Nobody hands you the manual. Here's the next best thing.
You found out you're going to be a dad and the internet immediately started talking to your partner. Almost everything written about pregnancy and babies is written for her, and the bits aimed at you are usually a joke about nappies.
This site answers the questions dads actually type in at 11pm — what to pack, what your job is in the delivery room, why you don't feel what you expected to feel, and what to do when the baby won't stop crying. Every health claim links to the body that published it. Nothing here is invented.
Where are you right now?
- Positive test → 40 weeksThe nine monthsThe stretch where you have time to prepare and no idea what to prepare for.
- The day itselfLabour and the birthWhat to pack, what your job actually is, and what happens if it goes off-plan.
- 0 – 3 monthsThe first three monthsNo sleep, a lot of crying, and the feelings nobody warned you about.
- 4 – 12 monthsThe rest of year oneThe baby gets easier. Your relationship, your money and your head get louder.
Free tools, no sign-up
- The hospital bag checklist for dadsTick it, it saves. Print it. Includes the stuff for YOU that every list forgets.
- Week by week, but for youPut the due date in. Get your job for this week, not a fruit comparison.
- Feed, sleep and nappy logOne tap per event. Copy 24 hours to send your midwife. No account.
- Baby name shortlist and compareRank yours, send a link, see the overlap. Ends the shortlist argument fast.
Why this site exists
One dad went through the whole thing analysing 1,500 posts from expecting fathers on Reddit and counted what they were actually worried about. Hospital and birth came top by a distance, then sleep, then a quieter cluster — will I bond with this baby, am I going to be any good at this, and how do we afford it.
That list is this site's contents page. We build pages for the questions dads really ask, in the order they ask them, and we say plainly when the honest answer is "nobody knows" or "ask your midwife".
- Sourced, not vibes. Every number links to the NHS, the AAP, Plunket, Mayo Clinic or the paper it came from.
- No invented stories. We don't fake experience to sound relatable. See our editorial policy.
- No sign-up walls. The tools work offline and store nothing on a server.
What we're not
We're not doctors, and this isn't medical advice. Your midwife, GP, obstetrician or Plunket nurse knows your situation and we don't. What we can do is explain the thing well enough that you know which question to ask them — which, most of the time, is the actual problem.
Medical disclaimer. DadPrep is written by dads, not doctors. Nothing here is medical advice. For anything about your baby's health or your partner's health, talk to your midwife, GP, or local health service. In an emergency call 111 (NZ), 911 (US), 999 (UK), or your local emergency number. If you're struggling mentally, free help exists — call or text 1737 in New Zealand, 988 in the US, or your local crisis line.