Product name: BABY ESP (www.babyesp.com)
What is it?A very user-friendly Android app that helps me track my son's feeding, sleeping and nappy-changing patterns - like a business support system for parents! By far my favourite gadget right now!
Why did it catch my attention?I was browsing around Android marketplace, found this app more or less by accident and the geek in me loved the idea of taking a quantitative approach to managing and analysing my baby's daily routine
How old was my baby when I bought it?2 months, but in retrospect I wish I would have had it from the day he was born
What value does it add for us?a) By a quick glance at my screen I can start the 'fault searching algo' at the most likely issue when my baby cries
b) It saves time and energy by replacing more old-fashioned ways of capturing the same data - the interface is so easy that I can enter data with one hand while breastfeeding!
c) I can follow development and trends over time
d) I can use it proactively to adapt the routine, for example by understanding the correlation between the size of a feed and how long the baby tends to sleep afterwards
e) It allows me to share the information very easily with my son's father and grandparents so that they have access to the 'history' when looking after him
b) It saves time and energy by replacing more old-fashioned ways of capturing the same data - the interface is so easy that I can enter data with one hand while breastfeeding!
c) I can follow development and trends over time
d) I can use it proactively to adapt the routine, for example by understanding the correlation between the size of a feed and how long the baby tends to sleep afterwards
e) It allows me to share the information very easily with my son's father and grandparents so that they have access to the 'history' when looking after him
What does it replace?Energy used to keep track of your baby's routine in your head, or writing it down on a manual list on the fridge as my mother did the first time I left my baby in her care!
How did my baby respond to it?He is completely unaware of its existence! ;-)
How much does it cost?A one-off fee of $3,99 - much too cheap for the value you get if you ask me
Can I see any drawbacks?It is important to make sure that the eagerness to capture accurate data does not get in the way of actually giving your baby whatever he is asking for…
I remember making all sorts of lists in a notebook the first weeks. It made me feel more on top of the situation. After some time I discovered I knew the routines by autopilot, and also - that the routines changed every day/week because of my son growing and changing. So my experience would be that this app could be great the first weeks/months, and not so much longer.
SvarSlett