This one’s for all the new parents out there! From those first few precious moments to months later as you juggle working from home and caring for your baby, it’s nice to have some help. Luckily the tech world has your back, and new devices are popping up all the time that can give tired parents the break – and peace of mind – they are looking for. Check out these new innovations:
#1: Smart Car Seats
Only parents will ever understand how excited you can get about innovations in baby car seats. What started out as clunky and hard to use in generations past has become a high-tech dream that’s easy to handle and works hard to keep your baby safe. For instance, the Sirona S car seat has a smart harness clip that alerts via a smartphone app if you leave your little one behind in the car. It also notifies you if your child unbuckles the clip, is too warm, or is seated too long. On top of that, the Sirona S is the first rotating car seat to hit the U.S. market, a feature that makes it easier to get little ones in and out, especially when the seat is rear-facing.
#2: Sound Machines for Babies
Anything that helps babies sleep better is a good thing, and new sound machines designed just for babies are another exciting innovation to check out. The Hatch Rest sound machine also works as a night light and a time-to-rise clock and can be controlled by smartphone, so you don’t have to belly-crawl in and out of your baby’s room to restart it. It’s designed to create an optimal sleeping environment for babies through a selection of pre-programmed light and sound themes that promote healthy circadian rhythms and melatonin production.
#3: Video Monitors that Track Breathing
Video monitors are a staple for most baby registries, and they just keep getting better. Smart video monitors, like the Nanit, offer amazing features like high-resolution bird’s eye perspective so you can see every corner of the crib even when it’s dark at night. The camera also reads a custom-designed pattern on the band of a one-of-a-kind swaddle to detect baby’s breathing motion. (No sensors or add-ons required.) Smartphone apps that are connected to the video monitor get an alert, and the camera will also sound an alert, if something seems off. The app also allows you to access sleep metrics, video history, sleep tracking, and even sleep coaching features.
#4: Hands Free Breast Pump
For decades not much has changed about the breast pump. Now there’s the Elvie breast pump, and it’s game-changing for on-the-go breastfeeding moms. The Elvie is a wearable pump that’s completely hands-free. Yes, hands-free! There are no wires or cords, all you have to do is charge each pump, place them inside nursing bra cups, and the pump will go to work. It’s completely silent, so can be used anywhere. The intensity can be adjusted, it’s easy to clean, and the pumps can be monitored and controlled by an app.
#5: Bottles Made for Breast Milk
Breast milk is an option that many parents choose for their babies. To preserve the nutrients in pumped milk, though, it must be handled and stored in specific ways. That’s where specially engineered bottles, like those from Nanobebe, comes in. These uniquely shaped bottles are designed to preserve nutrients in the milk; the rounded shape helps cool and heat the milk twice as fast as standard bottles, they are compatible with many different brands of breast pumps, and there’s a vented slow-flow nipple that helps reduce colic.
#6: Easy On, Easy Off Baby Clothing
This is a little more low-tech, but an innovation in baby wear that is long overdue. We’re talking about baby clothing that uses magnetic closures instead of zippers or snaps. As anyone with a newborn knows, there are a lot of clothing changes that can happen throughout the day. Struggling with buttons, snaps or zippers gets old, but onesies with magnetic closures, such as the line by MagneticMe, make getting your baby dressed and undressed so much easier and faster. And that’s smart innovation we can appreciate!