It’s a summer morning, and light filters through the shades in my bedroom, dappling light across my four-month-old daughter’s face. She smiles, and I finally understand why they call it beaming—her unfettered joy and twinkling blue eyes wash over me like sunshine. I pull her in close and feel her soft, fuzzy head against my chin and breathe in her peachy, sweet scent.
As any mom will know, it took a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get to this moment. There were plenty of low points: stumbling through the fifth feed of the night with bloodshot eyes and tangled hair; literally crying over spilt milk after knocking a bottle all over my dress while pumping at work.
But don’t worry, I won’t wax on indefinitely about how becoming a parent has been the most rewarding and hardest thing I’ve ever done (though it’s true!). I’ll get to the point—parenting is kind of like an extreme sport, and us moms need all the help we can get! Being tech-savvy has helped save the day on many occasions, and I think all moms should know about these essentials. Whether you’ve got your own little ones or want to learn how to better support the moms in your life, this roundup is for you!
The Essential Apps
What to Expect (Free)
Is your baby the size of a blueberry? How about a navel orange? These are the things you learn from What to Expect. It might sound silly, but I looked forward to these weekly fruit updates as well as updates about my baby’s development—it was sweet and comforting to get insights as my belly grew.
MealTrain (Free)
Learning to keep a tiny human alive while recovering from the largest medical event of your life is no small feat. Having the mental bandwidth to cook was definitely not in the cards when we got home from the hospital! Thanks to this incredible free service, we had friends and family dropping off home-cooked meals almost every day for a month. It’s easy to set up an account and share via email or social media so that friends and family can block off dates.
Factor (Free)
Even the best Meal Train can’t last forever, though you’ll wish it could! When we had to go back to work, Factor’s microwave meal delivery app saved us. These aren’t your classic TV dinners either, instead featuring whole low-carb foods and delicious recipes like smoked gouda chicken and shrimp cavatappi with cauliflower pasta. Each week, the app lets you pick from an assortment of options but will default to meals you’ve loved in the past if new-parent brain gets the best of you and you forget.
DoorDash (Free)
I decided it was time for a DoorDash membership during my third trimester of pregnancy when leaving the house became a major undertaking. DoorDash let me order groceries straight to my house along with the occasional McDonald’s Egg McMuffin I shame-ordered and failed to tell my husband about.
Pathways (Free)
I’m definitely a learn-as-you-go mom. When I brought my daughter Claire home, I found myself wondering what I should be doing to best support her growth. Pathways let me know what milestones to look out for and offered helpful tools like a timer for tummy time. It’s been so fun seeing my daughter do what feels like little adorable baby workouts!
Peanut (Free)
There are so many things I wasn’t expecting when I got pregnant. The crying during commercials, the headaches, the leg cramps. I found myself needing the solace of other moms who’d been through it too. Peanut connected me to women in my area who were also pregnant or had young ones at home so we could chat. I even met up with a local mom for a walk and it was so nice to compare notes.
The Survival Gear
Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet ($1,695)
To say the Snoo was a game-changer would be an understatement. When sleep deprivation was hitting a crescendo at about two months in, we decided it was time to try the Snoo. While an investment, it’s worth every dime if you can afford it. This smart basinet mimics the environment of the womb, making a whirring sound and gently rocking your baby to sleep, responding to their cries by adjusting the level of sound and motion to soothe them to sleep. We went from feverishly rocking, bouncing, and singing to her for hours to simply placing her in her bassinet and watching her fall asleep within minutes. This device has saved us countless hours of sleep. We joked that it’s like an off-switch for your baby, giving you a chance to get some much-needed rest.
Willow Go Wearable Breast Pumps ($349.99)
I knew nothing about breastfeeding ahead of time but quickly learned that I have to breastfeed or pump at regular intervals in order to keep my supply up. That takes a lot of time! Once I went back to work, being able to multitask while pumping became essential. The Willow Go is my top pick for remote work or day trips. You just place them under your bra, and the app will track your progress so you can record and make sure you’re getting enough sessions in. Willow’s breast milk storage container also saved me on day trips when I needed a way to keep the milk cool. The pumps were easy to set up but could be finicky at times, though a simple reset usually fixed the problem.
MomCozy Rainbow Smart Baby Sound Machine ($99.99)
This adorable little rainbow light and noise maker is the focal point of Claire’s nursery. I used the night light for midnight diaper changes (I kept the dimmable light at its lowest to help me stay as asleep as possible) and used the songs and white noise options to soothe Claire to sleep when I’d run through all my lullabies.
Oura Ring (Starting at $349)
The Oura Ring helped me learn so much about my cycle in the months leading up to conceiving. This sleep and health tracking wearable integrates with cycle tracking service Natural Cycles, giving you up-to-the-minute fertility information without any effort on your part. For anyone trying to conceive, the Oura Ring is a great purchase.
HomePod Mini ($99)
I’ve never wished I had an extra set of hands until carrying around a newborn baby and trying to type with my nose and one hand. When that approach proved unsuccessful, I turned to the HomePod to do things like set timers, text family members, play music, and get the weather forecast. I want to get one for every room now!
Momcozy Dual-mode Smart Baby Monitor ($169.95)
I chose this baby monitor because of how versatile it is. The non-Wi-Fi mode lets me keep an eye on my daughter while I’m at home without any lag. The Wi-Fi mode means I can see her on my phone while I’m at work and she’s home with grandma. Installation was easy—I just set the camera on a bookshelf and tilted the lens down toward the crib (you can also mount the camera if needed). The 5-inch monitor is easy to tote around the house while I cook or watch a movie with my husband. Connecting to the app was the only tricky part. We had to fiddle with our router settings a few times before it would connect, but once set up it worked seamlessly and even sends us notifications whenever the cam detects motion.
Top image credit: kinako_mochi / Shutterstock.com
