Top 10 iPhone apps for mums

When it comes to gadgets and technology, I normally can’t be bothered. Don’t get me wrong; I can see why people invest their money in swanky TVs, games consoles, surround sound systems, satellite navigation and all the other high tech accoutrements we’re led to believe we can’t live without. It’s just that when it comes to parting with my own hard-earned cash I’d rather have a new pair of shoes than an iPod any day of the week.
But my techno apathy has recently been ambushed – nay, seduced – by a slinky, sexy, multifunctioning piece of kit. Yes, folks, I’m having a torrid affair…with my iPhone.
Seriously, I’m not sure what I did before I had this phone. How did I cope in the days when I couldn’t go on Twitter while waiting for a lift, or check my emails in the middle of a shopping centre? The folks at Apple aren’t lying when they say there’s an app for almost anything – and I’ve discovered that there are quite a few that are either specifically aimed at mums and mums-to-be or are simply damned handy when you’ve got little ones to amuse. Here are some of my favourites:

1. What To Expect (Free)

When I was pregnant with Bubs I was obsessed with tracking the progress of my pregnancy week by week, reading about what size the baby was, which body parts were developing and what it was doing in the womb. Brought to you by the same people who wrote the iconic book, ‘What to Expect when you’re Expecting’, this app Expecting allows you to chart your pregnancy through each amazing trimester, offering tips and hints for dealing with the many challenges of growing a human in your belly! You can even add your own belly pics to keep track of your growing bump.

2. Contraction Master (£0.59)

Timing contractions can be a right pain in the butt and if, like me, you’re rubbish at maths it’s easy to lose track of the frequency and duration – especially when you’re concentrating on breathing. Contraction Master is an easy-as-pie way to time your labour pains; simply tap to start and again to stop, and it does the rest. Designed by Americans with their super-efficient private healthcare system in mind, you can even package the info up and send it via email.

3. Baby Namer (currently free)

A close second to obsessing about the baby’s development during my pregnancy was daydreaming about what we were going to call him or her. I bought baby name books, trawled the internet and drove everyone nuts going over and over the various options. Baby Namer is a fun way to find out the meaning of names, their popularity over the last century or so and most importantly, how they will sit with your surname!

4. Baby Log (£2.99)

Before I became I mum I didn’t understand the meaning of the word tired and had no idea just how muddled the sleep-deprived mind can become. Short of writing on my boobs with a biro I couldn’t figure out a way to remember which side I’d last fed Bubs from and I couldn’t remember my own name, never mind the length of his last nap. Baby Log lets you keep track of all your baby’s activities, whether it’s eating or sleeping, baths or even your own custom categories. You can the export the data and view the week’s activity all at once – a good way to spot emerging patterns and begin laying the foundations of a routine.

5. Sleepy Baby (£0.59)

Babies love low frequency noise; it recreates the atmosphere of the womb and helps them to tune out the chaos of life in the big wide world and drop off to sleep. Sleepy Baby offers a selection of ‘white noise’ sounds including a heartbeat, a fan and a vacuum cleaner – perfect if you’re on the go with a fractious baby who’s having trouble getting off to sleep!

6. Babyphone (£2.39)

Turn your iPhone into a baby monitor with this genius app – great for travel if you forget your normal monitor. Just plug your phone in, add a phone number and adjust the volume settings, then turn the app on and place it next to your sleeping baby. When iPhone hears your baby wake up, it will call the designated number and let you listen in.

7. Look Baby! (Free)

A personal favourite of Bubs, Look Baby! offers a number of simple games perfect for little fingers. He loves to tickle the teddy and listen to his giggles, as well as shaking the multicoloured shapes. This game is a lifesaver in boring situations like waiting at the supermarket checkout or on car journeys.

7. Blowfish (Free)

Another game that’s fun for Bubs and for me – you touch and hold the screen to start the blowfish growing, avoiding the prickly sea urchins that will make them go pop! The object of the game is to fill the screen with blowfish but Bubs loves the sound they make when they burst so we never get past level three!

8. Hatch! (Free)

A simple game for little hands – tap the egg repeatedly until it cracks open, revealing a cute character and prompting your little one to learn the animals’ names.

9. Bumblebee Touchbook (£0.59)

Bubs is already a real bookworm like his mummy and this interactive storybook app is a great distraction in waiting rooms or just when he needs some time out from causing chaos around the house. You can watch a short animation and touch the characters to see them come to life or have the page read aloud. Too cool.

10. YouTube (pre-installed)

Last but definitely not least is YouTube. This means that anywhere we can get wireless broadband we can get entire episodes of Bubs’ favourite TV shows (namely Peppa Pig and In The Night Garden) on demand. We use it to eke out weekend lie-ins, stop tantrums and generally distract him when nothing else works – it’s part of my parenting emergency kit.

Now if only I could find a cure for my iPhone addiction.  There’s no app for that.