Best parenting apps
Sometimes us parents need all the help we can get, which is why we're loving these pregnancy and parenting apps. From tracking your pregnancy to sleep aids and entertaining the kids, we've got it covered. You're welcome...
Whether it's to monitor your baby while they're asleep, track your pregnancy or connect with other parents, tech certainly has its role to play in helping new parents. And if phones are here to stay (which clearly they are), we may as well use them to our advantage.
So, aside from reading articles on how big your bump should be at 28 weeks or what to feed a colicky baby, you could update your phone with some very useful apps.
Can't remember whether you fed your little one half an hour or three hours ago? Don't worry there's an app that will tell you. Need to go into work for the day, but haven't got any childcare? Don't fret, there's an app for that too.
In fact, the array of products on offer are quite astounding. Appy times!
Here are 12 pregnancy and parenting apps and where to get them...
1. LetsBab (Free)
If you love to buy online and are looking for a one-stop shop, LetsBab features kidswear, women’s clothes and beauty (including brands like ASOS, Body Shop, MANGO, Forever 21 and Boohoo), men’s clothes and lifestyle and has a cash back incentive (more on that in a bit).
If it’s kidswear you're keen on specifically, brands include:
- Mothercare
- Modern Nursery
- Tiba & Marl
- Scamp & Dude,
- My 1st Years
- Cuddle + Kind
- Fred & Noah
- Bloom and Blossom
- Mutha.Hood
In fact there are more than 130 brands and they’re a good mix of global and independent partners.
If you share a recommendation for a product to a friend through the LetsBab app (this can be via whatsapp, text, email or social media) and your friend purchases this item you will be rewarded with 5% of the purchase price in cash.
LetsBab pays users once a month – so it’s a bit like an extra pay check every 4 weeks. Pretty good, eh?!
And what we think is a really nice touch about this app is that you can choose to then keep the money, split it with your friend or donate it to one of the app's charity partners such as CoppaFeel!, Movember or Women for Women International.
Get LetsBab:
2. Azoomee, £4.99 monthly subscription, children's entertainment app – MadeForMums Gold Award Winner
Your child loves playing games on your phone - that's pretty much every kid, right?
But, playing the same game over and over again can become a little repetitive. So, what about an app that releases new games, puzzles and activities every week! Enter our gold award-winning app, Azoomee.
That's right - no more buying individual apps every time your child tires of what they're playing.
It's kid-friendly, and you can host up to five children's accounts with just one family subscription, which costs less if you sign up for longer. And let's be honest, if the kids are happy, we are too!
Get a free trial from azoomee.com or the App Store
3. MadeForMums Baby Weaning App, Free
A baby feeding app developed by, well, us, the MadeForMums Baby Weaning App is free to download and is jam packed with 193 weaning recipes, 26 weekly meal planners and 106 expert advice articles.
You can even create your own shopping list and build your own meal planners too! In addition, all the recipes, guides and shopping lists can be used offline, so you can use it when you're out and about or at the supermarket.
You can download the MFM Baby Weaning app on Apple App store or Google Play.
4. Philips uGrow, Free, baby development app – MadeForMums Silver Award Winner
In between feeding your baby, washing clothes, changing nappies and much broken sleep, it's hard to keep track of what you're doing with baby and when?
Not with the silver award-winning Philips uGrow app.
Be honest - you have your phone with you pretty much all the time anyway, so why not make it work for you. As soon as your baby's started her nap, tap it in to the uGrow app. Finished a feed? Log it while baby's asleep in your arms. It doesn't take a second, and you'll be so grateful later.
You'll also start to build up a picture of their routines and habits so you can keep track of what's going on.
But there's more to this clever app; you can check your newborn's height and weight against the WHO standards, receive age-specific expert advice tailored to your baby's development and capture your baby's milestones easily.
You can download the app on the Philips website or the App Store
5. Childcare.co.uk, Free, childcare app – MadeForMums Bronze Award Winner
We've all been there. You've been called into the office at the last minute, got a big project to catch up on, or you've been invited out on a much-needed girls night after looking after the children all day. Great - except you haven't got any childcare.
Fortunately with our bronze award-winning app on childcare.co.uk, this obstacle is merely a stepping stone.
The UK's largest childcare website, providing a service to over 1,500,000 people, is where you'll discover a plethora of babysitters, nannies, registered childminders and even private tutors.
Simply register, create your free profile, search for local care, read reviews and then talk to the carers. Yes, it's that easy.
And if you're a childminder yourself, you can register for jobs on the site. Win-win!
