If you’re a new mom, it can be easy to feel like a fish out of water. This is why it’s crucial to find help where you can. Your family and friends are always a great source of assistance, (hello mom!) Of course there are also child care professionals, parent support groups, and the like. books can be a great help too. I remember pre-internet era, I splurged on books with my first. They’re written by experts in the field that you can get invaluable and probably more reliable information from, as well as a wealth of information available on ahemm, Dr. Google.
Tech at Your Fingertips
No doubt, your humble smartphone will become a real friend in your parenting journey. The phone has replaced the baby book! It will play everything from movies to music, function as a camera and e-book reader, and even help you track your baby’s most important data.
It’s a good idea to ensure that your phone is up for the job. The last thing you want is to run out of juice when you’re filming first steps or looking up a weird rash, so set yourself up a charging station or two in the places you and your little one spend a lot of time.
And if your device or data plan is not high up there on your priorities, check into prepaid mobile plans that allow you to pick your phone and keep connected without the risk of hefty overage charges, so you can easily access the following lifesaving apps (and more), even in the absence of Wi-Fi.
My Baby Today
Since 2011, My Baby Today has served newbie and experienced parents alike. Not at all a surprise, as it’s the brainchild of the good folks at BabyCenter, one of the world’s foremost experts in childcare.
The app is a real fountain of expert advice on just about everything from feeding your baby to breast pumping. It also comes with a nifty checklist that’s packed with activities designed to boost your baby’s development. Best of all, you get exclusive access to Birth Club, a forum where you can interact with fellow parents.
Milestone Memories
Milestone Memories is a platform in which you can track your baby’s unique mental development. The great thing about this is it is based on the popular baby development book, The Wonder Weeks, so it comes with a checklist that guides you through each milestone.
Suffice to say, this can be extremely useful because you will always know what to look out for. You can then record and upload these milestones as photos or videos, providing you with a comprehensive timeline of how your well your baby has developed from week five to the 20th month.
Mommy Saver: High Contrast Baby Visual Stimulation
It’s often said that infants’ vision requires stimulus. In fact, Urban Child Institute points out it’s a crucial component of brain development among children. With this in mind, you’d do well to have an app or two in your parenting arsenal that encourages this stimulus.
Consider Mommy Saver: High Contrast Baby Visual Stimulation. You’ll find that this free app is one of the most essential apps that you’ll be using constantly. As a sensory app, it has several high-contrast patterns that even the fussiest babies will find endlessly mesmerizing. Best of all, it responds to touch, too, encouraging interaction with your baby.
Sleep Baby Sleep
Another essential app that will undoubtedly get plenty of mileage is Sleep Baby Sleep. It offers an impressive roster of white noise options that will effectively lull your baby to sleep, including heartbeat and womb noises that are undoubtedly comforting for infants. Happiest Baby explains white noise is a must-have for calming and soothing little ones. Sleep Baby Sleep also has a timer function, which comes in handy as you try to keep a regular bedtime schedule for the little one.
Amazingly, Sleep Baby Sleep is a free app, which just proves that some of the best things in life are still free.
While it’s true that you’ll have your work cut out for you as a first-timer in the world of parenting, it’s best to remember that you are not alone. There’s no dearth of help that you can tap as you embark on this journey, and these apps are just the tip of the iceberg. So do your due diligence and become the best parent that you can be.
Photo by Oleg Sergeichik on Unsplash
