10 Ways to Use Google Assistant in the Fourth Trimester
Written by Shay Gabriel
Throughout this blog post, I reference Google Assistant specifically because that's what I use personally. Transfer these ideas to your technology of choice as applicable!
There's a lot about parenthood I didn't see coming. You know, like, trying to protect my baby’s health in a global pandemic...or repurposing her unused crib into a play fort (because she slept there zero times)…or how much I would rely on Google to make our lives functional!
Truly, this household’s Google Assistant deserves a regular paycheck.
I might be joking about the paycheck, but the ways that Google Assistant made postpartum life easier is no joke at all, and I'm here to let you in on alllll our tricks so that you, too, can bask in the benefits!
In order to use Google Assistant, you’ll have to equip your home with compatible devices. My husband and I both have Google Pixel phones (any Android will do), and we’ve set up 4 Google Minis throughout the house.
Do you really need compatible devices all throughout the house? Mmm, maybe not...but does it really make life easier? A resounding YASSSS.
To all my internet friends, I give you:
10 ways to use Google Assistant in the Fourth Trimester
1) Watching for Emerging Patterns of Feeding, Sleep, and Elimination
Upon entering the fourth trimester, I was sleep deprived (#normal), and daytime and nighttime morphed into an unfamiliar blur of frequent breastfeeding sessions (#alsonormal). I wanted to gather a sense of my newborn's emerging patterns around feeding, sleeping, and elimination, and because my entire understanding of time was turned upside down, I turned to Google's brain-power instead of relying on my own.
As a baby-led family, our goal wasn’t to establish any rigid schedule; rather, we watched for patterns to naturally emerge with our newborn and let those guide our responsiveness.
So I created a Google Keep list for tracking when my sweet new human latched onto a boob, took a snooze, or had a wee. I called the list "nursing" for simplicity's sake.
For feedings and elimination, I'd ask Google to add to the list for me.
"Hey Google, add 11:30 poo to my list called 'nursing.'"
For naps, I'd just click on the Google Keep shortcut on my phone's home screen and quietly add sleep and wake-up times myself.
Oh, and for all those times I didn't have my phone nearby and had no clue what time it was? First I'd ask, "Hey Google, what time is it?" Easy peasy.
Voila! Handsfree, mindless tracking I could reference later to identify patterns. And yes, patterns emerged! I learned, for example, that my newborn regularly peed 15 minutes after a nursing session. To the potty we'd go!
While I was watching for my baby’s cues regardless of any lists, I found it helpful to establish a sense of routine without ever having to use any limited energy on keeping time myself.
2) Keeping Abreast of Feeding Sides
It's advised to alternate which breast you feed on first from one session to another.
Now, there eventually came a time when it was obvious which side I last fed on, but early on, it wasn't obvious at all because both sides were engorged! I needed to rely on a system to keep track, and the classic hair tie/bracelet/ring thing didn't work for me. Honestly, I would forget what a hair tie on my wrist meant! Was that the last side I fed on? The side I was supposed to feed on next? I found it annoying in my hazy postpartum state.
Behold, again, my breast friend Google! I adjusted my nursing list (see #1 above) to include feeding sides.
“Hey Google, add left 3:15 to my list called ‘nursing.’”
Handsfree. Mindless. When it came time to feed again, I'd just check in with my list to see which side was due.
3) Listening to Music
We learned very quickly that our baby loved music (soon followed by dancing!). We created a Spotify playlist called "Evelyn's lullabies" and another called "Evie's songs", and we'd add our baby's preferred songs to each list accordingly.
Throughout the day, we'd just ask Google to play the playlist of our choice on the speaker (or speakers!) of our choice. (You can tell Google where to play the music throughout the house, or you can control it with the Google Home app.)
I especially loved this feature while soothing my baby to sleep. Whenever it came time to wind down, a simple "Hey Google, shuffle my playlist called 'Evelyn's lullabies'" did the job my occupied arms would rather not.
“Hey Google, play the music on the dining room speaker and nursery speaker.”
