Six months ago, I hit File -> New Project on what has become MomCharts.com. My second daughter was due within weeks and I wanted to build a tool that would scratch an itch.
Baby Data
I'm a data junkie. I love looking at statistics, finding patterns in data, and tracking performance over time. Newborns, cute as ever, are themselves a significant source of data. They eat, sleep, and crap their pants. All day. Every day. These are data points just begging to be charted.
In the hospital, at least the hospital where my children were born, the nursery provides a sheet of paper to fill out that lets them know how much your child is feeding and what their diaper change habits are. This is valuable data and can help both parents and healthcare professionals see how your child is doing. If mom is breast feeding, tracking time on each breast can help determine if they're getting proper feeding. Tracking wet and dirty diapers lets everyone know how baby is "moving" along.
Aren't There Apps For This?
Of course. But biggest problem is that these solutions aren't shared between parents. You enter the data on your phone and then what? MomCharts lives in the cloud and lets parents and caregivers work together on raising a child. Modern parents always have a cell-phone or a computer around, so after dad feeds the baby and logs that data, mom can see what the latest data is. If mom and dad work, the babysitter can use MomCharts to give the parents peace of mind that their kid is doing just fine while they're away. Grandparents can feel like they're involved even if they're not around.
My wife and I, along with our babysitter, have used MomCharts from day one. It has been a valuable tool that answers so many questions. Did she eat? How much? When was the last time her diaper was changed? Is she sleeping at the babysitter's house? Seeing patterns early allowed us to discover that she wasn't eating well the first couple months and that a change in formula improved her eating habits.
MomCharts is excellent for newborns and infants, but that doesn't mean toddlers can't use it too. Track potty training, growth, sleep, and eating for older kids as well.
Invitation
MomCharts is still in private beta. A public beta will start soon, so sign-up to receive an invitation. It's been a passion of mine and I'm glad to share it with the world.
