iPhone Apps for New Parents Alleviate Pre and Postnatal Pandemonium

[Edit. Note: Before you tell a couple of dweebs that we know diddly about babies, we want to point out: the author of this article got up close and personal with this tech. A new dad, enjoy his geek-fathering experience... and watch out for the spittle.]

Technology and medical advancements have certainly revolutionized the way people approach pregnancy and childbirth. Just 50 years ago, mortality rates for mothers and children were astronomically higher than they are today, and men often weren't even allowed in delivery rooms. Superstitions, misinformed stereotypes and dangerous procedures marked the gestation and delivery processes, but those dangers have been overwhelmingly overcome by technology. Now, expectant parents can actually enjoy the days and months preceding, and following, the arrival of their newborns.

Many of the gadgets and devices currently available to parents and infants don't exactly come cheap. And with the costs of diapers, formula and other baby necessities, parents definitely need as much monetary aid as possible.

For iPhone owners, that hemorrhaging of money can be somewhat alleviated by the widespread availability of cheap and thrifty apps. The App Store provides expectant and new parents with an almost unlimited supply of helpful aids, running the gamut from conception to early development. Having just experienced nine months of apprehension, excitement, gratitude and abject terror, we feel somewhat qualified to share a few offerings that can help worried and cautious parents and parents-to-be savor this unique and incredible experience.

Contraction Master

'The Office' recently received accolades from parents because of its realistic depiction of contractions and delivery, but not every expectant pair can maintain the composure and even keel of the fictional Jim and Pam. Most doctors adhere to the 1-5-1 principle (one minute contractions, spaced five minutes apart, over the course of one hour). While this particular new dad enjoyed the availability of an official medical monitor due to inducement, the Contraction Master app can help distracted and overwhelmed parents effortlessly keep track of both spacing and duration, all for less than a dollar.
Price: $0.99

Nursing Master

Not every couple opts, or is able, to nourish their babies through breastfeeding. For those who do decide to take the natural route, Nursing Master (created by the Contraction Master designers) helps keep track of feeding frequency and amount. It can store information for multiple children, and can also send sustenance statistics to doctors or lactation specialists -- just in case parents harbor any concerns or worries over their child's feeding patterns.
Price: $1.99

BabyPhone Deluxe

Perhaps no other gadget provides as much parental security and confidence as the baby monitor. These awesome devices can cost up to $200, though, so they may not be a feasible option for many couples. But, a variety of iPhone baby monitors exist, and BabyPhone Deluxe only costs $2.99. With Deluxe, parents simply leave their iPhone next to their slumbering tyke. When the infant makes a detectable noise, the smartphone immediately calls a pre-entered number. The app also provides a host of extras, like recording options, an events log and a screen dimmer.
Price: $2.99

Total Baby

Designed by a real-life parent and based upon actual needs and experience, Total Baby keeps track of, well, just about everything. The awesome and easy app can monitor and store data for 13 different activities and events, including bottle times, doctor appointments, and even sleeping, bath and vaccination schedules. It was picked as an Apple staff favorite, and features incredibly specific extras, like the feeding "pause" button that enables parents to incrementally know their child's exact eating habits. For nursing mothers, the Diary section allows parents to keep a daily diet record to help determine if a specific ingredient is upsetting their infant's stomach. Since baby digestive practices can shockingly (cough) increase over the course of just a few days, having an app that also keeps track of diaper changes can greatly ease parents' worries over proper poo frequency [Edit. Note: I cannot believe we just wrote "proper poo frequency" on Switched]. We honestly would have spent at least twice the normal price for this absolute steal.
Price: $4.99

Baby Plush Lullabies

The popular White Noise app provides uneasy infants with soothing sounds, but some folks may want to utilize more traditional auditory options. World of Lullabies offers 10 ingrained songs, including "Twinkle, Twinkle," "Hush, Little Baby" and "Rock a Bye Baby," but the $2.99 price seems a little steep. For a thriftier option, Baby Plush offers a total of 12 different classic lullabies, like "Edelweiss," "Brahm's Lullaby," and "Fur Elise," as well as virtual "plush" animals to entertain the not-so-sleepy subject. The incredible bargain also allows parents to set the duration of the music, and can display a mesmerizing visual "light wheel" to distract the discontent little ones. It's portable, it's effortless and -- best of all -- it works.
Price: $0.99

Emmbook Baby Book

Many parents view the classic baby scrapbook as an absolute necessity. Some even keep the scrapbooking tome on hand at delivery so that nurses can immediately enter vital information and those tiny, inky footprints. But, over the course of just a few days, as photos and mementos expand the book beyond its binders, other keepsake options may be needed. Emmbook enables those doting parents to easily store, share and annotate absolutely every event in their infant's ever-expanding world.
Price: $4.99

Babycenter.com

Books for expectant fathers and mothers are vast, but paper publications are increasingly fading into oblivion. Similar Web services offer just as much information and zero waste, for free or for a fraction of a book's price. One such site, BabyCenter.com, isn't actually an app, but it does send free, personalized, weekly e-mail alerts (to multiple parents and partners) that specifically describe exactly what is occurring physically and mentally with both mother and child.
Price: Free

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