Digital helpers for parents

The market for apps and tools for parents is impossible to keep track of. From pregnancy companions to baby monitors, there is an app for everything. We collected what other parents recommended in our Slack group, split into “before” and “after” the birth.

Besides the apps, many of us also keep a shared calendar. Be it with Google Calendar, Apple iCloud or a self-hosted server. Such a shared calendar is an important first step towards managing the topic of mental load.

Before the birth

• Baby Berlin (Android, iPhone) - this app gives you an overview of everything that needs to be taken care of when a child is on the way. I am still surprised by how many forms there are to fill in 😢. (German only)
• embryotox - which medication is okay during pregnancy? (German only)
• As a pregnancy calendar some of us used the Ovia Pregnancy App or Preglife. There you can see the stage your unborn child is at and learn a lot about its development.
• Kita Navigator - yes, sadly this belongs into the “before the birth” section, at least in Berlin. Here you can already look at which daycare centres are close to you and apply there.
• Contraction Timer. Hopefully you will only need this app for a few hours, but then it is very helpful. During contractions you neither want to nor can do the maths in your head about how long ago the last one was.

After the birth

• Babies love the sound of waves or other white noise to fall asleep. Tastes differ a lot here. Some like the sound of a hairdryer, others prefer rain. Apps like Relax Meditations are a good help during the first weeks.
• You want to understand the sleep rhythm? Remember which breast was used during the last feeding? And all of that on four hours of sleep yourself? Then apps like Feed Baby or Baby Tracker are the perfect help.
• There is an incredibly large number of playgrounds. Sadly, some of them are rather hidden.
• You need something to do or are bored right now? Kindaling and Berlin Mit Kind have newsletters with the current events for parents in the city. (German only)
• “Oje, ich wachse” (known in English as “The Wonder Weeks”) is a classic among the books. It also exists as an app with a nice calendar. With it you can directly see when the next leap is coming up and prepare accordingly.
• With Luna or BabyPhone 3G you can skip buying a baby monitor and use an old phone instead.
• Many find it helpful to keep a diary to hold on to all those beautiful moments. Some of us use DayGram or Day One for that.
• The christening or the first birthday is coming up and the relatives are asking what your child would like? To keep track of that there is Wishlephant.

You can find more links in our parenting resources.