We’re all for cool, innovative uses of technology to help make our lives easier as parents. And then there are the gadgets and inventions that make us go “Really?” which is pretty much the reaction we had when we saw the news about the new Pampers smart diaper system. I’m not going to lie when I checked the date (Nope, not April Fool’s Day) and then url (Surprisingly enough, not the Onion).
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Their new product, officially called Lumi by Pampers includes a video monitor and activity sensors that you attach to special diapers so you can track their pee as well as their sleep patterns (Sorry, you’ll have to find for yourself with the poop) using the Lumi app. You can also track feeding times and other milestones on the app, all of which you’ll need to enter yourself.
Now, I’m all for trying to figure out a good use case here, and while yes, when you’re breastfeeding in those early days and you’re all “ARE THEY GETTING ENOUGH FOOD!?” I could see getting a little peace of mind with this type of thing. And, as someone who cloth diapered for awhile, knowing when my kid was wet would have been pretty helpful since sitting in a cloth diaper full of pee is not so great.
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However, yeah no. Purchasing special diapers and activity sensors and having yet another thing to worry about as a new parent (that is really super low on the “things to worry about as a new parent” list) makes this feel like more of a hassle than an actual help. Better? How about special underwear and an app for us seasoned moms to let us know when we’ve peed ourselves after a little cough, or a laugh, or a burpee at the gym? That’s something I think all postpartum moms can probably get behind.
Thanks for putting a smile on my face with your last question! Maybe this hi-tech products will work for the new parents nowadays, but we coped very well without having those – even without disposable nappies. Those were only used when we went out and on holidays. (I might add my baby is now 32).
Kristen – I’ve got to agree with you about baby pee alerts. Glad you covered it in your piece.
With the intention of sharing technology that can help families and caregivers of olders or infirm individuals, I can state that the tech is invaluable.
So, file it away in the back of our minds as a great tool for certain situations.