New parents are often told to “keep an eye on feeds and nappies”, but that can quickly become a lot.
What counts as useful? Do you need every minute, every ounce, every nap, every cry? What if you miss something?
A good baby log should help you remember the basics and prepare for conversations with a midwife, health visitor, GP, doctor or paediatrician. It should not become a second baby to look after.
The essentials
| What to log | Useful detail | What you can skip |
|---|---|---|
| Feeds | Breast/bottle/expressed milk/formula/solids, rough time, rough amount if known | Perfect timings if they make you anxious |
| Wet nappies/diapers | Wet, dry, lighter than usual, fewer than usual | Weighing nappies unless advised |
| Dirty nappies | Colour, consistency, frequency, discomfort | Long descriptions every time |
| Symptoms | Fever, vomiting, rash, tummy pain, unusual sleepiness, poor feeding | Repeatedly checking for symptoms when baby seems well |
| Medicines | Name, dose, time, reason | Guessing doses from memory later |
| Notes | Illness, travel, vaccines, poor sleep, nursery/daycare updates | Every small mood change |
Feeds
For feeds, record the shape of the moment:
- breastfeed, bottle, expressed milk, formula or solids
- rough time
- rough quantity in ounces or millilitres if known
- whether baby fed normally, less than usual, or seemed unsettled
Examples:
8am breastfeed, usual length, settled after.
2pm bottle, 3 oz / 90 ml, left some.
Nappies and diapers
For nappies, it helps to record:
- wet, dirty, wet and dirty, or dry
- colour if it is notable
- consistency: watery, loose, soft, hard, sticky
- whether there was straining, discomfort, leak or blowout
You do not need to name every shade. “Yellow”, “greenish”, “brown”, “pale-looking” or “red streak” is enough to help you decide whether to ask for advice.
For colour guidance, see the baby poo colour chart.
Symptoms
Log symptoms when they happen, not because you are trying to find something wrong.
Useful symptom notes include:
- what you saw
- when it happened
- how long it lasted
- whether baby was feeding and having wet nappies
- what happened next
If your baby seems very unwell, has breathing difficulty, signs of dehydration, a non-blanching rash, a high fever, blood in stool or vomit, or symptoms that feel sudden or serious, seek urgent medical help.
Medicines
Record medicine doses clearly:
- medicine name
- dose
- time
- reason
- whether it was prescribed or advised
Use regional names carefully. In the UK, parents may say Calpol. In the US, parents may say acetaminophen or Tylenol. The active ingredient and dose matter more than the nickname.
What not to record
You probably do not need:
- every tiny fuss
- exact timings when a rough note is enough
- full nutrition analysis
- repeated reassurance checks
- charts you never use
- notes that make you feel worse rather than clearer
The question is: would this help if you had to explain the last few days to someone?
If not, skip it.
How Acornio helps
Acornio is designed to keep baby logs practical by bringing food or feed notes, stool or nappy observations, symptoms, medicines and notes into one calm timeline.
It does not diagnose or tell you what a nappy means. It helps you record enough useful detail so you are not trying to reconstruct everything later.