Looking after a newborn is hard work and new parents need all the help they get – which is why tech companies around the world are clamouring to create the products and gadgets that will make life that little bit easier.
Let’s face it – frazzled mums are dream consumers because when you’re dealing with a screaming baby while functioning on zero sleep, you’ll try anything.
From the thermometer that soothes your poorly baby as it monitors their temperature and the simple solution to warming your bottle while you’re out on the go, to the (stylish) nursery accessory that will help send your little one into the land of nod, there’s s a gadget to help with your every new-parent predicament.
Here are five of our favourites from the current crop…
The five-in-one night light
aden + anais
A stylish five-in-one multi-tasker, Serenity Star boasts a gently glowing night light, a room temperature indicator, which glows red, blue or white if the room is above, below or at the ideal temperature, a soporific sound machine with a choice of two lullabies, a heartbeat or white noise, and a clock. And if that wasn't enough, it even has a feeding diary, which records and displays the last time you started feeding and on which side (if nursing).
Aden & Anais Serenity Star, £64.95, John Lewis
Aden & Anais Serenity Star, £64.95, John Lewis
The thermometer your baby will love
Pacif-i
When your baby is showing signs of distress from a fever, the last thing you want to do is exacerbate their discomfort by probing them with thermometers. Cue the Pacif-i, a child’s dummy (or pacifier as they say in the States, hence the name) with a built-in thermometer that allows you to monitor your baby's temperature with your iOS or Android smartphone, while soothing your baby to boot.
Pacif-i™ Bluetooth Thermometer Pacifier, £39, Blue Maestro
Pacif-i™ Bluetooth Thermometer Pacifier, £39, Blue Maestro
The virtual nanny
Foscam
Constantly popping upstairs to double-check your baby’s still breathing and hasn’t been kidnapped? The latest baby monitors are a dream for anxious parents. The Foscam Fosbaby P1 boasts high-definition images and night-time infrared vision so you can see clear images of your baby regardless of the time of day or night. It also has two-way communication so you can soothe them from downstairs, at the office, or indeed anywhere around the world where you have internet connection. There is also an in-built temperature sensor and pre-installed lullabies, as well as the option to upload your own tunes remotely.
Foscam Fosbaby P1, £84.99, box.co.uk
Foscam Fosbaby P1, £84.99, box.co.uk
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The ultimate rocker
4moms
Unlike the myriad of vibrating and swinging baby seats on the market, the mamaRoo bounces up and down and sways from side to side just like parents do when comforting their babies. Including five different motions, car ride, kangaroo, tree swing, rock-a-bye and wave, it can offer comfort while you’re busy doing laundry or preparing feeds – or drinking a well-earned cup of tea. It includes four built-in soothing sounds and an MP3 plug-in so you can play your favourite songs. And, of course, it’s Bluetooth® enabled so you can control the motion and sound from your smartphone.
4moms mamaRoo, £259, Mamas & Papas
4moms mamaRoo, £259, Mamas & Papas
The self-warming bottle
liamo
Trying to find somewhere to heat your baby’s milk when you’re out and about can be a real pain – particularly when you’ve got a hungry, cranky newborn in tow. With that in mind the designers at iiamo have come up with ‘iiamo go’, a stylish and ergonomic bottle with an extra self-heating function, offering parents the freedom to warm a bottle of milk wherever and whenever. The stylish and colourful design is the handiwork of one of the world’s leading industrial designers, Karim Rashid.
Iiamo Go self-heating baby bottle, from £21.57, Amazon
Iiamo Go self-heating baby bottle, from £21.57, Amazon