At your babyâs three-month check-up your pediatrician asks how many times a night they wake to breastfeed and you stare at her blankly. Or, itâs time for the afternoon feeding and you canât remember which breast you fed him on last. It can be tough for tired mamas to keep track of their breastfeeding schedule and sessions! That’s why I recommend downloading a breastfeeding tracker.
A what?! Don’t worry: Iâve got your boobs (er, back)! ?
In this post, we’ll discuss:
- What a breastfeeding tracker is
- Why you should try a breastfeeding tracker
- Plus, the top breastfeeding trackers for iPhones and Androids
What Is a Breastfeeding Tracker?
A breastfeeding tracker records information about your breastfeeding sessions.
If you use an app, most of them allow you to:
- Time nursing sessions. You hit ‘startâ when your baby latches and âstopâ when theyâre done.
- Remember what side you fed on. Log which breast you fed baby on, or if you switched between them.
- Log important information. In sophisticated apps, you can leave notes for yourself about your babyâs overall healthâhow long after breastfeeding they had a wet diaper or bowel movement, and more.
Of course, you don’t have to use an app. If you want to go old school with it, a breastfeeding tracker can be a piece of paper and a pen. Free, downloadable charts help mamas track the times of day their babyâs fed and how the feeding lasted. If you give birth in a hospital, the nurses even ask you to complete one while you’re there.
The Big Benefit of a Breastfeeding Tracker
Breastfeeding has so many benefits, but thereâs definitely a transitional period for most mamas. Itâs not easy!
In the beginning, many midwives and lactation consultants will recommend logging your feeding sessions to ensure baby is getting enough food and you are switching breasts at each session. Some breastfeeding trackers can even log baby’s wet diaper output.
Staying hydrated is so important for breastfeeding mamas, tooâsome breastfeeding apps also allow mama to track how much water sheâs drinking while breastfeeding.
Knowledge is power ?
By having a log, you can troubleshoot much easier and feel empowered that you are on track. A breastfeeding tracker will help you get to know your babyâs health. You might notice that they always cluster feed a few days before getting a cold, or that they feed less when they have a fever. Breastfeeding trackers can also help in more subtle ways, by telling you if your child is nursing too long on one side or favoring one breast. (Did you know this can impact their vision?!)
A breastfeeding tracker keeps a detailed record right in the palm of your hand.
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The Best Breastfeeding Tracker
Baby Daybook â Babycare
Baby Daybook â Babycare – Breastfeeding Apps by Mama Natural
The Baby Daybook hits a sweet spotâit has plenty of cool features, but won’t overwhelm a tired mama. And with over 186 reviews and an average rating of 4.5 stars, a lot of other moms agree with me!
Log breastfeeding sessions, when you pumped, when baby had a bottle, or if they had something else to drink or eat. The app grows with your child, at the beginning you track diapers, but eventually, you can track potty training milestones.
There’s a handy daily summary screen, too. See at a glance how much your baby ate, slept, and did that day. Statistics and timelines such as growth charts track trends over time.
It syncs with multiple caregivers, so you always have real-time information at your fingertips.
Other Great Breastfeeding Apps
Even though Baby Daybook is my favorite, there are lots of great breastfeeding apps that will meet your needs. Iâve gathered a few below, but theyâre not listed in any particular order.
1. Baby Breastfeeding Tracker App
Baby Breastfeeding Tracker App – Breastfeeding Apps by Mama Natural
This app has a lot of nice tracking functions: height, weight, sleeping schedule, and head size tracking are all included. On the ânursingâ screen you can tap âRâ or âLâ to indicate which breast youâre feeding on, and the timer has a handy pause button.
The app calculates growth charts out of the other data, and you can even add pictures, sounds, and videos! Particularly nice for moms who work outside the home as the data syncs with other users for a complete schedule.
While the app is free, you can pay $1.99 to add in diaper tracking, bath time, medication and vaccination information and doctorâs visits.
2. Baby Feeding Log
Baby Feeding Log – Breastfeeding Apps by Mama Natural
This app doesnât have a lot of bells and whistles, but itâll do the job. On the tracking screen for feedings, you can pick right, left, or bottle, which is a nice option to have. It gives you your daily totals and lets you track diaper changes. If you forget to push âstopâ on a feeding, you can edit the app.
