Veilleuse lets you save night feeds and nappies with one hand: Siri with the phone locked, a feed timer on the lock screen, and one sentence in the morning for anything you missed. Here is a routine that works at 3 AM, step by step.
We make Veilleuse, a baby tracker for iPhone, available now on the App Store. Health facts come from the CDC, the NHS and the WHO. Veilleuse does not give medical advice.
The short answer
Veilleuse lets you do it hands-free. Say "Feeding on the left in Veilleuse" to start the breastfeed timer with the phone locked, tap Stop on the lock screen when the baby comes off, then say "Wet nappy in Veilleuse" after the change. Anything you missed, add it the next morning with the + on its card. On the Family plan you can say it all in one sentence, like "bottle at 2, nappy at 3", and check it before saving.
Why night feeds are hard to keep track of
At 3 AM you have a baby in one arm and maybe a bottle in the other. The room is dark. You are tired enough to forget which side you fed on an hour ago. By morning, the night is a blur.
Paper needs a pen and a light. A notes app needs two hands and a bright screen. That is why most parents stop writing night feeds down after a few days.
The fix is to make each step take one phrase or one tap. Here is a routine for the night, using Veilleuse on iPhone.
Get the phone ready for night feeds before bed
A few minutes at bedtime save you fumbling later:
- Turn the screen brightness down. A bright screen at 3 AM wakes you up more than you want.
- Keep the phone within reach of where you feed, on the arm of the chair or the bedside table.
- Check the baby shown in the app. Siri saves for the baby shown in Veilleuse. With twins, pick the one you will feed first.
- Check your iPhone. Siri in Veilleuse needs iOS 17 or later.
That is the whole setup. You do not need to leave the app open.
Start the breastfeed with Siri, phone locked
When the baby wakes and latches, say "Feeding on the left in Veilleuse". Siri works with the phone locked. You do not need to unlock, find the app, or tap a form.
The breastfeed timer starts. It shows on your lock screen and in the Dynamic Island, so a glance tells you how long the feed has gone on. Only one timer shows there at a time.
If you prefer to tap, open Veilleuse and use the + on the feed card. Pick the side and start the timer. Either way, the feed is saved with the time and your name.
Stop the feed from the lock screen
When the baby comes off, tap Stop on the lock screen. The Stop button is there on iOS 17 or later. Or say "Done feeding in Veilleuse".
The feed is saved with its start and end. You did not have to remember the time you started.
Save the night nappy with one phrase
After the change, say "Wet nappy in Veilleuse" or "Poo in Veilleuse". The nappy is saved, with no screen to read.
If Siri saves the wrong one, say "Undo that in Veilleuse", then the right phrase. You can also fix it in the app the next day. Every entry can be edited or deleted.
Start the sleep timer when the baby drifts off
When the baby falls asleep again, say "She's asleep in Veilleuse". The sleep timer starts. When she wakes, say "She woke up in Veilleuse".
Not sure if your partner started the sleep timer? Ask "Is she asleep in Veilleuse?".
Bottle feeds at night with "Tell Veilleuse"
A bottle feed has an amount, and there is no fixed phrase for it. For that, say "Tell Veilleuse", then a sentence such as "90 ml of formula". You can add the nappy in the same sentence: "90 ml of formula and a wet nappy". "Tell Veilleuse" is part of the Family plan. On the free plan, tap the + on the feed card instead.
Bottle amounts are in ml, or oz if you prefer imperial. You can say whether it was formula, expressed breast milk or mixed.
Missed a feed or a nappy? Say the whole night in the morning
Some nights you will forget. That is fine. In the morning, open Veilleuse and say or type one sentence: "Bottle at 2, nappy at 3."
Veilleuse turns it into draft cards, up to 8 from one sentence. You check each card before saving. Fix a time if it is wrong. Then tap Save all, and you see "Saved. 2 entries. Go back to sleep."
The words you say are turned into text on your iPhone or by Apple's speech service, then sent to an AI service to work out the entries. Veilleuse never saves your words. Our guide to tracking your baby by voice explains the full flow. Saying several things at once is part of the Family plan.
See which side is next and how long since the last feed
When the baby stirs, open Veilleuse. Home shows how long since the last feed and which side is next. It also shows the latest nappy and sleep, with a recap for today.
You can also ask Siri "When was the last feed in Veilleuse?" without unlocking. The answer comes from what you and your family saved.
Your partner sees the night feeds too
On the Family plan, if your partner takes the next feed, they see yours on their own phone, on their own account. Changes sync about every 30 seconds while the app is open, when it comes back to the front, and when the phone reconnects. Entries made offline are sent later.
So the 5 AM parent knows when the 2 AM feed was, and on which side, without waking you up to ask.
How many night feeds are normal for a newborn
Night feeds are expected. The CDC says breastfed newborns feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. In the first days, that can be every 1 to 3 hours. Most exclusively breastfed babies feed every 2 to 4 hours over the first weeks. Sleepy newborns may need waking to feed.
The WHO advises feeding on demand, day and night.
Every baby is different. If you are unsure how often your baby should feed, ask your midwife, health visitor or paediatrician. Our guide on how often a newborn should feed has more detail.
How Veilleuse makes night feeds one-handed
Veilleuse cuts each night step down to one phrase or one tap. Here is the night in full.
The baby wakes. With the phone locked, say "Feeding on the left in Veilleuse". The timer shows on the lock screen. Tap Stop when she comes off. Change her and say "Wet nappy in Veilleuse". When she drifts off, say "She's asleep in Veilleuse".
You never unlocked the phone or turned on a light. Next time she stirs, Home shows how long since the last feed and which side is next.
On the Family plan, if you missed something, say it in one sentence in the morning, check the drafts and save. Your partner sees every feed and nappy on their own account, and the week view shows feeds, sleep hours and nappies per day.
Veilleuse is available now on iPhone. Siri, the timers and logging one baby by hand are free. The Family plan adds voice, your partner on their own account and the week charts. It is $11.99 a month, with your first month at half price, or $79.99 a year for the whole family.
A sleep timer runs while she naps.
Say it in one sentence. Check the entries, then save.
Saved. Back to sleep.
Questions parents ask
How do I track night feeds without turning on the light?
Use Siri with the phone locked. In Veilleuse, say "Feeding on the left in Veilleuse" to start the breastfeed timer and tap Stop on the lock screen when the baby is done. Turn the screen brightness down before bed.
Can I start a feed timer without unlocking my iPhone?
Yes. Siri works with the phone locked on iOS 17 or later. The running timer shows on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island, with a Stop button.
I forgot to save a night feed. Can I add it later?
Yes. Tap the + on its card and set the time. On the Family plan, you can also say or type one sentence such as "bottle at 2, nappy at 3". Veilleuse shows draft cards with those times. Check them, then tap Save all.
Does my partner see the feeds I save at night?
Yes, on the Family plan. Each carer has their own account. Feeds sync about every 30 seconds while the app is open, and when it comes back to the front.
How many times a night should a newborn feed?
The CDC says breastfed newborns feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, and the WHO advises feeding on demand, day and night. Veilleuse does not give medical advice. Ask your midwife, health visitor or paediatrician about your baby.
