Tracking your baby's age in days, weeks, and months
How to track your baby's first year in days, weeks, and months with a simple counter app, from newborn days to the first birthday.
Babies grow on three time scales at once. Pediatricians count weeks for the first few months, parents start saying months once weeks get awkward, and grandparents always want to know “how old now?” in whatever unit. A counter app makes all three visible without doing math at 6 a.m.
TL;DR
Set up a count-up event from your baby’s birth date in Day Counter. The number you see is days old. Divide by 7 for weeks, by 30 for a rough month count. Add a widget so the number lives on your home screen, then layer in countdowns for milestones like the six-month check-up and the first birthday.
Why a baby deserves their own counter
The first year is the most measured year of anyone’s life. Vaccines at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months. Sleep regressions around 4 and 8 months. Solids near 6 months. The first dental visit by the first birthday. Every milestone is anchored to a different unit, and the math gets old fast.
A counter does three things a calendar app does not:
- Shows the number at a glance. No tap, no scroll, no calculation. You see “127” and you know exactly where you are.
- Works for anyone you share it with. Screenshot the widget for a grandparent and they get an instant answer.
- Becomes a memory. Long after the newborn weeks blur together, you will remember the number you stared at the most.
Setting it up: one event, multiple views
1. Create the count-up event
Open Day Counter, tap +, and choose Count up from a date. Set the date to your baby’s birth day. Title it with their name or a nickname. Add an emoji if you like.
The number you see is days old.
2. Add a widget
Put the Day Counter widget on your home screen, showing the new count-up event. On iOS: long-press the home screen, tap +, search Day Counter, and pick a widget size. On Android: long-press the home screen, tap Widgets, and drag Day Counter into place.
The widget is the real win. You will look at it more than you expect, and the number does the rest.
3. Translate days into weeks and months
A quick reference card:
| Days | Weeks | Months (approx) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | first week |
| 30 | about 4 | 1 |
| 90 | about 13 | 3 |
| 180 | about 26 | 6 |
| 270 | about 39 | 9 |
| 365 | 52 | 12 |
Pediatricians tend to use “exact age in weeks” until around 3 or 4 months, then switch to months. The count-up event gives you the source number for both, so you never have to convert in your head when the doctor asks.
Optional: milestone countdowns
Once the main counter is in place, add countdowns for the moments you want to anticipate:
- First doctor visit (usually a few days after discharge)
- 6-week check-up
- 2-month vaccines
- First solids (around 6 months)
- 9-month appointment
- First birthday
Each becomes a small “we’re getting close” marker. When a milestone passes, delete the event or replace it with the next one. Day Counter supports unlimited events, so you can keep as many running as you want without clutter.
Photos: the unexpected feature
Day Counter lets you attach a photo to each event. Take a picture of your baby on day 1, day 30, day 100, and day 365, ideally with the same blanket or chair if you can manage it. The progression you see when scrolling through your counter will surprise you, and the file is right there in the app instead of buried in your camera roll.
You can edit an event’s image any time without disturbing the date count.
What about twins or siblings?
Set up a separate counter for each child. Twins share a birthday, so one event is enough since they will always be the same age. Some parents also keep a “Family” event counting up from the first child’s birth as a running “days as parents” anchor. With unlimited events, none of this costs anything extra.
Related
- Tracking pregnancy with a counter app for the lead-up to day 1.
- How to track your sobriety with a counter app for the same daily-glance principle on a very different topic.
FAQ
When should I switch from counting weeks to months? There is no firm rule. Pediatricians often stick with weeks until 12 to 16 weeks, then switch to months. Many parents keep glancing at days for the full first year and only round up when someone outside the household asks.
Can my partner see the same counter? Day Counter offers optional iCloud or Drive sync, so the event follows you across your own devices. For separate accounts, both partners can set up the same birth date independently and the number will always match.
What do I do after the first birthday? Keep the event running. Many parents leave the counter going and enjoy the “years and days” view once a year. Others reset on each birthday to count up from a fresh milestone year, which makes the new year feel like its own chapter.