Smart New Parents Use These Smartphone Apps to Change the Game

Josh Moore <jmoore@diaperdads.org> asked me to post this excellent article he crafted. Parenting newborns is hard enough. Use these smartphone apps to simplify.
For moms and dads, technology is a gamechanger. Exhausting nights and trying to recall your last feeding or diaper change, knowing why your baby is crying all the time, and setting up appropriate schedules all got easier with the advent of these apps. Read on for our favorite tech-at-your-fingertips solutions for today’s parenting dilemmas.
 
What to Expect
 
As many as 73 percent of parents say that parenting is by far the biggest challenge they’ve faced, and still, 91 percent say it’s their greatest joy according to Zero to Three’s study. This leaves you with one question: What to expect? This applies not only to pregnancy and childbirth but through those toddler years too so that you know what to expect along every step of the way.
 
The What to Expect app is a pregnancy tracker that gives you updates on your baby’s development, as well as lets you connect with other moms who have the same or similar due dates. Once your little bundle arrives, you have instant access to info and resources through those first weeks, months, and into the toddler stage.
 
Peanut
 
The Peanut app has been touted as Tinder for moms, as it enables moms to swipe left and right to match with like-minded mothers nearby. You can then chat, ask questions, bond over similar mom wins and struggles, and maybe meet up for a much-needed caffeine boost or a play date. Sure, you could post on social media asking questions or voicing concerns, but new moms don’t need advice.
 
“They need support. They need reality. They need "Me, too!" and "You're not alone!" the Huffington Post explains, and Peanut gives you just that. Parents are so often judged, and it makes navigating this new journey that much more difficult. By having fellow moms in your corner, you can rest assured that you get the support you need in a positive, safe, and productive environment.
 
Glow Baby
 
We all can benefit from a schedule, and the truth is, babies can too. They tend to follow one naturally when it comes to sleeping, eating, and using the bathroom. However, your little one has no clue what time it is, so it won’t be set in stone. The best way to establish a schedule is by noting “baby’s existing cues, taking into account the loose routine he’s already keeping, making it work with your day-to-day and establishing it a little more definitively,” The Bump explains.
 
Rather than jot it down, Glow Baby makes it easy to instantly log feedings, diaper changes, sleeping, and even track developmental milestones such as eating solid foods, sitting up, rolling over, walking, etc.
 
Milk Maid
 
Speaking of keeping track of baby, breastfeeding moms know how easy it is to lose track of feedings, especially during those nighttime sessions when you’re still half asleep. Milk Maid lets you track pumping sessions, record bags/bottles by date so that you can use up older milk first, as well as view your current milk inventory by location such as home, work, daycare, or even a grandparent’s house. You can use the left/right feature to track each side separately, as well as use the built-in timer if your current pump doesn’t have one.
 
Handy Essentials
 
On a final note, since we rely so heavily on our phones these days, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Keep your phone well-protected against drops and spills with an appropriate case, make sure you’ve got plenty of data or look to prepaid mobile plans so that you don’t add overage charges to your list of concerns, and add a phone charger to your diaper bag so you’re ready if you run out of juice.
 
Parenting is a joy, but it certainly isn’t always easy. It’s even easier to feel overwhelmed and unsure, but there are tools out there to help you stay calm and relaxed so you can enjoy this time that passes by so quickly. Just remember, there’s an app for that!

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