If you're like me, you've found
yourself completely dependent on technology. I seem to always be
either playing with my device, texting friends or working on the
computer. If you're in the same boat and have a new baby in the
family, the 'smartphone' industry has come out with all kinds of
applications ('apps') that can help you in your daily functions as a
mom, as well as giving you important information. I've found that the
majority of apps that are available on iPod/iPhone are also available
in Android versions. If not, they probably will be soon.
I think we can all agree that WebMD is
one of the most useful sites out there when it comes to
health-related questions. Now, the website has put out a series of
smartphone apps so you get get your information on-the-go. Their
baby-specific app,
WebMD Baby
allows you to track things like diaper changes and growth patterns as
well as providing access to some of their articles. It even has a
'baby book' so you can keep all your information in one piece. Best
of all, it's free! There's also a 'pregnancy' version and a 'general
knowledge' version.
If you want to be able to 'check in'
with your nanny while you're away from home, Baby Connect
is a great app to have. It allows you to track everything-activities,
milestones, diaper changes, sleep, feedings, etc-and share them with
other users so that everyone will be 'in the loop' as far as how your
baby's (or babies'!) day goes. It's especially good in that it can
synchronize with various Apple and Android devices, as well as email
and social networking sites such as Facebook. I'm not sure that all
your Twitter or Facebook friends would want to know what was in your
baby's diaper, but it's good in that you can get the information to
the people who need it in various ways. It's $4.99 in the App Store
and $5.21 in the Android market, but I say the sheer functionality of
makes it well worth the cost.
If you'd like a way to keep all of your
family's most important information in one place, check out the CareZone app. In addition to your baby's information, you can keep track of your
entire family's medications, to-do lists, calendars, etc and sync
them with others so everyone's on the same page. The iPhone version
even lets you record a voice message and broadcast it to up to 100
people! This app is very helpful for keeping track of multiple
children, elderly paren ts or anyone else you take care of. If you're
so inclined, you can even create a page for your pets! Best of all,
it's free!
And now, as for your device itself:
I never thought I'd say this, but you
can let your baby play with your iPhone to his heart's content. Just
make sure you encase it in this 'Apptivity Case'
put out by Fisher Price. The purpose of this is to protect your phone
from drool, breakage (although I wouldn't test this too much)
and unwanted pushing of buttons. That way, she gets to hold the
device while talking to Grandma on FaceTime or play one of the many
learning and/or game apps you can download from the App store.
As
you can see, there are all kinds of ways the technological age helps
new moms keep track of their baby's progress. If nothing else, you'll
be able to keep everything in one place. Have fun!
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