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Are wifi baby monitors safe?

Mark Zalewski — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 03:03:14 +0000

When parents ask the question, “are wifi baby monitors safe?” They’re really asking 4 questions:

Can wifi baby monitors be hacked?
What happens when when my wifi goes out?
What about EMF radiation?
Ok, given all this, what monitors should I actually consider buying?

We’re going to dive into all 4 of these topics. But, spoiler alert, we think questions 2, 3, and 4 deserve most of your attention. So, feel free to skip ahead by clicking, or tapping:

Wifi baby monitor hacking & security
What happens when your wifi goes out?
Wifi baby monitors and EMF radiation
The only monitors you should consider buying

Question 1: Are wifi baby monitors secure? What about hacking?

Consider the following:

Just about any device connected to the internet is hackable
This includes wifi baby monitors
Non-wifi monitors can also be hacked, but this requires physical proximity and higher skill
A wifi monitor’s security also depends on your wifi network security
There’s no financial incentive for hacking a baby monitor. You can’t extract money from the monitor, or from a baby
Wifi baby monitor companies know that parents are very worried about hacking. So, the big brands (see below) have put tons of money and research into security. All things considered, they’re probably over-engineered from a security perspective.

You are welcome to draw your own conclusion from these statements. Here’s our take: wifi baby monitor hacking is kind of like shark attacks… if the shark had no teeth and the tensile jaw strength of your neighbor’s Chihuahua. That is to say:

Extremely rare
Still scary
Even if it happens, you’re all gonna be fine

Action plan: buy from a reputable company, whether you choose wifi or non-wifi. Buying the cheapest monitor on Amazon ain’t gonna cut it. Our picks below.

Question 2: what happens if my wifi goes out?

Wifi baby monitor companies LOVE to brag about signal quality and 4k resolution. But here’s the thing: a wifi monitor is only as strong as its weakest link. And for most monitors, that’s your wifi network. So, if your wifi sucks or has dead spots or outages—your monitor’s going to as well.

There’s one more potential weak link you also need to worry about with most wifi monitors: your phone, and the monitor’s app. If you’ve got notifications silenced or if the monitor’s app is buggy, you’ve got problems.

Knowing this, here’s what your plan needs to be:

Test the location(s) you plan to have your baby sleep before buying a wifi monitor. Pro tip here: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies sleep in their parents room (though NOT their parents bed) for the first 6 months. So, if you have trouble watching Netflix in bed, chances are your monitor’s gonna have problems. Go ahead and test the nursery for months 7 onward, too.
Choose a reputable brand that’s thought through notification strategy and invested in a high quality app for your phone or iPad.
Consider a monitor with a dedicated “parent unit” (screen). All non-wifi monitors have these, but there are now a few wifi monitor companies that offer dedicated screens, too—more on that below.

Question 3: what about wifi baby monitors and EMF radiation?

If you’ve ever Googled “WiFi baby monitor radiation,” you know it’s a minefield of fear-mongering, marketing spin, and confusing science. Instead of trying to sort internet fact from fiction, I tested some of the most popular monitors myself, using a professional EMF meter and a repeatable setup. My goal? A definitive answer to a question parents have been asking for years—are wifi baby monitors safe, or do they emit harmful EMF radiation?

This is the companion blog post to our video — breaking down how we tested, what we measured, what the science says about those numbers, and how our results compare with published research.

