Split the newborn nights without losing track
How do two parents split newborn nights?
Most pairs split the night into shifts: one parent is on, with the baby, and the other sleeps. What makes it work is that the one who slept can see everything that happened.
In Our Little Two the parent on shift logs feeds, sleep and diapers by voice. In the morning the other asks "Are we on track?" and hears where things stand.
One sleeps, one logs
The problem
At 3 am nobody is at their best. The parent coming off shift is too tired to brief, the one coming on does not remember asking what time the last feed was, and the notes app has a typo from the dark.
How it works
- The parent on shift logs by voice: "Nursing left", "switch", "done", "She's down". The screen stays dark on iPhone with the Action Button.
- Before the next feed is due, a reminder on iPhone offers Left, Right and Bottle. Both parents' phones can get it.
- For a nursing feed, a next-side line says which side to start on.
- In the morning the parent who slept asks "Are we on track?" and hears one line per Goal, with what is next.
What changes
The sleeping parent really sleeps, and the morning handoff is a question rather than a debrief.
The 3 am pass-off
When shifts change, the parent coming on reads the same list the other has been writing. The last feed, the side and the last diaper are all there, each with a time.
Neither of you has to wake the other to ask.
The morning catch-up
"Are we on track?" answers from the log and from the Goals you and her pediatrician set. It does not guess and it does not grade the night.
- It does not tell you how much she should eat or sleep.
- It does not give medical advice. For worries about her nights, ask your pediatrician.
What carries the night
A timer that does not need you
Start nursing by voice. Every phone on her team shows the same running timer and side.
Which side next
The next-side line is worked out from her last nursing feed, so no one has to remember.
A nudge before the feed
On iPhone, a reminder arrives shortly before the next feed is due, with Left, Right and Bottle on it.
No unlocking in the dark
On iPhone, hold to talk or use the Action Button, so the screen can stay off.
Down and up for her sleep
Two short phrases make one sleep entry, with a start, an end and a length.
Are we on track?
One line per Goal and the next action, for the parent who just woke up.
The same log on both phones
The parent who slept sees every entry the other made, without asking.
Questions parents ask
Do both of us need to log?
No. One parent can log all night. Either can log at any time, and each entry carries a name.
Does the night reminder work without an iPhone?
The reminder is an iPhone feature. Logging, the timer and the questions work on the web too.