“Hey Google, set the volume to 2.”
“Hey Google, turn the music down 10%.”
Hey Google, play this song on repeat for an hour straight because it's the only song Evie wants and my voice is exhausted now k thanks love you byyyye.
4) Controlling the Lights
Adding Google-compatible light bulbs to our home was a breeze, and I couldn’t believe how easy they were to use! The C by GE bulbs give us multiple color settings and we could also set bulb brightness.
We kept a little "night light" in the family bedroom for those first weeks postpartum. It gave me peace of mind to be able to see my baby as I was still getting used to side-lying breastfeeding and safely bedsharing.
“Hey Google, set the bedroom light to 5% candlelight.”
We also set 2 lights in the nursery to automatically dim at a certain time each night and brighten again each morning. That meant if we had to get up in the middle of the night and head to the nursery, we could count on being able to see without discomfort.
5) Setting the Temperature
We already had a Google Nest thermostat installed well before baby's arrival, and wow did that come in handy throughout the fourth trimester!
The Nest thermostat has a setting to learn your family's temperature preferences and set a schedule accordingly, but I put that on pause when day and night became a blur. Instead, we preferred to keep the heat set at a stable temperature all day and night, asking Google to adjust only as needed.
I loved being able to change the temperature in the house as needed from wherever I was, no matter what I was doing.
"Hey Google, set the heat to 68 degrees."
“Hey Google, turn the heat up a notch.”
6) Adding Events to the Calendar
Throughout the fourth trimester, I was relieved that Google picked up on any appointment dates that made their way through my email inbox or text messages. We were scheduling visits with our midwives, doula, OB, and pediatrician, and I counted on Google to add such events to my calendar and remind me when they were coming up.
We also asked Google to add things like anticipated dinner drop-offs to the calendar so we knew what to expect for meals without carrying the mental load. Thanks, Google! Thanks, friends and family!
“Hey Google, add Meal drop-off to the calendar on Thursday at 5.”
7) Managing a Grocery List
As soon as my husband or I noticed something was running low and we needed to restock, we’d say, "Hey Google, add [item] to the grocery list."
And just like that, Google added the item to our shared Google Keep checklist called "groceries."
When it came time to shop, our list of staples was good to go!
8) Setting Reminders
For pretty much any miscellaneous notes and tasks I didn’t want to overlook, I’d ask Google to set a reminder.
For example, "Hey Google, remind me to wash the cloth diapers tonight.”
“Hey Google, remind me to order probiotics.”
Google added the reminder to my calendar and alerted me when it was time to address the task I'd tabled. It's that easy.
PS...you can even set reminders addressed to someone else in the household!
9) Dressing Baby for the Weather
How to dress a baby in the ever-changing, unpredictable Michigan weather? (You know, on those rare breakaways from life as a momma kangaroo in a robe and Depends…)
"Hey Google, what's the weather going to be like this afternoon?" is a good place to start!
(By the way, is this really just a Michigan thing, or does every state claim to have four seasons in a single day?)
10) Asking a Human for Help
And for anything you need actual human help with? Broadcast throughout the rest of the home, or choose a specific speaker to announce your message.
“Hey Google, broadcast…Babe, could you please refill my water bottle and bring me a snack?”
No need to get up and squash a cute little newborn snuggle sesh…
Beyond the Fourth Trimester
Google continues to assist our modern lives well beyond the fourth trimester. And now our vibrant 18-month-old is in on the fun!
"Hey Google, play the Cha Cha Slide!"
For now, I translate for Google. But soon enough, Evie will be able to cue her own dance parties anytime she wants, anywhere in the home.
Have you used Google Assistant/similar throughout the Fourth Trimester? Share your tips and tricks with our community on Instagram or Facebook!
Shay Gabriel is the Content Director at Sprout and Blossom whose love of parenthood and psychology has merged into a super-obsession with all things birthy and baby. She believes an informed experience lends to an empowered experience, no matter where you are along the journey.