Wi Fi baby monitors emit the same type of radiation as your microwave. Except instead of heating up leftover pizza, they’re pointed directly at your infant’s skull sixteen hours a day. So I bought nine of the most popular monitors, Wi Fi and non Wi Fi alike, and tested them with a two hundred dollar professional grade EMF meter. What I found completely flipped everything I thought I knew about monitor safety. I’m Mark with Fathercraft, and today I’m going to show you exactly what the data says, what it means for your baby, and which monitors you should actually be worried about. When parents ask, are Wi Fi baby monitors safe? What they really mean is three things. One, can they be hacked? Two, what happens when your Wi Fi goes out? And three, what about this thing called EMF radiation? In this video, we’re focusing on question number three. Do Wi Fi baby monitors emit radiation? But you should hit the subscribe button because questions one and two are legitimate concerns we’ll cover in a future video. Now before I show you the data, we need to talk about why this question is so confusing in the first place. Because if you go looking for clear answers on whether Wi Fi baby monitors are safe, you won’t find them. So let’s start with what the industry wants you to believe. Now you might be thinking, but baby monitors are FCC approved. They have safety certifications. There are standards. Yes. There are standards. But here’s where it gets weird. Phones are tested against something called the SAM Phantom. That’s specific anthropomorphic mannequin. Basically, a fake head modeled after a six two, two hundred and twenty pound military recruit. That test gives us a number called SAAR, specific absorption rate. Translation, how much radiation gets soaked up by a hunk of fake human meat. The FCC caps phones at one point six watts per kilogram. So, yes, your iPhone was literally tested by blasting a plastic soldier head until it glowed like a Hot Pocket. Now for reference, I’m six three, two thirty, probably. My scale is hiding from me. And here’s me holding my two year old son, Hank. So these standards were designed for the guy on the right, but are being applied to the baby on the left. Now baby monitors are tested a little differently than phones. They’re classified as mobile devices that must be kept eight inches or twenty centimeters away from people. So instead of measuring how much energy goes into your head, the test is how loud is the signal in the air eight inches away, which sounds fine until you realize those limits were still built to prevent adult tissue heating. Then we sit these devices next to infants whose skulls are about as thick as a graham cracker. So when companies brag about meeting FCC standards, what they’re really saying is, we’ve proven this won’t cook an adult brain at eight inches distance, which feels like a pretty low bar for infant safety. But here’s where this story goes from mildly concerning to genuinely what the actual A brand new peer reviewed study from SETIA published in twenty twenty five in the medical journal Curious followed a hundred and five babies for an entire year, measured the EMF radiation in their homes using medical grade equipment, and then tracked their development. And what they found should make every parent want to throw their baby monitor directly to the sun. In homes with the highest EMF exposure, infants were two point seven four times more likely to show fine motor delays and three point six seven times more likely to struggle with problem solving skills. That’s not a little concerning. That’s triple the odds in two core areas of early development. Oh, and living near a cell tower? No correlation at all. Which means the radiation messing with these babies wasn’t coming from outside. It was coming from inside the home from devices like this. Now, and this part is important, this is one study. It’s a data point, not an ironclad verdict. It doesn’t prove that every Wi Fi baby monitor is frying neurons like bacon in a pan. It does, however, raise a very loud, very uncomfortable question. Why on earth aren’t we using infant specific safety standards for this? Now you might think, well, okay, but if it’s safe for adults, it’s probably safe for babies. Right? Wrong. Catastrophically wrong. A baby’s skull is two millimeters thick. For comparison, an adult skull is six to seven millimeters thick. That means a baby’s skull provides about as much protection from radiation as a piece of cardboard from a cereal box. But it gets worse. Research shows that infants can absorb up to ten times more radiation than adults from the same source in certain tissues like bone marrow. That’s the difference between getting misted with a spray bottle and being hit with a fire hose. So when safety standards say, this is fine for humans, again, they’re basing that on preventing tissue heating in adults, not protecting developing infant brains that are still figuring out how to make their hands work. Now here’s what’s fascinating. Baby monitor companies clearly know that parents are worried about EMF, and they’re not saying relax, it’s harmless. They’re saying, don’t worry, we engineered around it, which is kind of an admission that there’s something worth engineering around. Nanit designed a directional antenna. Miku claims a thousand times less radiation than a phone. An outlet actually publishes their SAR numbers. So no matter what the marketing spin is, the fact they’re even talking about this tells you everything. This is a real concern and they know it. At this point in our story, it’s safe to say that I have become mildly obsessed. Everyone online says WiFi baby monitors are dangerous. Buy non WiFi monitors instead. So I thought, fine. Let’s actually test that claim. So I bought nine of the most popular baby monitors on the market, six WiFi monitors and three safe non Wi Fi alternatives, and then got one of these to test them. This is a Trifield TF two, a two hundred dollar professional grade EMF meter that measures radio frequency power density in