It’s no secret that life as a new parent can be hectic. Thankfully, app developers have created some great solutions to help parents with a variety of tasks, from tracking developmental milestones to organizing meal plans. Gone are the days of rummaging through piles of notes and parenting books to keep track of your parenting responsibilities. Take advantage of these practical apps and make your life a little bit easier.

Essential Phone Accessories

Before transforming your phone into your personal parenting assistant, consider picking up a few phone accessories. For example, a car mount will help minimize distractions when you are using your phone in the car for hands-free calls or checking maps. Also, Kindred Bravely recommends packing a portable phone charger along with your other diaper bag essentials, so you’ll always have access to helpful apps on the go. Your phone can be an indispensable resource for information, assistance, and help in an emergency, but it can be difficult to remember to plug it in when you’re juggling numerous responsibilities and losing sleep night after night!

The Wonder Weeks

According to Today’s Parent, The Wonder Weeks is one of the most popular apps for tracking baby fussiness and mental development. The app was developed around the idea that babies go through mental leaps that correspond with specific weeks of their life. This can help you understand what to expect from your baby and assign meaning to their fussy days. At the same time, the app includes a diary to track baby milestones and advice on how you can support your baby’s development along the way.

Sleep Baby Sleep

Sleep Baby Sleep is a white noise app designed to lull your baby into sleep faster. The app features a variety of white noises that babies tend to find soothing, like womb sounds, fans, and running water. It’s simple and straightforward, which makes it great for sleep-deprived parents who don’t want to navigate through complicated apps at bedtime.

Mommy Saver: High Contrast Baby Visual Stimulation

The Mommy Saver: High Contrast Baby Visual Stimulation app can help calm fussy babies and stimulate their visual development. The app cycles through appealing animations of black, white, and bright colors to keep babies engaged and soothed. According to BabyCenter, newborn babies can only distinguish between contrasting shades like black and white, so they’re often mesmerized by simple shapes in high-contrast colors. Besides cheering up your unhappy little one, offering your baby visual stimulation is also a great way to support their ongoing development.

Milk Maid

Milk Maid is a breast pumping app that can help you keep track of a variety of pumping metrics, including how much milk you have stored in different locations, how much your baby is eating, and the length of your pumping sessions. The app automatically organizes your stash by date, so you can keep track of expiration periods and prevent waste. It also features a timer so you can ensure even an amount of time pumping on each breast.

Cozi Family Organizer

Cozi Family Organizer includes several useful features to help you organize your family life. You can use the app to schedule doctor’s appointments, set reminders, and create shareable shopping lists. You can also make to-do lists and share them with others, which is great for splitting up household chores and parenting responsibilities with a partner or spouse. The app will come in even more useful when your kids are older and you have countless appointments, activities, and obligations to keep track of.

Becoming a parent is an enriching and fulfilling experience, but it can also be scary and stressful. New parents everywhere can benefit from modern technology to take some of the pressure off. Whether you’re trying to get the hang of nursing or having trouble keeping your day organized, the right apps can help you get a handle on things.