And I’m not talking about that app that lets your little ones “color” all over your iPhone screen with the touch of their finger. What I am talking about is Baby Brain, a new iPhone app that helps parents of newborns track feedings, diaper changes and even sleep schedules.

You thought light sabers were cool… try having someone - or something - remember the last time you nursed your baby or how long her last stretch of sleep was so you don’t have to. This is a really great option for sleep-deprived parents who have a hard time remembering to shower! Baby Brain, like most iPhone apps, is easy to use; simply tap and track. You can quickly see when your baby’s last bottle was and just how much she ate. Baby Brain keeps logs, which you can easily view even months down the road.

What I love best about this app is it makes those newborn check-ups a lot less stressful for new parents. All the info the doctor needs is literally at your fingertips. You can even email reports to your doctors and caregivers. And get this, it has a breastfeeding timer that runs while you hop online or catch your latest TiVo’d show!

You can purchase the Baby Brain iPhone app for $5 from the iPhone store or directly from iTunes. I’m game for anything that helps keep a new parent sane, and at $5 it’s a sound investment in today’s economy! - Emily H.

When breastfeeding, often one of the biggest worries for mom is milk showing up in places and times it shouldn't. There are a variety of nursing pads to use to help out in these situations, but I have never found any that I really liked. The disposable ones are just that, disposable, and I hate being so wasteful. However, at least those are slim and trim, unseen under my clothes, which is a big problem with all of the cotton pads I have tried. So when I heard about LilyPadz, I was really excited.

LilyPadz are reusable nursing pads made of silicone. Instead of absorbing milk that has leaked, Lily Padz prevent leakage by maintaining pressure on the nipple. A sticky side helps the pads stick to you and stay in place, with or without a bra.

Reading reviews of LilyPadz online, it seemed that people were having varying levels of success with them. When I was given a pair to try out, I passed them on to my friend Colleen, who has a six-week-old baby and was able to give them a much more rigorous review. Here are her thoughts:

"The concept is a wonderful idea - they are definitely less bulky than pads and are unnoticable under clothing. I liked that I did not have to carry a spare set of pads around in case the originals got wet, and during the day they are very effective if they are worn properly. You really have to make sure that there is no air under them at all, or else the air pocket will fill with milk during letdown, etc. It won't leak through to your clothes, but you will have to be able to "catch" the milk that leaked when you take the LilyPadz off.

"I did notice on the packaging that they are only suppose to be good for 2 months due to the tacky substance on the skin side, and I was a little disappointed that for their retail cost, you end up spending $10 a month which is way more than what I would average out if I continued to use the reusable cloth pads. I also am not sure that the sticky surface would last for the entire time if you used them around the clock. They suggest to rub them against each other to renew the "stick" but even after doing that, on my second night I had trouble with leakage that came out of the bottom of the pad."

After talking with Colleen and reading other reviews, it seems to me that LilyPadz are a product that may be best used in special situations, such as when going swimming or wearing a strapless dress. If they sound like something you may want to check out, you can read more reviews and purchase LilyPadz through Amazon for just over $20. - Sara I.

Between the stress of having a new baby, lack of sleep, and the repetition of each day, life with a baby brings out some serious memory issues. Sarah Bowen Shea and Suzanne Schlosberg are helping nursing moms fight the good fight against mommy brain with The Essential Breastfeeding Log: A Feedings Tracker and Baby-Care Organizer for Nursing Moms.

This log was created for mothers who are breastfeeding, pumping, supplementing, or any combination of the three. The book has one page per day for weeks one through twenty-four with a place to log all feeding information, including time of feeding and amount of time spent nursing per side. I really love that they also include room for documenting how much additional milk was supplemented or pumped, too!

Actually, the thing I love the most about The Essential Breastfeeding Log is that it isn’t strictly for breastfeeding. The two authors, who you can tell are moms themselves, have taken the time to figure out the types of information moms want to keep track of each week. For example, during weeks one and two there is an area to tally up wet and dirty diapers each day. In week three, that area changes to a “night notes” section, in which moms can keep track of emerging sleep patterns of their baby and the length of the longest sleep stretch. By week 7, that area has morphed again into “Baby’s Sleep Notes,” with areas to morning wake time, number of naps, and bedtime routine.

Each day throughout the book also includes a “Baby Journal” section where mom can jot down all of the important firsts or even just fun stories from each day. There is even a “Mom Journal” section, in which moms can note how they are taking care of themselves (so important!), with space for everything from nutrition to sleep to exercise.

Overall, I think this book is a great resource for moms with a new baby, whether its their first or subsequent children. Right now, The Essential Breastfeeding Log is on sale at Amazon for $10.20, more than 30% off of the list price. - Sara I.

Yes, I read What to Expect When You’re Expecting while pregnant with all four children. While I think it's a great resource (I loved the other What to Expect books as well), sometimes it’s nice to break from the norm and try something new.

Pea in a Pod: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth & Beyond is a fairly new book on the pregnancy shelf, but it is worthy of note.

Author Linda Goldberg, a childbirth educator and lactation consultant, has packed Pea in a Pod with a wealth of information you find in any pregnancy book - from birth plans and nutrition guides to detailed sections on labor and delivery. But Goldberg also covers alternative techniques like acupressure, visualization, and touch relaxation, and offers fun info such as the Navajo concept of a birth circle. Along with chapters on newborn care and breastfeeding you'll find a balanced discussion of co-sleeping and bed sharing, plus helpful hints for the father-to-be. (Trust me, they need them!) Pea in a Pod also has more than 300 photos, illustrations and graphics, a glossary, trimester checklists and resource guide.

You can purchase Pea in a Pod: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth & Beyond for $12 from Amazon.com. - Emily H.

Registering for the real basics

A friend recently asked me what to register for. Now, my list of recommended items is probably more bare-bones than most, so I am likely to neglect things other people would want. So I thought I’d review some baby registry lists I found online to see what I thought of them. My assessments of six lists from leading parenting websites and retailers are below.

Good lists

Parents.com: I was impressed by this list. Sure, the quantities are off (8 pairs of socks? We had two, and we had a winter baby, and that was enough) and some things are not truly necessary (like a crib bumper, which is not recommended because of small increase in SIDS risk) but really, it is a good list. [Link]

Babyfit.com: A nicely organized, non-overwhelming list. Some things were a little odd (belly casting kit?) but most things were practical and safe. [Link]

Decent lists

Giggle.com: A good list. Again, too many of some things (seriously, how is a stroller blanket different from a crib blanket?) but not overwhelming and not very materialistic. [Link]

Target: Target’s Newborn and 0-3 month lists are comprehensive - overspendy but a good start to whittle down from. For instance, you do not need a diaper stacker, diaper disposal system, or diaper disposal refills, in my opinion. But that is your decision. And according to roughly 95% of the internet community, you can skip the wipes warmer. I know I did. [Link]

Bad lists

Baby/Toys R Us: Totally insane and overwhelming, this page would have made me cry. Unless you love to shop (and thus spend money), avoid. [Link]

Walmart.com: Whoa. Do not follow this list. Far too long, lots of unnecessary things, and at least one thing that is unsafe (sleep positioners). Finally, they completely lost me at “elbow cushion” for the bath list. Are they serious? I did not know such a thing existed. I think the "elbow cushion" of choice for 99.9% of moms is called a "towel." [Link] - Leigh G.