At The Nest, we know all too well that while parenting is certainly rewarding, it can also be stressful, exhausting, and expensive. Whether you’re eagerly anticipating the birth of your little one or already embracing life as a new parent, there are some great smartphone apps out there that can make your life easier. Arming yourself with the right apps can help you stay organized and save some money as you navigate life as a new parent.
The following parenting apps are either free or available for a low cost, so they’re easy on any budget. Stock up your smartphone with the following apps to get a better handle on your new parenting responsibilities.
Home Projects
New parents often need services to help around the house. Whether you’re hiring a cleaning company, in need of a professional organizer, your pipes spring a leak, or you’re installing a fence so your little one can’t wander off, Angi is the app that can help you find quality pros for your project. As Clark.com notes, this app offers three membership levels, the first one being free. Users can search by the project or category, and they can also look for deals from area contractors. When it’s time to find that five-star fence company, you’ll have the resources right at your fingertips.
Managing Family Life
Cozi Family Organizer is designed to help parents manage their family life. The app includes a shared calendar so you can keep your partner, parents, siblings—or anyone else helping out with your newborn—up to date on your family schedule. Use this calendar to set reminders so you can avoid fees for missed doctors’ appointments! As your baby grows up, you can also use the calendar to schedule babysitters, school events, and extracurricular activities. The app even features a recipe box for planning meals in advance—which may help you avoid splurging on takeout—and a shared shopping list which will prevent your family members from buying multiples of the same items.
Development and Milestones
Glow Baby is an insightful app that can help you avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor and give you peace of mind that your baby is developing as expected. The app allows you to quickly log all of your baby’s milestones and build a beautiful photo album along the way. You can log your baby’s feeding times, sleep schedule, and diaper changes, which can be very useful during the early stages of parenting when you’re battling sleep deprivation. The app can also be connected with a partner’s phone, so you can both stay on top of your essential parenting tasks.
Help for Pumping Moms
According to SmartAsset, formula feeding can cost between $1,200 and $1,500 during your baby’s first year! Breastfeeding can help you save money during this period when you’re already spending a lot of money on other supplies like diapers and wipes. Milk Maid is an app designed to make pumping easier on new moms. The app includes tools for timing your pumping sessions so you can pump evenly, as well as a pumping timer which can help you remember to pump regularly. Frequent pumping is important for maintaining your milk supply in the long run. One of Milk Maid’s most useful features is the ability to check your inventory of fresh and frozen milk, so you know exactly how much you have left, where each bottle is stored, and when they expire.
Soothing Babies to Sleep
Sleep Baby Sleep is another single-use app that’s simple and straightforward to navigate. The app is designed to calm crying babies and lull them to sleep with the help of white noise. You can choose between different soothing sounds like a fan, hairdryer, running water, heartbeat, and even womb sounds. Per Happiest Baby, white noise that mimics the sounds heard in the womb works best for promoting sleep among newborns. The Sleep Baby Sleep app will allow you to stop and start white noise with a single click or set a timer to preserve your phone’s battery life. The app is completely free and will save you from spending good money on a white noise machine!
Getting the hang of parenthood is a bit of a process. It’s common for new parents to struggle with sleep deprivation, forgetfulness, and mental fatigue—a phenomenon known as "baby brain". Take advantage of parenting apps to keep track of your parenting responsibilities, so you can give your working brain a bit of a break.
From doula service to lactation support to early parenting classes, The Nest is here to support local Lakeland families. To find out more about our services, reach out today!
Guest post by: Josh Moore of DiaperDads.org
Photo credit: Rawpixel