Itâs free, with in-app purchases.
3. First Year â Baby Feeding Timer, Sleep, Diaper Log
FirstYear – Baby feeding timer, sleep, diaper log – Breastfeeding Apps by Mama Natural
As its name suggests, you can do a LOT in this app. Yes, you can track nursing sessions, diapers, and sleep. Select whether you fed your baby with formula, expressed milk, or at the breast.
The app also integrates the World Health Organizationâs growth charts to show you if your baby is on track. When you input diaper changes, there are colored bars with sliders to record the color of the urine or poop. The search function is helpful if youâre at the doctors and need to find an entry.
Its basic functions are free, but it costs $4.99 to get access to the full version and an additional $2.99 if you want to export the data to a PDF.
4. Feed Baby
Feed Baby – Baby Tracker – Breastfeeding Apps by Mama Natural
Feed Baby goes up to age five, which is great if youâre planning to nurse your toddler! If you had twins, youâll want to look at this app, since it allows you to track two babies. The usual featuresâfeeding tracking, sleep, diapers, naps and bathsâare all present in this breastfeeding tracker.
Graphs, timelines and charts also help you identify trends and patterns in your babyâs activities. And the app syncs with other devices, so you’ll have a complete log even if someone else is watching baby.
In-app purchases cost up to $4.99.
5. Baby Connect (Activity Log)
Baby Connect (Activity Log) – Breastfeeding Apps by Mama Natural
Brace yourself, because this app really will do it all! It calculates weekly averages and generates graphical reports and trending charts of your babyâs growth, nursing time, and more. You can make a note of when your baby was sick and if you gave her any medicines or natural remedies. Plus, it’ll send you reminder alarms if youâre late for a feeding.
Data can be exported to html, csv, or email so you can share it with your pediatrician.
Data can also be input by a babysitter or nanny through the online interface, even if they donât have the same smartphone as you do.
Plans cost $4.99, $44.99, or $89.99. Donât gaspâthe higher prices are for daycares who want to track multiple children.
6. Breastfeeding Newborn tracker, pump and baby diary
Breastfeeding Newborn tracker, pump and baby diary – Breastfeeding Apps by Mama Natural
Track all the standard information in this breastfeeding tracker:Â time of day, how long, and which breast. A nice perk? You can also add pumping data. I included this app, because it also allows you to record your babyâs consumption of other liquids of solids, and leave comments about how your baby reacted.
Unique among the other apps on this list, this app has 40 different language options. You can choose whether you want liquids measured in ounces or millimeters, too.
7. Breastfeeding â Baby Tracker App
Breastfeeding – Baby Tracker App – Breastfeeding Apps by Mama Natural
Another Android breastfeeding tracker, the Breastfeeding â Baby Tracker App tracks breastfeeding and pumping times, sleep, and growth. The breastfeeding functions are free, but if you also want to track naps or diapers, youâll have to pay for it.
The night mode is a thoughtful touch. Configure the screen to be darker for nighttime feedings, so you donât wake up other adults in the room, or expose your baby to blue light.
8. bCare â Baby Tracker and Diary
BCare – Baby Tracker and Diary – Breastfeeding Apps by Mama Natural
Record notes about your babyâs day and take photos of activities in the bCare app, just like an old-fashioned paper diary. bCare lets you create widgets and track several children within the app.
In addition to the usual tracking functions, including sleep and diaper changes, bCare sends health and baby care reminders. Itâs a good, basic breastfeeding tracker.
Another Great Breastfeeding App
It may not be a breastfeeding tracker, but this app is a beautiful way to celebrate your breastfeeding bond.
Tree of Life Breastfeeding Photos
Tree of life breastfeeding photos have gone viral for a reasonâtheyâre gorgeous! The roots of a tree are planted in the motherâs breast, with the branches and leaves growing up into babyâs mouth.
These photos are easy to recreate. To create your own:
- Choose your favorite breastfeeding photo.
- Download the PicsArt app and tree of life sticker pack.
- Insert and position your favorite tree over the photo.
- If you want more effects and filters, click the âmagicâ button. Otherwise, save and share your amazing creation!
How About You?
Do you use a breastfeeding tracker? Do you think theyâre helpful, or are you concerned about how much of our childrenâs lives are becoming digitized?