You have been through pregnancy and delivery and are now home with your new baby! You have read books and magazines and talked to friends and relatives. You have your favorite websites and a pediatrician picked out. Maybe your own mom is even nearby to help you out with the day-to-day of having an infant in the house. As you settle into a routine you can take advantage of something past generations of moms did not have—apps! There are a huge number of apps that a new mom will love, helping with everything from organization to sleep to preserving your memories. Since your phone is with you all the time, check out these apps.
Help with Baby
Baby Tracker
by Nighp Software LLC
iOS and Android
Free lite version, $4.99 full version
Baby Tracker allows you to track every detail of baby’s day: feedings (and type), diapers (and type), sleep, and milestones. One-tap recording makes it easy to use the nursing timer or quickly record a diaper type—details can be added later. Over time, see trends in charts and graphs. Built-in albums let you easily find pictures associated with records. This app syncs across devices, so mom, dad, grandma, nanny, or other caregivers can all record information that is then synced across devices. You will have all of this information in your hand for your pediatrician and for your own records.
White Noise
by TMSoft
iOS and Android
Free
If baby is struggling to get to sleep or to stay asleep, a white noise app may save your sanity. There are many white noise apps out there at many price points. TMSoft’s White Noise is a favorite. Featuring a large variety of sounds from natural (rain, ocean, jungle) to manmade (dryer, city streets, a/c), there is also a market with more than can be downloaded. You will find something here to lull baby (or yourself!) to sleep. There is even a way to create your own personal white noise loop and add it to the market for download.
Photo Apps
Baby Pics
iOS and Android
$2.99 basic, $3.99 for all extras
Looking for something simple and cute to capture your pregnancy and baby's age and milestones? This app features gorgeous pregnancy- and baby-themed artwork you can add to your photos, and you can add your own text as well. If you did not use this app during pregnancy, you will still recognize its style from your social media feed! You can also order prints in the app to be delivered right to your door.
Camera+
by tap tap tap
iPhone and Apple Watch
$2.99
You’re going to be taking a whole lot of pictures of baby—and even if you love a real camera, your phone is much more likely to be handy. Camera+ offers a variety of options not available with the standard iPhone camera, including manual focus, macro, stabilizer, and many editing features. Additional filter packs are also available. Edit your pics, and then save them to your camera roll to share with others or save for later.
Live Collage
by click2mobile
iOS and Android
free or $1.99 pro version
Easily make great collages with a variety of photo layouts, and adjust those layouts as needed for your images. Add stickers, text, and frames—or use the hundreds of themed poster layouts. You can also add music, effects, and text animation to videos. Create your collage, save it to your camera roll, and you can use it like any other photo!
Help for Mom
Pocket
by Read It Later, Inc
iOS and Android, web browsers
free or $4.99 Premium
You’re a mom now, and your time is often no longer your own. But that is no reason to lose sight of your own interests. When you find an interesting article or video, save it to Pocket. You can then easily find it and read it when you have the chance—and if baby wakes unexpectedly, you know exactly where the piece is. Keep track of your favorite topics easily, and you can tailor the “recommended” section to your interests.