I’ve never been a technologically inclined person. Never have I been the person with the newest phone or the smartest home, and I was completely content with that. And then I became a mom. When my twins came prematurely I felt extremely disoriented, despite the numerous books I read in preparation and having a super supportive partner by my side. When we finally came home we walked a haphazard path of trial-and-error and experimenting with approaches we hadn’t previously considered. With this new open-mindedness (or more accurately, desperation), we found some really nifty gadgets for new moms that made conquering the common new mama struggles much easier. If you’re at your wit’s end (or proactively prepping, like I should’ve done), check out these great gadgets perfect for new moms
The Struggle: Anxiety While Your Baby Sleeps
Despite diligently following the standards for safe sleeping, the fear of things beyond my control kept me up at night. Factor in that our son would sporadically choke throughout the night and our daughter had reflux, and I was getting approximately 1-2 hours of combined sleep per night. Even on those “less eventful” nights, I found myself popping out of bed and running to the bassinet with every baby groan, gasp, and whimper.
However, there was a solution that provided a peace of mind. That solution was the Snuza Hero movement monitor. My sister give it high praise from using these little devices on her twins a few years back. Simply clip the Snuza to the outside of your baby’s waistband (either the diaper or pants), and the monitor has a series of beeps to inform you if it detects any pauses in regular breathing movements or any ceases in movement. It’s a simpler, more cost-effective option to other baby sleep monitors out there. I also like the way these fit and rarely gave off false alarms.
While no device is ever a replacement for following safety guidelines, this gadget was an invaluable supplement to our safety routine, especially with the added anxiety of my twins’ respiratory conditions. So, if you anticipate being (or already are) the type of parent consumed with the concern of “Is my baby breathing?”, I highly recommend this nifty little companion.
The Struggle: Getting your Baby to Sleep and Stay Asleep
Our twins were born five weeks early and had some health struggles, so we had an inescapable sleep deficit. However, several friends with full-term, healthy, single babies experienced a similar dilemma. But then we found the VIP to our sleep routine: a sleep machine.
Going into parenthood, my wife and I had a preconceived notion that we shouldn’t use it. Our fear was that it would cause dependency and our children would grow up to be adults who needed to have background noise to fall asleep. Like other new parents, we just didn’t want to add unnecessary complications to our lives. That said, after about three months of struggling to get the babies to stay asleep for more than about 45 minutes at a time, we were barely functioning.
We decided to try the Hatch Rest sound machine because we liked the ability to set schedules and control it via an app. We also appreciated that we could use it for years to come. The Hatch has different modes and can even help teach toddlers morning schedules. I finally grabbed it at Target and hooked it up that night. I’m telling you, it was MAGIC. The babies fell asleep quicker and they only woke up once in the middle of the night! The difference in all of our daily functioning and moods after just a couple of days was astounding. It was easily one of the best purchases we’ve made as new parents!
The Struggle: Keeping Track of Everything
A couple of our mama friends warned us that we would need to track how much the babies have been eating, pooping, peeing, napping, and breastfeeding for medical personnel. It was highly unlikely I would have a reliable mental record of these stats for one baby, much less two. Enter my resourceful wife giving me perhaps the best Christmas presents I’ve ever received: the Talli monitors. Since we had two babies, we had a monitor for each. These little gadgets track virtually everything you could want to track with the simple push of a button.
There are eight buttons, and as soon as you push one, it records it in real-time. You can easily pull up the stats and view helpful graphs of the metrics on your phone via the app. We were able to track everything in the hospital with our phones and then use the keypads when we got home. We also like the miscellaneous button, which we used to track when we administered medicine to the babies. Now, when your pediatrician asks about diapers, feedings, etc., you’ll be equipped to rattle off answers like a pro. It’s one of the few things that helped me feel like I had my life together.
As you’ve likely realized, being a new parent is the most challenging and wonderful thing you will ever do. While you won’t run into a shortage of advice or suggestions from other parents, I hope these recommendations help make this new journey for you a little smoother!
If you’re looking for more baby gear tips, check out this post on how to find the perfect stroller.
