When you’re newly postpartum, you’re on your phone A LOT. Like, a lot! So what are the best postpartum apps to help you through this tender, intense time of life? There are a lot of good choices out there—and we, as virtual postpartum doulas, should know what’s good. Of course, we also know there’s no real substitute for in-person care and connection after having a baby, but technology can be a powerful lifeline during the fourth trimester, helping you learn, move, connect, recover, keep track of things, and so much more.
Here are the best postpartum apps, according to postpartum doulas! If you’re a new parent, these apps will help make life both simpler and more special.
My Fourth
We think our own app, My Fourth, is one of the best apps to have on hand when you’re postpartum. My Fourth is the first of its kind, an app devoted specifically to parents and their recovery from birth. It includes a day-by-day guide to the fourth trimester, with the exact information you need to know that day, delivered in bite-size tips, tricks, and videos. From lactation and baby care to your own health and wellness, the app is a one-stop postpartum shop. You can also use My Fourth to plan for your postpartum experience, track your postpartum recovery, connect with our experienced postpartum doulas for support, and more! We’re soon to expand our content to include the entire first year postpartum, too, so stay tuned.
Ovia Parenting and Baby Tracker
This uber-popular app is great if you’re looking for a baby and feeding tracker, as many parents are. Log feedings, diapers, sleep, and milestones. A tracker app is especially useful in the first few weeks if you need to track your newborn’s weight and output, for example.
Wonder Weeks
The Wonder Weeks app (also a book) lets you know when your baby is going through a “leap,” or intense period of development. It also provides suggestions for ways you can interact with your baby, depending on the stage they’re in, and tips and tricks for getting through each leap. It’s wonderful for normalizing those fussy periods and giving you peace of mind that all is, in fact, normal!
Juna
Juna is an all-in-one app that supports your physical health through pregnancy and postpartum. With workouts (including those specific to postpartum fitness), daily updates, nutrition advice and tasty recipes, it’s a great resource for returning to movement after birth.
Peanut
Need mom friends? Peanut is the app for you! It’s kinda like Tinder for moms, to be honest, but in the best way possible. You can set up a profile (complete with photo, of course!) to let other moms know what you’re all about and connect for friendship. The options to swipe, wave, and filter by location are super useful. Plus, Peanut has a great interactive community built into the app, where you can join groups based on baby’s age, location, interest, topic, and so much more!
Canopie
Canopie is a brand-new app platform for maternal mental health (so needed!). You fill out a survey and then the app provides you with a personalized program based on your own mental health concerns and needs (common ones include baby care, sleep, and more). In just a few minutes a day, you can improve your mood and mental health as a new parent.
MommyMeds
Coming to you from Texas Tech University and pharmacologist Dr. Hales, this app is a database where you can look up information about medications and lactation. Wondering if it’s ok to take a decongestant when you’re breastfeeding? MommyMeds has your answer! It’s a must-have for breastfeeding and chestfeeding parents.
Pumpspotting
Pumpspotting is an incredibly useful and supportive app for people who are lactating. Including an interactive map to help you find places to pump or feed on the go, articles about lactation based on what stage you and your baby are in, and a community of other breastfeeding/chestfeeding parents, Pumpspotting is a great place to learn and connect.
23Snaps
Want to share baby photos with your family and friends, without using social media? 23 Snaps is the app for you! You can upload photos and videos with stories and captions and your community can comment, too. There’s also the option to print out photo books. Our director of doula services Carrie has used this app for all four years of her child’s life and raves about the simplicity and privacy! There are other baby photo sharing apps that come with articles and advice, but if you want to skip the excess and just share photos, 23 Snaps will get it done!
The Short Years
You want a baby book, but it feels overwhelming to make one. That’s where The Short Years comes in! This useful app allows you to create a beautiful print baby book on your phone, in just a few minutes a week. You’ll get a notification asking you to fill out a few questions and upload a few photos and at the end of the year, you can opt to have a well-designed baby book printed and shipped to your door. Little effort, big payoff!