Itzbeen Pocket Nanny—A Sleep-Deprived Parent’s New Brain

When you’re a new parent, sleep feels like a distant memory. It’s easy to forget simple things, like when you last changed a diaper or which side you last nursed on.

In fact, a 2019 study from the University of Warwick found that parents can face up to six years of sleep disruption after a new baby arrives. When you’re that tired, your brain needs a backup. That’s where the Itzbeen Pocket Nanny comes in as a simple, screen-free gadget to help you track essential baby care tasks.

The Itzbeen is also a fantastic tool for keeping everyone on the same page. If you have a partner, grandparent, or babysitter helping out, clear communication is critical.

Instead of constantly asking, “When was the baby’s last nap?” you can just glance at the device. The patented one-touch timers show exactly how long it’s been since the baby ate, slept, or had a diaper change.

It’s a classic tool that has earned its reputation. While it won its iParenting Media Award for Best New Product and the JPMA Innovation Award back in 2007, its simplicity is why many parents still seek it out today.

Itzbeen Pocket Nanny Features

The Itzbeen packs a surprising number of helpful features into a small, easy-to-use device. It’s lightweight, fits in your palm, and comes in a few color options like pink, blue, or green.

Its core design focuses on practical, real-world parenting needs.

• Four Core Timers: You get dedicated buttons for diaper changes, feeding, and sleep. There’s also one customizable timer for anything else, like medication reminders.
• Dual-Function Timers: Each button can count up (showing how long it’s been) or be set as a countdown alarm (alerting you when it’s time for the next dose of medicine, for example).
• Helpful Backlight: A soft blue backlight lets you see the screen for those middle-of-the-night check-ins without waking the baby.
• Nursing Reminder Switch: A simple slider on the bottom helps breastfeeding moms remember which side to start on next. According to hundreds of Amazon reviews, this tiny feature is a genuine lifesaver during groggy nighttime feeds.
• Built-in Clip & Lock: A handy belt clip lets you attach it to a diaper bag or your pants. Plus, an integrated button lock prevents you from accidentally resetting a timer while on the move.

The alarm beep is a medium volume, loud enough to hear from another room but not as jarring as a full alarm clock. You can also completely disable the sound, which is a great option since the buttons beep with each press.

How It Works (and Who It’s For)

Using the Itzbeen is incredibly straightforward. When you finish a task, you press the corresponding button, and the timer starts counting up. That’s it.

To clear a timer, you just press the button again. To set an alarm, you press and hold a button, then press it again to add time in 30-minute increments. The simplicity is its greatest strength, especially compared to smartphone apps.

For nighttime use, the backlight and a surprisingly useful little flashlight at the top make diaper changes and feedings much easier in the dark. The alarm lights also glow red, which is less disruptive to your night vision.

Is the Itzbeen Better Than a Phone App?

The one thing Itzbeen doesn’t do is log data for long-term tracking. If you need detailed charts of your baby’s sleep patterns for a pediatrician, an app like Huckleberry or Baby Tracker is a better choice.

However, the Itzbeen excels at providing quick, at-a-glance answers without pulling you into the digital world. For many parents, this is a huge advantage.

The Itzbeen Pocket Nanny is a must-have for sleep-deprived parents who want a simple, dedicated tool to manage their baby’s schedule. It removes the mental load so you can focus on your little one.

While the official Itzebeen website is no longer active, the device remains widely available. It typically retails for around $24.99 and can be purchased from Amazon and other online retailers.