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Sonoma Family Life Magazine

Apps for New Papas

May 28, 2019 01:55PM ● By Donna Production
By Tanni Haas

If you want to really be there for your partner—from pregnancy, to delivery, to taking care of your new baby—download these five apps, which give great advice for every step of the way. The best part is that they’re all free.

Daddy Up Available at: Apple App Store; Google Play. As a man, you can be forgiven for not knowing what it’s like to be pregnant. After all, you aren’t the one who’s pregnant. But do yourself a favor and get Daddy Up. This app, written by dads who’ve been there, has all the advice you could possibly want about what it feels like to be pregnant and what you can do to support your partner through the many changes she’s going through.

Contraction Timer Available at: Apple App Store. When the time is up, you want to be ready: ready to get your partner to the hospital or birthing center ASAP, or if you’re having a homebirth, to let the doula begin with her support. Contraction Timer can help you with that. This awesome app lets you time your partner’s contractions and record the length of each one as well as the intervals between them. You can add notes to describe, for instance, the intensity of each contraction—useful information if you need to update an OB/GYN or midwife.

Hatch Baby Available at: Apple App Store; Google Play. Once the baby arrives, your life will change radically and forever. Suddenly, you’ll need to keep track of a whole host of things, including your baby’s feedings, diaper changes, and sleep. You’ll be very tired, but Hatch Baby can help you stay organized and on top of things. This app lets you record and track all your baby-related responsibilities, and also learn about your baby’s patterns.

CDC’s Milestone Tracker Available at: Apple Appstore; Google Play. It’s great to stay organized, but how do you know that your baby is developing as it should? Milestone Tracker is a development-tracking app, created by the highly respected Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The app has a comprehensive checklist that lets you see if your baby is reaching various milestones, advice on what you can do to stimulate your baby’s development, and suggestions about where to go if you’re concerned about how your baby is doing.

Life of Dad Available at: Apple Appstore; Google Play. Sometimes, you prefer not to read about what it’s like to be a dad, but instead to share experiences in real-time with other fathers. When you get that urge, download Life of Dad. Known as the social network for dads, this app lets you speak directly to other dads around the world. 

Tanni Haas, Ph.D., is a college communications professor.