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Best baby tracking apps?

51 replies

charcb · 04/06/2021 10:53

So many to choose from! Experienced mums: Which one would you recommend?

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Antiqueanniesmagiclanternshow · 04/06/2021 10:53

What are they???

charcb · 04/06/2021 10:54

I think you use them to track nappy changes / feeding times etc.

OP posts:
Antiqueanniesmagiclanternshow · 04/06/2021 11:13

Why would you need to do that? Change nappies when they're dirty and feed when they're hungry.

I have raised two children to adulthood with mo idea of the existence of such things. Don't make life difficult for yourself.

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HardonCollider · 04/06/2021 11:21

I like BabyTracker (it’s a red line drawing on a multicoloured background on the app picture). I was recommended it by a friend 😊

olderthanyouthink · 04/06/2021 11:51

Huckleberry was our saviour when DDs
Naps and then sleep in general went to hell at the start of covid but it's paid now. Glow baby I've used to track feeds and nappies and some sleep, could share it with the childminder so she could give me updates like that rather than awkwardly in whatsApp

ZooKeeper19 · 04/06/2021 13:02

Who has time to enter the data while doing all the actual baby work? Wow, kudos then. Agree, just change as needed, feed as needed, sleep in the meantime.

Youvegotafriendinme · 04/06/2021 13:08

I used baby tracker with my first Lo. Multi coloured background with a red outline of a mother holding a baby. My DH had it on his phone and we linked them together so when either of us entered into it the other could see it.
I will also add that this app made my anxiety even worse and I was so obsessed with it and making sure my LO slept and ate ‘when he was meant to’ that it took me a lot to stop using it. Second time round I made sure not to use it and let baby lead me and we have a much calmer happier me and DD. I know that’s my experience but I completely agree with @Antiqueanniesmagiclanternshow feed when hungry change when dirty.

Moonshine11 · 04/06/2021 13:10

I don’t find the need for them tbh.
You know when a nappy needs changed and you’ll know when baby is hungry.

Seeline · 04/06/2021 13:10

Best baby app?

Your baby!

HappyAndDevoted · 04/06/2021 13:11

We used Babyplus first but then switched to huckleberry so you could see everything on one chart, not separate ones for sleep and feeding. The bonus of babyplus was you could track crying spells which we had plenty of! It is a lot of data to put in but it's easy to do. It was useful for us to track hours of sleep (realised she was only getting 8 in 24 so was overtired) and to remember which side I fed on last. And it's nice to see progress over time as feeds get shorter and sleep gets longer hopefully!

charcb · 04/06/2021 13:35

Oh interesting to see most don't think these are needed. Thought would be useful as I was told midwife will ask about feeding and nappy changing frequency but maybe I can keep a note on a pad instead for those first days.

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BertieBotts · 04/06/2021 13:49

The only one worth using is Huckleberry. And even then, not until min 8 weeks and I would use the sleep tracking ONLY, maybe medicine dosage tracking (if you sync it with your partner) and ignore absolutely everything else. It's useful for the nap predictor, which doesn't work until 8 weeks old.

Never track length and frequency of breastfeeding - it will make you crazy trying to make sense of it (newborn breastfeeding doesn't work to a pattern) and it gives you absolutely no useful information. Midwife might well ask how feeding is going, but she doesn't need a blow by blow "Well last Wednesday baby had 17 feeds of 2, 7, 23, 14, 10, 47 and 9 minutes each". She just wants to know are you comfortable vs in pain, does baby latch easily or are you struggling, do they seem settled after feeds, are you happy with the frequency, do you have any questions etc.

Nappies you might want to track if you've been asked to count them, but it's not normally something you'd want/need to do. You might be asked if you're getting at least 6 wet/dirty nappies each day. It will be obvious if you're getting about this many or significantly less and you won't need to track them to know the answer :)

BertieBotts · 04/06/2021 13:51

Honestly I think feed tracking apps are the devil, I want them all banned!

FTMinLondon · 04/06/2021 15:56

I used BabyFeedTimer (free - can also track sleep, nappies etc) which I loved - really well thought out, functional and nice simple design. As a FTM I found it useful for tracking feed times and lengths to make sure little man was getting enough based on advice from HV (eg if he dropped off to sleep mid-feed) - there’s no way I could have kept track in my head through the damn haze. Sometimes little man would cry and I’d look at the app and be like oh yeah, shit, feed time! It does all the analysis as well. I don’t think I’d need to use it again for any subsequent babies as I feel confident now, but def useful for me first time around.

I agree with Bertie about the midwife just needing a general idea though - you don’t really need an app for this unless you’re like me and a total space-monkey.

When the baby hit eight weeks I switched to Huckleberry to track sleep and work out nap times. This also tracks everything else but I didn’t find it quite as functional for feeds - by this point I had stopped tracking feeds so it didn’t worry me. But seriously, Huckleberry is absolutely amazing for working out optimal awake windows and nap times. The best thing I did and worth every penny.

BertieBotts · 04/06/2021 16:58

Even the free version of Huckleberry is great! I didn't pay for mine :) Just used the nap predictor which is part of the free version.

Pinkflipflop85 · 04/06/2021 17:01

I had a baby tracker app with my first and it fuelled my PND so much it made me really unwell.

A few people have suggested huckleberry but I think they've removed the free nap predictor now.

BertieBotts · 04/06/2021 17:05

Oh no!! Have they really? :(

Pinkflipflop85 · 04/06/2021 17:40

@BertieBotts

Oh no!! Have they really? :(
Yep. Think it's about £5 a month now for the sweet spot tracker thing.
pendlepeanut · 04/06/2021 17:41

I use the free version of Huckleberry and it's great. Was invaluable in the first few days/weeks of endless midwife questions about number of nappies and feeds as I'd never have remembered off the top of my head and that made me feel anxious. Helped me feel more in control. Now my baby is 12 weeks I still use it and like how I can spot the patterns of his natural rhythms developing such as nap times.

AyyX · 04/06/2021 18:06

@HardonCollider

I like BabyTracker (it’s a red line drawing on a multicoloured background on the app picture). I was recommended it by a friend 😊
I used Baby Tracker with my first in the first couple months and also using it now for my second baby (almost 4 weeks old)
AyyX · 04/06/2021 18:10

I use it mainly to keep track of how long I’m breastfeeding baby for and it’s just a bit easier to know if they’re crying for a feed or if their nappy hasn’t been changed for too long (of course you can just check their nappy but I like to keep track of roughly how many dirty / wet nappies he does)

yikesanotherbooboo · 04/06/2021 18:15

I would be very wary of a baby tracking app . It is so easy to get anxious and feel inadequate with a new born. It is a chaotic time with difficult loss of control . I can only think of a very few very specific situations in which one would be helpful and many many scenarios where it would do nothing but fuel anxiety. Enjoy your baby and follow their lead.

Covidwoes · 04/06/2021 19:04

Don't download anything! I did with my first, but not second time round and it's liberating!

SamanthaVimes · 04/06/2021 19:17

I use baby feed timer, I tracked everything to start with but now I just use it for sleep and to remind myself which boob to feed from next as I always forget!
Handy to make a note of any calpol etc so you know when you can give another dose too

LBB2020 · 04/06/2021 20:01

I didn’t use one with my first who was bottle fed but have with my second who has been exclusively breastfed but only to remind me which side I last fed on as my memory is shocking Grin
I have never been asked by anyone how often my baby feeds or how many dirty nappies! Only if baby is feeding well and having wet and dirty nappies.
As others have said just feed and change when needed. Good luck with your new baby Smile