Phone at 3am, or a pen by the bed?
What baby tracking apps do well, where a paper feeding log is easier, and how to choose the one you will actually keep using.
Quick answer
A baby tracking app is the better choice if two or more people share night feeds and want the same record on every phone, or if you like automatic timers, reminders and charts. A printable feeding log suits mums who want to keep screens away during night feeds, prefer a one-time cost with no subscription, or want a simple sheet to show the midwife or health visitor. Both do the same core job: noting feeds, sides, wet and dirty nappies so you can spot patterns. The best tracker is the one you will still be filling in at week three.
In the early weeks, feeds blur together. The NHS advises that most breastfed babies feed at least 8 times in 24 hours in the first few weeks, and many feed more often than that. Keeping a short record helps you answer the questions your midwife or health visitor will ask: how often is your baby feeding, how many wet and dirty nappies are there, and is anything changing? Whether you keep that record on a phone or on paper is a question of habit and household, not right or wrong.
feeds in 24 hours is typical for breastfed newborns in the first weeks (American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org)
heavy wet nappies a day is expected from the end of the first week (NHS and UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative)
is roughly when most babies are back to their birth weight, according to the NHS
Why track feeds at all?
You do not have to log every feed forever. Tracking is most useful in the first two to six weeks, while feeding is still settling, or at times when someone has asked you to keep an eye on things, such as after a slow start with weight gain. A simple record helps you:
- Remember which breast you finished on, or how much formula or expressed milk was taken
- Count wet and dirty nappies, which the NHS uses as one sign that a baby is getting enough milk
- See cluster feeding and growth spurts as patterns rather than panic
- Hand over clearly to a partner or relative during a night shift
- Bring real numbers to appointments instead of guessing
If you want to know what a normal week-by-week pattern looks like, our newborn feeding schedule by week walks through it.
What baby tracking apps do well
Apps such as Huckleberry and Baby Daybook are popular for good reasons, and it is worth being fair about their strengths:
- Shared logging. Two parents, or a grandparent helping out, can log on separate phones and see one timeline. This is the biggest advantage paper cannot match.
- Built-in timers. Tap start and stop instead of watching the clock, which is handy when you are half asleep.
- Charts and summaries. Many apps turn your entries into daily totals and trends automatically.
- Extra features. Some add sleep predictions, growth charts or reminders, often in a paid tier.
The trade-offs are real too. Many apps offer a free version with optional paid subscriptions for the extra features. A bright screen at 3am can make it harder to drift back to sleep, and it is very easy to open the app to log a feed and end up scrolling. Some mums also find that a stream of charts adds pressure rather than reassurance.
What a printable feeding log does well
- No screen at night. A pen and a sheet by the bed keeps the room dark and your phone out of reach.
- One-time cost. Print as many copies as you need, with no subscription renewing in the background.
- Easy to share at appointments. Hand the page to your midwife or health visitor, or snap a photo of it.
- Calmer to read. A day on one page shows the rhythm at a glance, without notifications.
The downsides: only one person can write on it at a time, you add up the totals yourself, and a sheet left in the nursery is no help to a partner doing a feed downstairs. A clipboard in a fixed spot solves most of that.
App vs printable log: side by side
| Feature | Baby tracking app | Printable feeding log |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Often free, with optional paid tiers | One-time purchase, unlimited prints |
| Sharing between carers | Excellent, syncs across phones | One sheet in one place |
| Night-time use | Bright screen, easy to get distracted | Pen and paper, no screen |
| Timers and totals | Automatic | Manual, a minute of adding up |
| Showing a midwife or health visitor | Scroll through on your phone | Hand over the page |
| Best for | Shared night feeds, data-lovers | Screen-free nights, budget, simplicity |
Our honest verdict
If your partner does half the night feeds and you both like data, an app is hard to beat. If you mostly feed alone at night, want to keep your phone away, or simply prefer paper, a printable log does the job with less noise. Plenty of families use both: paper by the bed overnight, an app in the day. Choose what fits your home, not what looks most impressive.
What to record, whichever you choose
Keep it short. For each feed, note the start time, which side or how much milk, and anything unusual. Once a day, check the nappy count against what is expected for your baby's age. Our guide to how many wet and dirty nappies a newborn should have has a day-by-day chart. If the numbers drop, your baby seems unusually sleepy and hard to wake for feeds, or you are worried for any reason, contact your midwife, health visitor or GP rather than waiting for the next appointment.
Look after the person doing the feeding, too. Our tips on what to eat for energy while breastfeeding and the newborn sleep schedule for the first 12 weeks pair well with any tracker.
Prefer a pen by the bed?
The Mumma Glow Feeding Log is a printable breastfeeding and pumping tracker with space for feeds, sides, amounts and nappies, for a one-time $8 with no subscription. Print as many pages as you need and take them to your appointments. Use code GLOW20 for 20% off. See the Feeding Log.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to track my newborn's feeds?
It is not compulsory, but many mums find a short record helpful in the first few weeks, when feeding is still settling and midwives and health visitors ask about feeds and nappies. You can stop once feeding is established and your baby is gaining weight well.
Is a baby tracking app better than paper?
Neither is better for everyone. Apps are best for sharing between carers and for automatic timers and charts. Paper is better for screen-free nights and a one-time cost. The right one is the one you keep using.
How many times a day should a newborn feed?
The NHS says most breastfed babies feed at least 8 times in 24 hours in the first few weeks, and the American Academy of Pediatrics describes 8 to 12 feeds a day as typical. Feeding is baby-led, so patterns vary from day to day.
What should a feeding log include?
Time of each feed, which breast or how much milk, wet and dirty nappies, and short notes on anything unusual. Space for daily totals makes it easier to share with your midwife or health visitor.
When should I worry about my baby's feeding?
Contact your midwife, health visitor, GP or NHS 111 if your baby has fewer wet nappies than expected, is very sleepy and hard to wake for feeds, seems unwell, or if you are worried for any reason. Trust your instincts.
Sources: NHS, Breastfeeding: the first few days and Is my baby getting enough milk?; UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, breastfeeding assessment guidance; American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, How often and how much should your baby eat?; NHS, Your baby's weight and height.
This article is general education, not medical advice. Mumma Glow is not affiliated with Huckleberry, Baby Daybook or any organisation named here, and app features and pricing change, so check the current details yourself. Every baby is different and results vary from mum to mum. If you have any concerns about feeding or your baby's health, speak to your midwife, health visitor, GP or a women's health physiotherapist for your own recovery.