Newborns might not come with instruction manuals, but these days, there are plenty of apps that work almost as well.

Toronto-based tech expert Avery Swartz has compiled a list of her favourite five smartphone apps that she thinks can help make the early days of parenthood a little smoother.

Baby Connect – An app that acts like a logbook for your baby’s daily routines. Parents and caregivers can use separate devices to track their little one’s sleep, diaper changes, feeding schedules and more

WebMD Baby app Great for checking whether your child’s symptoms or behaviours are worrisome or perfectly normal using information from reputable medical sources

Cloud Baby Monitor – A simple app for turning an old iPad or other Apple device into a safe video baby monitor

Qeepsake Qeepsake helps parents create baby journals by texting questions, once a day, about how their little one is developing. It then collects the info to be assembled into a baby book of memories and milestones.

Chatbooks Syncs to your Instagram feed and then automatically creates photobooks every time you’ve uploaded 60 photos. It then mails the books right to your door.