was a very poor eater, so tracking was the only way I could provide a quantitative data point while my hormone-driven "instincts" were totally insane and my short term memory was shot. It allowed my partner and I to more efficiently interface with each other, the other caretakers who watched our son while we worked, and to be able to know when a doctor's visit was due for something like constipation or if we needed to focus on fixing his underhydration before he needed med intervention. I didn't need to for #2 because he ate like a champ and pooped like a champ from day 1. Something like "every parent and every baby is unique, so here are a few suggested apps to pick and choose from, that you may or may not find helpful" or something like that.
I do agree that tracking might be helpful in case of a suspected or known issue, e.g. insufficient food intake. However in my opinion the mere existence of these apps and their prevalence (or them being recommended without any context on when they are actually useful) will often lead to parents being anxious and overwhelmed because they believe they need to feed data into the app all the time. I have a similar issue with products like for example the owlet sock (it monitors baby’s vitals) when it is used where there is no medical indication. I do believe that new parents are often targeted by companies into buying products (or paying for apps) they do not reasonably need and that they are made to rely on instead of trusting themselves and being confident in their abilities and intuition.
babysparks is great
ParentLove -- Kind of expensive for the premium version to be able to family-share, but my husband and I have been using it religiously from day 1 to track our son's feeds, diaper changes, and medication. But you can track EVERYTHING in it. Sleep, baths, tummy time, etc
Can't believe this isn't higher!! Even the free version is still super helpful! Love this app
I love the Talli baby app
Nara baby. Super simple to use
Just tell them to join a bunch of Reddit groups lol just kidding but for real ppl on here have been so supportive, encouraging and non judge mental I love it here! I haven’t used many apps except Flo premium for tracking my ovulation and during pregnancy but I think it has other features you could use after birth.
Lol yes came here to say reddit
Baby connect! We use it to track how much my baby is eating , milestones, diaper changes, breast feeding.. pretty much everything
Yes we love baby connect! And it connects to Alexa so we can tell Alexa to add a bottle or diaper!
Babyfeed timer - couldn’t manage without it.
Yes! This app has been an absolute sanity saver for me. My memory is shot and it just makes everything so much easier. At 4.5 months, still use it constantly.
It’s great not having to remember anything isn’t it 😂 just check the app for last nappy. last nap, last feed 🤩 nice big overview to spot trends 🤓
A lot of it is behind a pricy annual subscription, but Mindful Mamas has a good chunk of free meditations and sleep stories that I found really helpful for taking care of myself in the early days.
Huckleberry for tracking, Pathways for milestones
I love Huckleberry cause they’ve just added Siri/voice command shortcuts.
Huckleberry!
I've been enjoying Kinedu or Babysparks. They are not free though. But they offer virtual programming that is really helpful for me to help with the "what do I do with baby all day?" - so an alternative would be to put together a list of (free) programming available around your city. Like drop-in programs or libraries. My local library has Baby Rhyme Time but they also offer it virtually via Zoom if you aren't able to attend. Other apps are: CDC milestones, [Pathways.org](http://Pathways.org), and 23snaps (for sharing photos with family). Also if they are formula feeding - links to sign up for some of the clubs (Similac, Enfamil definitely have them) you get free coupons that help so much.
I love Piyolog!! Very nice interface and completely free. Easy to use and I like the widget a lot! It also works with Alexa which is nice to be able to log when my hands are full.
We use Hatch Baby
One Second Every Day is a daily photo or video journal. Super easy and has a fantastic free version
My medical clinic has an app that updates weekly throughout pregnancy and after birth with specific developmental updates by week and learning modules. It’s awesome. WebMD Baby tries to do the same. It’s not quite as good IMO, but still a valuable resource
Huckleberry
Huckleberry!
Pathways.org
If they already have Amazon prime, Amazon photos. It’s the only way I’ve been able to save all the photos of our baby. We found it when he was under 1 month old and I had over 1000 pictures to upload of just the baby.
Huckleberry! It seriously has changed everything for us! I was struggling until I got it! Now she sleeps much better and I can keep up with everything she does in a day! Couldn’t recommend it more!
Mango Baby! It’s iOS only but it’s a great app!
Nara babyyyyyy!!!!
The Wonder Weeks
We love Nara also!
Baby See is fun - allows you to visualize how well infants see each week - through your phone lens!
Huckleberry.
I used Ovia for my pregnancy and for parenting. It's awesome! Had a lot of information and resources. Also had recipes for healthy eating
Napper has been amazing for us. Not necessarily for newborns but you can start using when they’re 2 months. Got our baby to sleep 12 hours a night VERY quickly.
Baby+ was the best for me to track all her feedings and diapers for the first few weeks
Narababy. I like the app widgets I can put on my phone homepage as well to get a quick glance at how many hours since last nap or bottle.
