Best Baby Apps?

l4rk

Hey Mamas,

Anyone have any great apps to share?

I've downloaded/purchased Baby Sparks and Wonder Weeks. BS is interesting as a general guideline, although I wish there was something "more" to it. I would skip Wonder Weeks because the info is pretty basic and the in-app ads for the book rub me the wrong way because it's a paid app.

Yesterday I found a music app called "Baby Sleep" that has a few white noise options and one very repetitive lullaby (that quickly drove me bonkers) plus timers. It's basic but does the trick for white noise sounds. 

What specific baby apps do you love and which would you skip entirely?

Cricket99

Feed Baby: this app is great for logging feedings, diaper changes, temperature. I use it for keeping track of what boob I'm on, especially in the middle of the night when I'm not particularly coherent

l4rk

OK,  I just opened Wonder Weeks and realized I might have been harsh. I couldn't  even find the book promotion I first saw ("read our book for more info...") and the developmental info is pretty interesting. I think I was just expecting more info on ways to help development, versus just being told the development happening. Although it is still pretty cool to read what they are learning to do.

essentialpeace

What to Expect has some interesting articles.  I just stopped using my feeding app. At nine weeks I figured I didn't need to track it anymore. So freeing! Ha ha. 

mrsnc

I just started using Baby Tracker by Nighp Software and it's pretty good so far. Tracks feedings, diapers, and sleep. It also has a place for milestones, activities, pictures, medicines, temperatures, etc. I was keeping my feeding schedule in a notebook but am going to use this instead. There's a free version and full fm for $5. At this point, free is good enough for me. 
Pro: you can share the info with other caregivers! My mom, SIL, and DH are all connected to DDs account (via user email and password) so they can update feedings or sleep patterns when I'm not with her. I can go into the app on my phone and review her day while I'm at work, which will be nice when I go back in 2 weeks. 
Con: if you don't input a feeding, diaper change, sleep right as it happens you can't adjust the time. So basically have to be attached to the phone/app all the time. There may be a way to do this and I just haven't figured it out yet. 

hailees

@essentialpeace how do you remember what side you're on? I tried to stop using the app but I get way too confused. 

Krisdee123

hailees said:

@essentialpeace how do you remember what side you're on? I tried to stop using the app but I get way too confused. 

Me too. I have no clue. A friend told me to put a hair tie on the wrist where you just fed. I effed that up too because that's where I keep my hair ties.

claireloSC

I got these things that clip onto a bra to keep track of sides @krisdee123 and @hailees. They haven't arrived yet but it seems easier to me. I was always forgetting to stop the nursing timer or start it so I gave up. https://www.etsy.com/shop/MagMinders?ref=s2-header-shopname

SBH041815

I just use a safety pin in my nursing bra strap and switch it from side to side to keep track of what side I'm on when nursing. 

As as for the apps, I don't currently use any but one for white noise would be useful sometimes! I will have to look into it. 

hailees

@Krisdee123 I tried that too. No dice. @claireloSC that's a good idea! For now I just start the app and stop it right away. 

@SBH041815 safety pin... That sounds like an accident waiting to happen!

SBH041815

@hailees luckily no accidents yet ;-) It's worked pretty well for all three babies! 

teachmegs817

@mrsnc I use the Baby Tracker app.  I've been using it now for about a month and a half.  I love it!  I only use the feeding, diaper and sleep aspect of it.  I don't bother logging weight and other milestone stuff with it.  Hopefully by 6 months, I won't be using the app anymore.  

I also have the Wonder Weeks app and Baby Sparks.  Baby Sparks costs money for an expansion, I believe it was 4.99, but I used it quite a bit when I was on maternity leave.  It has different activities and shows video of all of the things you can do with your LO, to stimulate growth and development.  

Ebiejay

I love Tinybeans, I upload my favourite picture(s) of LO every day and my close family and friends can go see when they want. The privacy is much better than Facebook, and it stores pictures and milestones in a calendar format. You can choose who has access to view or add their own pictures of baby. The app is particularly useful for people like me who live a long way from family. My parents and MIL check for new pictures every day!

Eta it's free and you can also upload videos. There is a premium option but it's not necessary.

claireloSC

I use Cluster to share pictures. https://cluster.co/ We have like 40 different friends and family we share pictures with and it's private to just those we invited. They can comment and like photos as well. It's both an mobile app and a website, so even people without smartphones can use it. Easy enough that the grandparents figured it out! My family is far away too. It's free.

SDaniels19

@mrsnc I'm using Baby tracker also- to change the time you have to go to review and you can change it from there. You have to finish whatever it is first though, so if you're nursing and you realize you need to adjust the time, just hit stop and the check mark to save it and then you can change it in review 

MissMheMhe

I used Baby Nursing for about 8 weeks to track nursing and diapers. And we use White Noise Baby almost every night to lull DS to sleep. I like the Wonder Weeks app to help figure out his behavior.

Cricket99

@SBH041815 for white noise I use Relax Melodies. It has a bunch of different sounds to choose from and you can even mix them to make a custom sound! I use it when our sound machine's batteries run out in the middle of the night

SBH041815

@Cricket81 thank you for the recommendation! I will check that out! 

Blueyedsky

I stopped using the feeding apps because it was driving me nuts. I just feel which boob is fuller lolol. I have a massive oversupply still though, so that might not work for some people if you can't tell. Does anyone know of an app for just pictures/milestones? Like a journal app of some sort?

Achae

Blueyedsky said:

I stopped using the feeding apps because it was driving me nuts. I just feel which boob is fuller lolol. I have a massive oversupply still though, so that might not work for some people if you can't tell. Does anyone know of an app for just pictures/milestones? Like a journal app of some sort?

It's not an app but I use shutterfly honestly. They give out so many free books I just create a new one and add in the desired pictures

mrsnc

SDaniels19 said:

@mrsnc I'm using Baby tracker also- to change the time you have to go to review and you can change it from there. You have to finish whatever it is first though, so if you're nursing and you realize you need to adjust the time, just hit stop and the check mark to save it and then you can change it in review 

Thank you! I also forgot to hit stop nursing so it'll say I've been nursing for over an hour! Now I can fix it! 

teachmegs817

For those of you with the Wonder Weeks app. and maybe even the book, how do you feel it measures up to where your LO is and their behaviors/mood?  DS is gearing up for another leap in 3 days and between last night and today he is SO clingy.  He has barley slept today and wants to be held a lot.  I don't know if it's because he's coming down with something or because the leap is coming up in a few days.  It does speak about that in his next leap, but I'm not sure if I'm really buying into what it's all about.  A lot of it makes sense, but it does get me wondering.

Ebiejay

@Blueyedsky Tinybeans I mentioned does that, and somebody else suggested Cluster which sounds like the same. 

Cricket99

@ebiejay I downloaded Tinybeans and it is wonderful! Now all the family can hop on and see daily pictures and I don't have to send out 20 separate texts! I highly recommend this app especially if you live far away from family!

mbud926

@Blueyedsky I use life cake. It sorts your pics by age (and labels them, i.e. 3 weeks 2 days) and you can add family friends to view/save the pictures too. One fun feature is if you shake your phone, it'll take you back to older pictures to see how they've changed. 

gigglyapp

**Removed for TOU violation**