Best Apps to use During Your Baby’s First Year
For better or worse, I’m an organizer. There are times this comes in handy and times where it can be a curse. For instance, if I need something I know exactly where to find it as everything has a specific spot where it belongs. On the flip side, if things aren’t organized my mind feels extremely cluttered and it can be hard for me to think. Now add a newborn to the picture and some major sleep deprivation. Remembering anything pretty much goes out the window at that point.
Apps became my saving grace during my son’s first year of life. Need to remember when they last nursed and which side? There’s an app for that! Need to remember when their last nap was? There’s an app for that! Need to know when they are going through leaps and a fussy period? There’s an app for that too!
I pulled together four of my favorite apps that I personally used A LOT this past year. I hope this helps some of you mamas and mamas-to-be!
HUCKLEBERRY
I wish I would have discovered the Huckleberry App sooner than I did. I used a tracking app before this that worked great, but the user interface of Huckleberry is AMAZING. Just look at that graph below of his sleep schedule (insert heart eyes here). Huckleberry can be used to track feedings, pumping, sleep, and diaper changes. All extremely important things as your baby grows. There is also the option to track medications, temperature, and growth.
THE WONDER WEEKS
The Wonder Weeks App costs $3.99, but trust me it’s worth it. This app tracks your baby’s mental development leaps based off their due date. It was so helpful for me to understand when my son was going through a rougher time, was more clingy, or whined more. As a parent one of the hardest things is not being able to fully communicate with your baby. Having this app to guide you through my son’s transitions was huge.
Aside from giving you insight to when they are going through a leap, the app is full of so much information. Each leap is filled with details of the new milestones your child will start displaying. Tips and suggestions on games or things you can do with them to help them develop and practice these new skills.
OWLET
I LOVE everything about the owlet monitor. It tracks your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels with real-time phone updates. There is also a base with an alarm system that sounds off should your baby’s levels begin to drop too low. I can’t even begin to tell you the peace of mind that comes with that.
As a new mom you worry about EVERYTHING. The risk of SIDS is drilled into our heads with so many warnings about proper sleep. Once my son started sleeping longer stretches through the night, this monitor allowed me to sleep soundly too. I knew if anything were to be out of place that alarm would go off and wake me.
One fun side note. My husband works shift schedule and sometimes that means he works nights and can go days without seeing our son. With this monitor he can check in on our son sleeping and still feel connected during the week.
PEANUT
My husband and I have been fortunate enough where our friends sort of all decided to start having kids around the same time. This makes for awesome gathering’s and a really fun time at our son’s first birthday party. But what if your friends don’t have kids around the same age? Or what if you want to expand your social circle even more for your child?
The Peanut App is a great solution. I only discovered this app in the past couple of months. Think Tinder, but for moms. It’s a place where you can view profiles of other local moms in the area who have kids around the same age as yours. You can connect to schedule play dates, go on walks, or meet at local coffee shops if you want.
Since browsing this app I have actually noticed quite a few pregnant women on it. I sort of wish I would have discovered this app when I was pregnant. It would have been fun to connect with some of these women who were experiencing the same things I was. It also would give you the opportunity to see if you click before the babies are in the picture.
So far I’ve gone on two meetups while my husband was working and they’ve been great. It gave me the opportunity to get out of the house, give my son some fun park stimulation, and connect with another adult for the day. That’s a win in my book!
I’d love to hear from other moms! What were some of your favorite apps you used?
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Krissy lives in California with her family of three that make up “The Hadicks.” With a passion for research and helping others, The Hadicks was developed as a resource for other parents and parents-to-be!