As a new parent, here are 12 ways my Apple Watch helps me through the day

As a new parent, I’ve discovered that my Apple Watch is low-key the most helpful thing I own (besides an espresso machine). It’s like having a tiny, wearable command center strapped to my wrist, keeping me organized, connected, and just barely ahead of the chaos. Below are the most frequent ways I use my smartwatch to manage my new roommate.

Starting strong with the Noise app, the Apple Watch is surprisingly clutch when trying to set up a safe sleep environment. As tempting as it might be to drown all household sounds so the baby can sleep, there are limits to how loud a sound machine should be. I use the Noise App to set mine to a baby-safe volume (below 50 decibels while sleeping) to protect those impossibly tiny eardrums. On the flip side, it’s always demoralizing when you receive a noise alert because a newborn is crying in your face.

2. Alarms & Sleep Tracking

In a shared bedroom with an occupied bassinet, a silent, haptic-only alarm is the most important thing happening in my life right now. My Apple Watch alarm is the only way to ensure that I, and only I, am woken up when I carve out time to prep bottles, chug coffee, or just stare into the darkness in silence. Sleep tracking, meanwhile, is less about improvement and more about proof. It’s both validating and oddly satisfying to track just how little you’re sleeping during this “magical” time. (Spoiler: it’s not much.)

3. Organizational Apps (Reminders, Calendar, Timers)

Babies have more scheduled events and to-dos than a floor manager. From feedings to naps, Vitamin D doses to doctor’s appointments, they’re high-maintenance little tyrants, and I’ll take all the help I can get to stay organized. The Apple Watch puts details an arm’s length away, which doesn’t mean I’ll be on time, but at least I’ll know I’m running late.

I will be the last person to urge any new parent to revisit their fitness goals right out of the gate, but there are definitely real benefits (both mental and physical) to staying active. Even when my regular fitness routine is on pause, the watch’s activity rings give me a little nudge to keep moving, whether it’s a refreshing stroller walk or 47 midnight trips up and down the hallway to rock the baby to sleep.

5. Do Not Disturb & Focus Modes

As much as I appreciate Grandma’s enthusiasm for FaceTime, newborns don’t need distractions from notifications or calls during a nap or feeding. Focus modes let me temporarily shut out the world, when one mistimed ding can cost me an entire hour of my life (and a considerable amount of my sanity). Do Not Disturb is perfect for protecting fragile, hard-won moments of peace.

One of the Apple Watch’s biggest strengths is its unrivaled third-party app support. There’s a wild world of baby-focused apps out there, from baby monitors to feeding logs, and having them synced to my watch means I can input or check data without fumbling for my phone. I’m also an avid user of the Remote app for controlling the TV when the real remote deep dives between the couch cushions.

7. Find My Friends

Not to sound like a stalker, but it’s comforting to know where your partner is, especially when they’re doing a solo run to Target (which is, let’s be honest, a time warp). The Apple Watch makes it easy to see if they’re almost home or still stuck in aisle K12 looking for size 1 diapers.

Likewise, when I’m not looking for my partner, I’m almost certainly looking for my phone. Whether it’s buried under laundry, lost in the glider, or somehow in my own pocket, the ping tool saves me from several daily existential crises.

Hands-free communication is a game-changer when my arms are full of baby (or baby’s gear). Siri sets my timers. I exclusively answer calls from my wrist. I also dismiss the notifications I vowed to disable, and text back the group chat that never ends, all without needing to pull out my phone (because let’s be honest, where is my phone?). Meanwhile, using my watch means less screen time for the little one, who can spot a retina display from 20 feet away.

10. Apple Pay

Whether I’ve accidentally left the house without my wallet, or I just don’t want to dig into the abyss of my diaper bag to find it, contactless payment support makes errands (read: coffee runs) a lot smoother. Outings can already feel like an Olympic sport with a baby in tow, Apple Pay shaves off a few hurdles.

11. Maps

From walking the baby to sleep to breaking up the day with a change of scenery, Maps is my ride or die companion for an endless carousel of stroller treks. I use it to navigate new neighborhoods, find shaded parks, and locate the nearest take-out locations I can hit on my way home.

Because all sarcasm aside, I’m a big fan of my new little roommate. I have roughly 7.4 million photos to utilize, and the photo watch face is the perfect medium. Having their smiling (or scowling) face on my wrist is a small, joyful reminder of why sleep is overrated anyway.