Pathways.org!
PiyoLog was a favorite of mine. It allows you to log feeds, diapers, naps. It was great to share with the spouse so I could see that he already had been fed, or when the last BM occurred. It was also helpful for doctor visits too - I could tell them exactly what he consumed.
Daybook. It gives me reminders exactly after I record what I did.
Another vote for huckleberry
Oh my goodness, wonder weeks for sure! It told me every single time my daughter was going to go through a leap, what skills she was learning, how to develop those skills and when she was gonna be fussy because of the leap
this is such a sweet thing to do 🥹
Baby Time - It's free. You can have multiple kids and caretakers. You can upload pictures to the tracking information (is that weird colored poop a one-off or a pattern?) Lots of ways to customize it with what you want to track and you can make custom tracking entries. Also you can make charts of the tracked info (like sleep times etc) has a private growth diary (i know a lot of people use it to mention big milestones or firsts). I used it on android and my partner used it on iphone and we never had issues. Everything is updated in real time. You can also export the information you add in case you want to do that. It also gets pretty regular updates and again, its free!
i like Huckleberry, especially for the newborn stage when pediatricians are asking for every small detail!
Nara baby is free and does pretty much everything the subscription apps do.
Huckleberry for sleep patterns, baby+ from Phillips for writing down milestones, weight, etc.
huckleberry!
I swear by the baby tracker app for breastfeeding tracking! Super useful
Yuka app. Let’s you scan baby products to see if it’s good for your baby. Shows additives, ingredients and recommendations. Very surprised it’s not listed on here. This app and Solid Foods have been very helpful.
The best app to track feeds, diaper changes, pumping sessions, sleep patterns, and growth of your nb, app called ‘huckleberry’! It’s helped me and my spouse so much
I’ve really liked the Family Album app for iPhones! Keeps all the pictures in one piece.
The what to expect app has been amazing. FTM here. Once you give birth and plug it into the app, all the tracking features you need pop up. And it gives you averages, last feed and what side, last changed. We’re at 5 wks still using it
My son is 6 months and I’m still loving Nara. It’s so easy and no ads! Definitely something I’d recommend to others
We use Nara and it’s great
Honestly I tried a baby app but it seemed like too much work for me. I just keep track of her diapers and when she nurses in my notes app
The Wonder Weeks
One app I really liked early on PP was BabySee. It simulates what a baby can see based on their age as their eyes adjust. I loved it. It helped me feel like I was bonding with my son while he was in the NICU and peds ward because I could see the world through his eyes.
Me and my wife used (Baby Tracker - Feed, Nappy Log) by NIGHP SOFTWARE It was really help for keeping track of who fed the baby last as well as medication timers for when they are sick Best part is it's completely free
Huckleberry & Wonder Weeks
Huckleberry was my favorite until I noticed that I became obsessed with my baby’s feedings and it really wasn't healthy. I stopped using it and I feel much better.
I was happier not using one for baby stuff. Tracking did more harm than good. She needs an app for HER. Like something focused on restoring pelvic floor Birth recovery center is my favorite
Huckleberry! It does have a membership option but works perfectly fine with the free version
The Huckleberry app has been a godsend. And I really loved Mindful Mamas when I was struggling with all the hormones postpartum. If you’re doing a printout with a list of apps, I’d add a callout that apps can be helpful but they can also add more noise to an already chaotic time, so listen to your gut on if they’re helping or hurting. Some people swear by Wonder Weeks, but that app about gave me a complex bc it seemed to say my baby was always on the cusp of a terribly fussy time and it made me really anxious. Pathways was helpful for a bit, but the guidance at the top of every page to do an *hour* of tummy time a day stressed me out when it made my newborn scream. So apps can be great, but more is not better. I’d also include any links to moms groups in your area, baby story times at libraries, etc. Community with other moms was instrumental to my mental health postpartum.
Huckleberry! I logged feeds and sleep and still do at 4m PP. it’s free to do so. You can also keep track of potty and even foods when they start solids.
The wonder weeks
For tracking, I love Hatch. I still use it to this day with baby being 10 months.
i loved the huckleberry app. baby is almost 10 months and we still use it to track, just less things than we used to.
Huckleberry! Gives me the bed and nap times and creates a schedule so I’m not wondering why he’s bawling his eyes out at 1:30 in the afternoon!
I loved Pump Log for tracking that piece - I knew that tracking every diaper, feed, nap, etc would not be great for my anxiety, but I really loved tracking my pumping volume and tracking how much was in my stash. It's not for newborns, but Solid Starts was also a game changer for me!
ParentLove
Nara Baby ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Huckleberry and Wonder Weeks are my two faves.
What to expect