Notes for the tired and tender.
Honest writing for new parents and the people who show up for them — plus the small stories behind the features we build.
Product··6 min readNever miss a jab: the new Circle baby calendar and the NHS checks worth knowing
Circle now has a shared baby calendar for vaccinations, GP checks, health visitor reviews and scans — with a reminder 30 minutes before. Here is how it works, and the NHS-aligned checks usually due in the first year.
Product··6 min readFree baby tracker apps: what you're actually paying with
Free baby tracker apps aren't free — they're funded by adverts, upsells or data. A clear look at the trade-offs, and when paying a small amount is the better deal.
Partners··6 min readHow to share a baby tracker app with your partner (and why it helps)
A short guide to sharing a baby log with a partner, grandparent or childminder — how syncing works, what to agree on, and how to avoid the mental load falling on one person.
Wellbeing··6 min readTo every mum: does it get easier? Yes — and here is how you cope until it does
A thank you to mothers, and honest reassurance for anyone asking does it get easier and how do I cope. What changes, when, and small things that help today.
Nutrition··6 min readEating well after birth on a standard diet: a no-fuss guide
For parents who eat meat and fish: the NHS-aligned essentials for recovery and breastfeeding, what to limit, and simple meals that work one-handed.
Nutrition··6 min readVegetarian postnatal nutrition: recovery and breastfeeding without meat
A vegetarian diet supports recovery well with a little attention to iron, B12, omega-3 and zinc. Practical NHS-aligned meals for the first months after birth.
Nutrition··7 min readVegan postnatal nutrition: eating well after birth on a plant-based diet
A vegan diet can support recovery and breastfeeding well, with attention to B12, iodine, iron, omega-3, calcium and vitamin D. An NHS-aligned, practical guide.
Feeding··7 min readUsing a breastfeeding tracker app without letting it run your day
How to track breastfeeds usefully in the newborn weeks — what to log, what to ignore, and NHS-aligned signs that feeding is going well.
Nutrition··7 min readMaintaining your health through the first year: food, movement and small habits
Beyond recovery — how parents keep their own energy, bones, mood and iron steady through the first year, using NHS-aligned advice and habits that survive a bad night.
Nutrition··8 min readNutrition after birth: the vitamins and minerals that help early recovery
An NHS-aligned guide to eating for recovery in the first weeks after birth — iron, vitamin D, B12, calcium, iodine, fluids and simple one-handed meals.
Product··6 min readBaby tracker app reviews: what UK parents actually complain about
We read hundreds of baby tracker app reviews from UK parents. The same five complaints come up again and again — here they are, and how to avoid them.
New parents··8 min readAfter a caesarean: recovery, what to expect, and how partners can help
An NHS-aligned guide to recovering from a planned or emergency C-section — the wound, lifting limits, driving, feeding positions — and exactly what partners should take on.
New parents··8 min readAfter a vaginal birth: recovery, what to expect, and how partners can help
An NHS-aligned guide to recovering from a vaginal birth — stitches, bleeding, pelvic floor and the emotional weeks — plus a practical list of what partners should do without being asked.
- Product··7 min read
Choosing a baby tracker app in the UK: what actually matters
A plain-English guide to picking a baby tracker app in the UK — what to look for, what to ignore, and the questions worth asking before you pay for anything.
- Feeding··8 min read
Breastfeeding: the benefits, the hard bits, and respect for every mother
NHS-aligned guidance on the benefits of breastfeeding, what tongue tie can look like, and why mothers who cannot or choose not to breastfeed deserve exactly the same respect.
Feeding··8 min readA weaning schedule that isn't a schedule: starting solids at six months
NHS-aligned guidance on when to start weaning: the three signs of readiness, a stage-by-stage first foods guide, and allergen advice.
- New parents··8 min read
New mother: am I worrying too much?
A gentle, NHS-informed guide for first-time mothers with anxious thoughts — what is normal worry, when to ask for help, and how to enjoy the moment again.
Sleep··6 min readHow much should a newborn sleep? An honest answer
How much newborns really sleep, why the range is so wide, what day-night confusion is, and the signs that mean it's worth calling your health visitor or GP.
Sleep··8 min readBaby sleep schedules by age: a gentle, realistic guide
How much sleep babies need from newborn to two years, what a realistic daily rhythm looks like, and why it beats a rigid schedule.
Sleep··7 min readBaby wake windows by age — and the tired signs that matter more
Baby wake windows from newborn to toddler, why they are a rough guide rather than a rule, and how to read your own baby's tired signs.
Sleep··8 min readThe 4 month sleep regression: why it happens, and why it isn't your fault
An evidence-based guide to the 4 month sleep regression: what changes in your baby's sleep, how long it lasts, and gentle things that help.
- Partners··6 min read
You're a new parent too: a guide for partners in the fourth trimester
For partners of new mothers — dads, non-birthing parents, same-sex partners, adoptive partners — a practical, warm guide to the first twelve weeks.
New parents··7 min readPostpartum recovery is not linear: a gentle guide for the first six weeks
A calm, honest look at what postpartum recovery actually feels like week by week — and permission to rest, ask, and go slowly.
- New parents··7 min read
The first two weeks with a newborn: what nobody warns new mothers about
A gentle guide to the first fourteen days with a newborn: what actually changes, what to ignore, and what to ask the people around you for.
Product··6 min readWhy we built the shared feed log — and how it saves the 3am "did you feed her?" text
The shared feed log is the small feature that changes the most in real life. What it does, why it matters at 3am, and how to set it up.
- Product··6 min read
Circle's SOS button: what to do in the first 30 seconds of the witching hour
How to use Circle's SOS button when the evening meltdown hits, and how one shared alert helps a partner or grandparent step in fast.
Read the whole thing later, when it's quiet
A gentle brochure you can keep on your phone — a letter for the 3am shift, then every feature explained plainly: one-tap logging, sleep, medicine limits, the SOS button, partner suggestions, your circle, the shopping list, 7-day exports and NHS-aligned guidance.