Technology provides new moms with solutions for many common problems. Does your infant have trouble falling asleep? There’s an app for that. Did you forget to bring your baby monitor with you on vacation? Worry not – there’s an app for that, too.
Here are a few must-have apps for new moms:
Help baby sleep better
If there’s one thing all new moms need desperately, it’s a few uninterrupted hours of sleep. But when baby’s unable to fall or stay asleep, ain’t nobody getting any rest! Here are some apps to help:
Help ease your infant off to dreamland with a white noise app or a lullaby app.Baby Shusher
(Available for iOS and Android devices. $4.99.)
When I was pregnant with my first, I went out and spent $34.99 on the actual Baby Shusher, an egg-shaped tool that emits a repetitive “shush” sound that has been found to soothe infants. (It reminds them of being back in utero and hearing mom’s blood flow.) If I had known I could get the same results for $30 less, I would have jumped all over this app!
Baby Sleep Lullabies
(Available for iOS devices. $0.99.)
Lullabies “lull” babies to sleep with their repetitive notes and 6/8 meter, according to the New York Times. This app is cute as little ones can look at images of stuffed bears while listening to 21 pre-recorded songs. You can set the timer to play for as little as 3 minutes to conserve your phone’s battery – or you can let the music play for as long as it takes for baby to drift off to dreamland!
Baby Sleep – White Noise
(Available for Android devices. Free.)
If you aren’t willing to spend any money, this app is a great choice. It creates a variety of sounds that help block out outside noise that might disturb babies and prevent them from catching their ZZZs. Noises include rain, forest, ocean, wind, river, car, train, plain, vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, white noise and more. Additionally, the app also has four lullaby options.
Monitor baby from another room
Unless you co-sleep, having the ability to hear your infant at all times is crucial. Using a smartphone as a baby monitor has many benefits like not having to invest in a pricey traditional model!
Baby monitor apps allow you to keep an eye on baby while you relax in the other room.Cloud Baby Monitor
(Available for iOS devices. $3.99.)
Appropriate for use at home on a daily basis, or in a pinch when you’re on a family vacation and realize you forgot to pack your regular monitor, this video app allows you to use your iPhone, iPad or Mac to keep an eye on your baby in another room. As an added bonus, you can stream lullabies or white noise into your child’s room to encourage sleep.
Baby Monitor All-In-One
(Available for Android devices. $2.99,)
This app can be synced to multiple Android devices so that you, a significant other and any other caretaker can monitor your infant. Record your voice and use nanny mode so your message is automatically played after the app has detected noise from baby’s room. Or, use walkie-talkie mode to talk to baby in real time and check room temperature.
Document growth and milestones
(Available for iOS devices. Free.)
While traditional baby books are right for some parents, others prefer to go the digital route. These days there are apps that allow you to document every milestone from first steps to first birthday and beyond.
Baby Pics iRocks
(Available for iOS devices. Free.)
Did your infant just smile for the first time? Snap a photo on your iPhone and use this app to apply filters, text and stickers. You can also track your child’s height and weight over time in a visual way that’s perfect for sharing with family and friends on social media. All your edited images will be saved to your camera roll, so you can easily save them to the cloud or an external hard drive.
Moment Garden Baby Photo Book
(Available for Android devices. Free.)
This app allows you to take your photos and videos and add text descriptions such as “Baby’s first car ride.” As your child grows, you can document the funny things he or she says so you never forget a word. You can share your edited images with family and friends, and even create a printed photo book with the tap of your thumb. It doesn’t get much simpler than this to create an amazing baby book!
