The Must Have Gadgets For Modern Parents
There is an app or gadget for almost anything you can think of including electronics for parents and baby. This goes beyond baby monitors to electronics designed for every stage of parenthood and childhood.
Here are some of the top gadgets to consider.
Fertility Tracking Test Strips
If you are trying to get pregnant you may be able to speed things up a bit by tracking when you are ovulating. Fertility tracking strips work like a pregnancy test, but they track ovulation instead of fertilization. By measuring your hormone levels, you are alerted to when you are most likely to conceive each month.
This is much more efficient than tracking your cycle on the calendar, which can take several months to identify your patterns. There are many tests to choose from with Proov and Easy@Home being worthy contenders. Proov tracks progesterone levels and also helps for moms who are at high risk for miscarriage while Easy@Home tracks ovulation by LH levels.
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Pregnancy Tracking Devices
Even with your prenatal checkups and tracking things with your What to Expect When You’re Expecting book, you can take things one step further with a pregnancy tracking device. Simply wrap the soft and comfortable Owlet Band around your stomach to track your baby’s heartbeat, how often they kick, and even your contractions.
This product isn’t out yet but should be available by the end of 2019. All results are tracked and reported through your smartphone app. To track contractions, only the Bloomlife monitor can be worn as you near your due date. It’s a small monitor applied to your belly.
Wireless, Soundless, And Wearable Breast Pump
Breast pumps are known for being noisy and for disrupting your work day as you break to pump. Pumps are also embarrassing as they are noising making it feel like everyone knows what you are doing—that is until now. Both the Willow and the Elvie breast pumps allow for hands-free pumping, activated from a smartphone app. This means less disruption and more convenience when pumping in public or while at work. Features of both pumps are similar so it’s all about which pump works best for you.
Sense U Wearable Baby Monitor
The Sense U baby monitor is a modern alternative to the walkie talkie type options we have grown accustomed to. It’s a small and lightweight button that attaches to your infant’s pajamas or clothing, recording data without audio or visual. All data is updated to a smartphone app in real time. This includes breathing, movement, body position, and falls.
While there is no audio you can adjust the smartphone app to alert you to when your baby rolls over or when there is significant movement, which will let you know whey your baby is awake. However, the Sense U technology appears to be a duplicate of the MonBaby monitor and a lawsuit for the patent infringement is currently underway.
Video Monitor
Video monitors are another option for monitoring your baby. This includes security systems that are installed throughout the house, that you can use to view your baby from anywhere with an internet connection. This is perfect for when you are at work and want to check up on your nanny or babysitter. However, these standard systems make many parents uncomfortable as they can be hacked—allowing strangers to peep in on your infant.
Another option is Wi-Fi-free video monitors that enable parents to keep an eye on their napping baby while at home with a portable video monitor. Cook, clean, or relax while keeping a close eye on your little one.
You have many options to choose from, so start with your need for range, if you want one or two-way communication, or the ability to play lullabies. Be sure to consider if the camera has built-in pan, tilt, and zoom. Phillips AVENT, Infant Optics, and Babysense are all top picks.
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Baby Scheduling Apps
While it’s important to keep your newborn on a schedule, as a new parent sleep deprivation can make this an all but impossible task. Most new parents utilize a paper calendar but with The Baby Feed Time App you can track all baby’s activities in one easy app. This includes sleep schedules, breastfeeding, diaper changes, tummy time, and more.
You can view all details via a variety of charts and you can share your charts on your next baby wellness checkup. Another option is the Breastfeeding Baby Tracker which you can use to track feeding, sleep cycles, crying, weight, height, head circumference, pumping times, and more.
Smart Home Assistant
Google Home and Amazon Echo might not be the first thing that comes to mind when managing baby, but both can be used to simplify your life. Voice activate both to instantly play a lullaby, set timers, update your schedule, automate alerts, make shopping lists, search the internet without getting up, and more. Consider having more than one home assistant in strategic locations for hands-free control from anywhere in the home.
GPS Devices
As all parents know kids move faster than lightning. Reduce risk and worry of kidnapping, dashing off, or your kids getting lost in a crowd with a wearable GPS device. Choose from smartwatches, fabs, discs, and decorative clip-ons with Bluetooth GPS built-in. Some of the top choices include Tile Mate and Macywell Smart Finder. Some have 2-way communication and 1-way listening built in, like the Angel Sense.
As parents we need all the help we can get and these gadgets deliver. They make life easier for parents and safer for babies!
