When I nursed each of our children, friends and Kellymom were my go-to sources for information. Those sources are both irreplaceable, but now there is a fantastic, fact-filled app, delivering information in a format that is accessible even as you are in the act of breastfeeding. Sara Chana’s Breastfeeding for Boobs has hundreds of videos to help with the process. In addition to the helpful videos that show exactly how to achieve some of the holds, which are like having a lactation consultant on call, the app includes information about both mama’s and baby’s health. I was impressed with the sensitivity to the needs of both parties of the nursing relationship in the information in this app.
The simple Super Baby Foods app is really a placeholder for the book, which the app reminds you at regular intervals to purchase. A good starter or on-the-go option for when you’re starting solids and want some ideas, but generally not terribly flexible or interesting on its own.
Baby Food Tracker allows you to track foods you’ve fed your child, her enjoyment level, and if there were any symptoms of allergy from the food. You can email the results of a meal to another caregiver, but one thing missing from this app is the ability to “share” an account with another parent or caregiver. Allowing an account for each child or family rather than for each device would allow more seamless sharing of information between spouses, a nanny, and other caregivers, essential for those families especially concerned with food allergies.
Christine Dehne is an artist, professor and teacher at Tinkergarten. Follow her @KeepingKidsAppy.