Price: Starts at $4.99/month | Download
All-inclusive kid monitoring appSmart data entry optionsView progress in graphs Auto-sync across devices
The UI needs improvementNo third-party integration
Wait a minute, how can an app help in this situation? Well, that’s exactly what you and I will explore in this review. So, let’s get going.
Baby Connect: Stay connected with your baby at all times
Whether a stay-at-home or working parent, raising a kid is no small feat. One of the most difficult tasks is to keep track of everything – what and when they ate, when and how much they slept, when is their next vaccine/doctor’s visit, etc. Baby Connect is a comprehensive activity log that makes tracking your kid’s activities a breeze. And the app is not only helpful for parents but also an asset for babysitters, crèche owners, and other such professionals. Moreover, it is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android devices, and even the web via babyconnect.com. So no matter the device, the child is monitored anywhere and everywhere.
From food to poop, track your baby’s progress
When they say all-inclusive activity log, they sincerely mean it. As you might have seen in the above screenshot, Baby Connect can help you track
Food intake – Nursing, bottle, cup, solid foods Nursing duration (time and last side), pumping, milk stashSleep – Average amount per day and longest sleeping session MoodOverall behaviorActivities Milestones Health – Medicines, vaccines, sickness, weight, height, head size, etc.Stool and urine – Average number of BM and wet diapers per day
Smart tracking options
Now, this is where the app becomes incredibly helpful and slightly complicated. So, while you can track the number of activities, you can also track the smallest of details about it. For instance, when tracking food, you can add whether the child ate food or snack or if they refused the food. Plus, the app lets you add.
More labels – What exactly they ate, like cereal or junk, Notes – If there’s something specific, Quantity – Vague (Little, all, etc.) or exact measurements (tsp, oz, pieces, and more)Time/duration Photo – If you like
The same goes for excretion and other fields. You get many variables, whether it was poop or pee or both, whether it was an accident, quantity, consistency, color, and time.
More than just track
So, why do we track all these activities? Because we want to map the kid’s growth, see how they are doing, and, if needed, share this info with their pediatrician and more. Baby Connect keeps you connected with that side of tracking as well. You can view all entries’ graphical Timeline, plus charts of baby’s activity and growth for easier comprehension. These entries can also be converted into formatted reports in CSV format (Excel) to share with doctors, spouses, or nannies via mail or messages, or even Twitter if you are a social parent.
Synced data, synced responsibility
As told earlier, Baby Connect is accessible across platforms. To make things smoother, the app offers auto sync, so whether the baby is with its parents or babysitter, everyone is in the loop at all times. The app also incorporates a private switch in certain sections like observations, notes, incident reports, etc. It will only be shared with parents or staff when turned on, ensuring privacy in certain matters. Amazingly, you can hold unlimited data on the app’s cloud. And even if you end the subscription, the data is preserved in your ID locked under a password for security.
Why, oh why? 😟
While I am impressed by the wide array of features and tools offered by Baby Connect, I am also disappointed by its UI. For starters, the home page is pretty cluttered and can be overwhelming and confusing for some (many). Why have a solids section on the homepage for a newborn or have nursing on the menu after they have grown out of it? I just wish the UI could be a little cleaner and customizable as per the kid’s age and need. Also, take the app’s duration/time field for instance. It has a timer/stopwatch feature so you can mark the time passed and even set reminders for later, which is superb. However, the problem arises when you want to add present or past timing like 3pm or 6pm. Because quite inconveniently, you can’t add that directly. You’ll actually have to add the minus time; for instance, it was 2 hours 30 minutes ago. Oh yes! It is a bit cringy as parenting and maths aren’t my favorite things to do together.
Baby Connect of professionals
While I have been dropping the hint of Baby Connect’s usefulness for professionals, here’s the deal sealer. You can track up to 5 children in Family Subscription and up to 15 kids in Professional subscription. Each kid can be precisely profiled with their photos, birth date, and other important information like blood type, allergies, and more. Plus, you can set up as many parents and caregivers as possible. And thanks to auto-sync, everyone responsible for the kids (parents and caregivers) can exchange information without missing something. Plus, parents could also keep an eye out on the kid while they are in their offices.
Should you connect with Baby Connect?
All I was thinking while testing and exploring Baby Connect was why I didn’t have the app when I was helping my sister raise her daughter (around 9 years ago). Imagine not having to remember the littlest of detail and retelling the day’s activity to mum and papa because the app can do that for you. I am impressed with the app’s thoroughness and thoughtfulness, from tracking multiple variables to customizable data entry. It will particularly be helpful for first-time parents, newborn babies, kids with special needs, and daycare professionals. Although, the pro for Baby Connect is also a con, because of an unnecessarily packed UI. But that doesn’t compromise its capability to help you monitor your kids, and you should give its 7-day free trial a shot. Price
Family – $4.99/month, up to 5 kids Professional – $14.99/month, up to 15 kids
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