CONGRATS! In the coming weeks or months your life is about to change drastically in the most most amazing way ever. A new little person will enter the world that is quite literally half you. In my professional opinion (not only as a UX designer but also a mother of 2) here's my list of apps that can help you understand what you are going through before your baby arrives but also make your life easier once your little-one arrives.
What to expect - This was my favourite app when I was expecting my first son Samuel. Every week I would watch a short video that would explain how Samuel was developing in utero. I liked this app because it wasn't just telling me what fruit the baby was like this week, it would go into depth about all the new and amazing changes our baby was going through. The app has other features and articles that I honestly didn't use that much. And when I was expecting Sebastian (my second) I don't think I used it at all and I had heard it all before!
The Wonder Weeks App - Once you have your baby, people will talk to you about what "leap" your baby is in and they don't mean long jumps! A "leap" is a sudden change in the mental development of a baby that announces progress. Most babies go through these "leaps" at the same time. The wonder weeks app is based on a book titled The Wonder Weeks which describes these leaps. This app allows you to enter your babies age and it will notify you when your baby is going through a leap and what stage they are currently in. I found it useful and somewhat accurate. It was also nice to get a notification at the end of a hard day with Samuel to say that he was about to start a new leap tomorrow. Phew, it wasn't just that I was failing at parenting him that day!
Tinybeans - Be prepared because once you have your baby you will get ALL of your nearest and dearest constantly asking you to "Send me a photo"! Because you don't have enough to do with adjusting to life with a newborn. This app was a lifesaver. It allows you to upload your pics and videos so that your family and friends can easily view them and not constantly ask for new pics! I have never needed to upgrade to the paid version - but basically the paid version allows you to upload multiple pics at once and allows you to upload videos that are longer than 30 seconds - which would be super useful! Note: I still use this app daily, makes me think I need to upgrade.
Kinderling Radio - This app is another app that we use daily. It is a kiddy radio app and it is AMAZING. It is nice to always have some music in the background throughout the day. The station has programs that complement the time of day - everything from wake up music in the morning and wind down music before bed. It is a fun, freeapp that all parents should have.
Snapchat or Instagram - One of the apps that I really enjoyed using was Snapchat because of the story feature when I had Samuel. I started following people who had young children like Ashy Bines and Sophie Cachia (the young mummy). It was fun to watch these amazing mamas go through similar things to me at the same time that I was going through them. Now Instagram has the same kind of feature with Instagram Stories - So I don't use Snapchat as much anymore (note, I might not be using Snapchat that much anymore because I don't have time with a 15 month old and a 3 month old).
Do you have any other apps that you would recommend expecting parents? I'd love to hear what they are. Email me though your suggestions at thebalancedmother@gmail.com
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