While I am thinking of it…and while Baby C is asleep…I thought I would write about what I have found to be the single most useful baby tool.
Wait for it…the Total Baby iphone application!
I know old school mothers out there are shaking their heads that there is an iphone application to help you manage your baby but seriously this thing has been a life saver. You just click when you start feeding, click when you end, click when the baby falls asleep, click when he wakes up…same for diapers and baths…this thing keeps track of everything for you. Your feeble baby brain does not need to be burdened with any extra information. Having the application record all things baby for you leaves your brain to deal with other important issues like where did I put those pajamas…oh right…I am still wearing them. Where the application becomes really useful is when you are trying to figure your baby out. You might think why are they crying this time? You can look at the application and it will tell you how long it has been since the last feed or since the last nap and that can give you a clue that might help you determine if your baby is fussing because they are hungry or if because they are tired. It is also fantastic to try to help establish if your baby is moving towards any sort of routine. You can look back over the days and see trends like the baby always naps around ten in the morning.
Plus it is fun to have a reason to have your iphone with you when are breast feeding. Hello facebook updates!
Speaking of iphone applications the ones that are a total waste of time are the contraction timers. I will give you a tip…when you are starting a contraction the last thing you want to think about is tapping some button. I think I timed two contractions before I said the hell with it. And many of these applications advertise features like charts of your contractions…again you won’t care that the representation shows your contractions are increasing in intensity and in duration…you are living that line graph.