Being a new parent is certainly no easy feat. With the arrival of Baby, the amount of things to take note of seems to be in inverse proportion to the number of hours of sleep you manage to clock. From tracking breastfeeding patterns to recording the developmental milestones of your infant, it’s easy to get lost in the tidal wave of motherhood as you figure things out.
Fortunately, the rise of tech tools has taken some of the pain out of brand-new parenting. In a world disrupted by digitalisation, there seems to be an app for just about any and every purpose.
So, why not let tech take care of the nitty gritty, as you focus your energy on raising your little one? Here are some of the ways in which tech has changed the landscape of parenting for new mums and dads.
Breastfeeding apps
A godsend to all mothers, there’s no need to constantly fret over nursing sessions, or strain your sleep-deprived brain to recall the timing of the last feed. Just a few simple taps, and every pumping or feeding record will be logged into a breastfeeding app seamlessly.
Of course, given the large variety of such apps on the market, it’s important to pick one that caters to all your needs carefully. Some offer basic dashboards for keeping track of your nursing progress, while others boast functions like diaper changing records as well. There are even apps sync data across multiple devices on the go, such as Feed Baby, so that both you and your partner are kept in the loop of things at all times.
Baby development trackers
Speaking of milestones, apps that track the growth of your little one can be easily found as well. Some of these even go the extra mile, by including ways to facilitate different areas of child development like motor skills. BabySparks is one such app. Apart from monitoring growth, it also offers suggestions on activities that young parents can easily do with their tots, from baby bowling to learning languages.
For new mummies who can’t wait to share about their baby’s development with their family and friends, Tinybeans is an essential that is worth your time. Other than measuring milestones, it follows your child’s growth by letting you save photos and sharing it as you wish. There’s no need to go through the hassle of buying photo albums to preserve your baby’s childhood stories anymore, as Tinybeans takes care of it automatically for you. How nice would it be, to simply open the app one day, should you ever wish to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane?
HealthHub
An all-in-one service developed by the Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS) for the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Promotion Board (HPB), HealthHub is more than just an app that promotes healthy living. Not only does it store all the latest immunisation records for both mummy and child, the app also allows you to make medical appointments at various healthcare facilities easily. Other convenient features include the ability to make payments, which is definitely handy for a fuss-free experience at the polyclinics.
Lullabies and soothing sounds
Lullaby apps have been on the rise lately, with their soothing tunes to put babies to sleep after a day of childcare. Widely used by mothers the world over, apps like this not only coax little kids to dreamland, but they also provide a much-needed opportunity for tired mums to catch a breather. Baby Sleep Sounds, for one, may just be what you are looking for. While your baby sleeps on, why not take the time to read that new book you’ve had your eye on, or binge your favourite series on Netflix? You totally deserve that break!
Photo: Pexels/Vlada Karpovich
