Becoming a dad, one practical week at a time.
Free tools and plain-spoken guides, checked against pediatric and obstetric guidance, from the positive test to the first birthday. Start with your due date.
- What’s happening this week, in two lines
- Three to five things to actually do
- Sources for every medical claim
Where are you this week?
Enter a date and we’ll show your week, the baby’s size, and what to do this week.
Where are you on the journey?
Weeks 1 to 40
Expecting
Week-by-week guides, the appointments worth attending, money and leave planning, and getting the house ready.
Birth to 8 weeks
Just born
Labor, the hospital stay, and the hands-on skills: swaddling, bathing, feeding, soothing, and safe sleep.
Months 1 to 12
First year
What is typical each month, sleep and feeding as they change, solids, babyproofing, and going back to work.
Tools that do the math for you
All 12 tools- First-Year Baby Cost CalculatorDiapers, feeding, childcare, gear and insurance, month by month, with your own numbers.Run the numbers
- Paternity Leave PlannerLay out both parents’ leave around the due date and see your state’s paid leave rules.Plan your leave
- Hospital Bag Checklist BuilderSeparate, customizable lists for you, your partner, and the baby. Check off, share, print.Build your bags
- Newborn Sleep & Feeding Schedule MakerA realistic sample day for your baby’s age, built around safe sleep.Make a schedule
Start with these
- Babyproofing Checklist: Room by Room, in the Right OrderA practical babyproofing checklist for dads: furniture anchors, stair gates, water safety, poisons, button batteries and windows, room by room.
- Best Baby Carriers for Dads: Structured, Wraps and Hiking PacksHow dads should choose a baby carrier: fit for bigger bodies, hip-healthy positioning, the TICKS safety checks, and picks for newborns and hiking.
- Best Strollers for Dads: How to Choose, Plus Picks by LifestyleHow to choose a stroller that fits your life: handlebar height, fold, trunk space, terrain and car seat compatibility, plus honest picks by lifestyle.
- Car Seat Installation Basics: Get It Tight, Get It CheckedHow to install a rear-facing car seat: LATCH vs. seat belt, the 1-inch test, recline, harness fit, common mistakes, and where to get a free check.
- First-Time Dad Fears: The 9 Big Ones and What to Do About EachScared about becoming a dad? The nine most common first-time dad fears, why they're normal, and the concrete step that shrinks each one this week.
- How to Soothe a Crying Baby (and Get Them to Sleep): A Dad's ToolkitWhy babies cry, the checklist to run first, the soothing techniques that work, how to get a crying baby to sleep safely, and what to do when you're at your limit.
Want the whole plan in one binder?
The Playbook takes everything on this site and turns it into a printable, check-it-off plan: a pregnancy-to-12-months roadmap, scripts for the hard conversations, a money, insurance and will checklist, a sleep survival plan, a postpartum support guide, and trackers for feeds, diapers and sleep.
See what’s inside$17 once. 30-day money-back guarantee.
The weekly dad briefing, timed to your due date
One short email a week: what is happening this week and three things to do about it. Plus the free printable Hospital Bag Checklist right away. Unsubscribe anytime.