When you are postpartum staying organized with a new baby is a top priority, but you may feel overwhelmed trying to accomplish everything. Your baby has his days and nights mixed up and you’re running on fewer hours of sleep than you thought was possible. The pediatrician probably expects you to track your little one’s feedings and wet/dirty diapers.
You’re also trying to eat healthily and stay active. And don’t even mention managing activities with your older kids, grocery shopping, paying bills along with all of the other responsibilities you have in addition to a new baby. You probably feel overwhelmed just thinking about it all! Thank goodness for technology to keep you on track and help you save money. These five apps are some of our favorites for new moms and will help you stay organized, maintain your health and even save money.
As we mentioned above, your doctor may ask you to track your little one’s feeding, diapers and even sleep. Put down the pen and paper and download this app instead. Track diaper changes and set reminders for activities.
If you’re breastfeeding, you can also use this app to track how long your baby nurses on each side; and it will help you remember which side you last nursed on. If you’re bottled feeding, track feeding times and ounces.
Input sleep data to create charts and follow patterns in your little one’s awake and asleep time. Bonus: you can track multiple children all in one app!
This is a favorite. If you have a calendar of things you’re managing for yourself, your spouse and kids then you NEED this app. We’re certain that at least once an appointment or project has been overlooked because you’re all so busy. That’s where the Cozi Family Organizer can help.
Have the entire family download the app and use the same “family” login information to add schedules in one single calendar. No more wall calendars, agenda books and making calls each day to see who is doing what.
Plus, you can create grocery and chore lists for everyone to use. If your husband stops by the store on his way home from work, he can log in to the app and see exactly what he needs to get without calling to ask. If your kids get home from school before you’re off, add a chore list for them to accomplish in the afternoon.
As a new parent, you’ll often wonder why your baby is crying. Is he hungry? Sleepy? Does he need a diaper change? Does he have gas? Is he teething? This app helps to answer some of these questions. Thanks to research conducted by Dr. Hetty van de Rijt and Dr. Frans Plooij, you can follow along when your little one is going through a developmental leap.
The app was derived from the book The Wonder Weeksand explains what your baby is learning during each leap. It also provides tips on how to help him during his fussy phases. It is important to note that predictions for leaps are based on due date and not birth date.
After following along for a couple of leaps, you’ll learn what your baby’s “leap behavior” is. This app will help you understand what your little one is experiencing and ultimately help you bond by giving your little one what he needs during developmental leaps.
As a new mom, it’s easy to get busy and lose focus on your nutrition. This is our go-to app for staying on top of your diet and exercise. You can create a goal to lose, maintain or gain weight and then track nutrition each day. My Fitness Pal will help you track all of your nutrients – not just calories.
As you add in your food for the day, search from thousands of grocery store brands and restaurant menu items for an accurate nutrition count, or create your own recipe. Plus you can add in exercise and track how many cups of water you drink each day for a fuller picture of your health. If you weigh yourself, add in your weight each week to track how you’re doing over time and make adjustments as needed.
Children’s items – especially clothes – are so expensive and they only get used for a short period of time. If you don’t mind buying gently used clothes, toys, and gear, then VarageSale is for you! Plus, you can sell your used items and make a little money back on them.
The neat thing about VarageSale is that you sign up through your Facebook account (meaning real people and fewer online trolls!) and it’s a group for women only. Each city or town has a moderator who oversees activity to make sure that it remains a safe online community for buying and selling.
There are other great variations of each of these apps out there, too! Just do a quick search in your phone’s app store to read reviews and check out screenshots before downloading. We hope these help make life a little easier as you manage your home and family.