Download this helpful app on the Childcare website.
6. NCT Babychange App, Free, MadeForMums Awards gold winner
The Natural Childbirth Trust have developed an app that provides parents with accurate information on where to find a baby changing area - anywhere in the country - in a hurry.
The app is entirely free and has thousands of locations throughout the UK. Parents can rate each locations and update and add new ones so that the app's information is bang up to date.
You can download the NCT Babychange app from the Apple App store or Google Play
7. NOW Music, £4.99 per month, family entertainment app
Who doesn't love music? And what better way to get your children up and moving than with their favourite songs.
The NOW music streaming app is so simple to use and what's great is, the whole family will love it, not just your kids. With playlists from Disney, the latest chart-topping music, party tunes and classics from the 80's, you can create personalised playlists for each member of your family.
And there’s no need to worry about unsuitable lyrics, as they’re filtered out for you.
Just select a theme and add or delete songs as you like. You can cancel your subscription any time, and you'll get your first 30 days free to test it out. Enjoy... we're pretty sure you will!
For your 30 day free trial download the NOW Music app at nowmusicplus.co.uk
8. Kindara, Free, fertility app
OK, so you want to get pregnant. Congratulations! But, as many of us know, it's not always that easy. Stopping birth control isn't a sure-fire way of falling pregnant.
Which is why it's helpful to use a fertility app like Kindara to understand your body just that bit better. Tracking your periods, cervical fluids and even vaginal sensations means you can predict the days you're likely to ovulate. Indispensable - especially to the 1.4 million women who are already using it.
What makes Kindara different to other fertility apps? You can share your comments, charts and thoughts with other members, seeking advice and reassurance. Although this may not be for every Mum-to-be-, some find it extremely helpful.
You can download the Kindara app at the App Store
9. Mush, Free, networking app
Being a new Mum can be lonely. With virtually no time for yourself, and being at the mercy of your baby's schedule, it's no wonder we find ourselves feeling isolated and cut off from other adults.
So, when an app came along that was touted as the new 'Tinder for Mums', how we rejoiced; the basic premise being that Mums can meet like-minded parents. Whether its Mums who are the same age, have children the same age, or are going through similar experiences - you choose through this clever little app.
And, like any dating app, you know that everyone on there is looking for the same thing - another parent to connect with, have fun and relieve a little of the stress and loneliness that motherhood can bring.
Claiming to be the number 1 social network for making Mum friends, it's certainly app-ealing (sorry).
You can download the Mush app at letsmush or through the App Store
10. Sound Sleeper, Free, parenting app
The one thing we all miss when we become parents: sleep. It's no secret - we'll do anything to get even just 10 minutes more in those early months of baby cring and waking you up.
So, why not try the Sound Sleeper - an app featuring a large selection of white noise and nature sounds to calm your baby. Think sounds from the womb, vacuum cleaners, the rain, lullabies - even your own voice, which you can record.
And the best bit, the app self-activates as soon as your baby starts to cry, so you won't even have to get out of bed. Now, where's that pillow?
Download the app at the App Store
11. Hoop, Free, family entertainment app
The school holidays are on their way, panic is setting in. There's days and days to fill, and you haven't thought of one thing to do!
Don't fret - Hoop have it covered. If you've got a child aged 11 and under, just open the Hoop app to find over 70,000 different kids activities each month. Choose your area and you'll be inundated with activities from drop-in baby and toddler groups, local exhibitions, live performances and soft play areas to festivals and arts & craft activities, and a lot of them are free! What's not to love.
With a recommended age for each activity, you'll soon see what's right for your family. So get booking, we'll see you there...
You can download the free app at the App Store.
12. Artkive, Free, parenting app
How many times has your child bought home a drawing from nursery you haven't the heart to throw away?
Now you don't have to, well...kind of!
The clever people at Artkive have come up with a way of saving your little one's work digitally. You can even tag what child created the 'masterpiece' and on what date, with the ability to add tags.
Want to share the images with others? Put them straight on social media, or create a book to be printed at a later date, keeping all the work together in one place.
No more guilt - now that's an app we're on board with. Download the Artkive app here.
See all of our MadeForMums Awards 2017 winning products, we’ve tested everything from buggies to bottles, creams and highchairs!
More ways technology can help you...
MadeForMums product reviews are independent, honest and provide advice you can have confidence in. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links. However we never allow this to influence our coverage. Our reviews and articles are written by parents who are professional journalists, and we also include feedback from our parent community and industry experts.
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