milliwatts per square meter. This is what building biologists and EMF consultants use. Yes. Building biologist is a real career. Apparently, I chose poorly. Anyways, the point is it’s not a thirty dollar Amazon toy. And because I know you’re wondering how I set up this test, first, I measured the background radiation in my house to create a baseline and then tested my WiFi router and I iPhone to ensure the device was calibrated. Then I set up cameras in realistic crib scenarios, wall mounted positions both two feet and five feet above the device, and collected a series of data over the course of a few weeks. Finally, I averaged everything. In fact, I feel so strongly about getting this right that I published my testing methodology and raw data. Check it out at father craft dot com slash e m f. And what I found should make every non Wi Fi baby monitor company deeply uncomfortable. Let’s walk through it. In most homes, background emf is basically nothing. It’s around point zero two milliwatts per square meter. That’s the quiet of modern life. Now let’s talk about the usual suspects. Your phone, while on a call and making contact with the meter, averages around one point zero milliwatts per square meter with spikes up to fourteen. Back it up to two feet, averages drop down to point two, and at five feet, down to point zero five. Your Wi Fi router at contact averages two point o with peaks off the scale at twenty plus. Back it up two feet down to point four. At five feet, point zero eight. Why? Physics. Radio waves follow the inverse square law. Double the distance, intensity drops by roughly seventy five percent. So distance from the source matters. Great. Hold that thought. More on that in a minute. For context, the FCC public exposure limit is ten thousand milliwatts per square meter averaged over time. But remember, that’s designed to prevent adult tissue heating, not protect infants lying next to a device running sixteen hours a day. Alright. So I tested nine monitors. Let me show you what I found. Now before we dig into this, I want you to notice something. See these three monitors? The VTech, Hello Baby, and BabySense. These are the Wi Fi free monitors. The ones commonly thought of as the safer alternative to the big, bad, scary WiFi baby monitors. No WiFi needed, hack proof, radiation free. Except they’re not radiation free, not even close. Let’s start with the WiFi monitors that everyone is supposedly scared of. Peaks at two feet, Nanit Pro, zero point three five milliwatts per square meter, Miku Pro, point three five, Harbor, point six one, Owlette, point six two. Hubo, point nine four. And Cradlewise, two point six five. Pretty low numbers. All orders of magnitude under the FCC limit. Most are barely above background noise. Now let’s look at the safe non WiFi alternatives. Peaks at two feet. VTech, four point five two milliwatts per square meter. Hello, baby, five point one two. BabySense, twelve point six four. BabySense, the monitor that literally has sense in the name and markets itself as a non WiFi alternative, emits thirty six times more radiation than nanic. Thirty six times. Hello Baby and VTech aren’t much better. And here’s the kicker, every single one of these monitors, WiFi or not, operates at two point four gigahertz. That’s the exact same radio band. So what’s going on here? How can the Wi Fi monitors be so much cleaner than the non Wi Fi monitors when they’re using the same frequency? The answer is painfully simple, engineering quality. The WiFi monitors, Nanit, Miku, Harbor, Cubo, Cradlewise, and Owlette are made by companies with actual r and d budgets. They use directional antennas, which beam the signal where it needs to go, not everywhere. Power optimization, which means the signal is only as strong as it needs to be, and quality components, which means efficient transmission and less power is needed overall. The budget non Wi Fi monitors, they use omnidirectional broadcasting, which means they spray the signal in every direction like some possessed garden sprinkler. High power transmission, which means they crank the volume to boost the range and compensate for cheap components. And finally, no EMF optimization whatsoever because they’re marketed as Wi Fi free and safe, so why bother? It’s the electromagnetic equivalent of the difference between a laser pointer and a floodlight. Same light, completely different delivery. And this matters because these budget monitors are being bought by the most concerned parents. The ones who did the research saw WiFi equals radiation and specifically chose the non WiFi option to protect their baby. They paid eighty to a hundred and sixty dollars to expose their infant to up to thirty six times more radiation than the three hundred dollar WiFi monitor they were trying to avoid. And here’s the thing, these budget baby monitor companies know this. They’re not stupid. They just know that no WiFi needed sells better than we cheaped out on the antenna design. Now there is some good news here. Distance still matters. Look at the five foot measurement peaks. BabySense drops from twelve point six four to four point two five. Hello, baby drops from five point one two to one point three two, and VTech drops from four point five two to one point five four. Still way higher than the WiFi monitors at five feet, which dropped to basically nothing, but it does show that distance is your best friend no matter what monitor you own. Even the dirtiest monitor gets dramatically cleaner when you just back it up a few feet. Alright. Now that I’ve scared the out of you, here’s what you can actually do without moving to a cabin in the middle of the woods and putting grounding mats everywhere. If you’re buying a new monitor, the data is clear. If you want a monitor with lower EMF radiation exposure, buy a premium WiFi monitor. Nanit, Miku, Harbor, they’re engineered to be clean. Yes. They cost more, but you’re not just paying for the extra features. You’re paying for the engineering that makes them emit ten to thirty times less radiation. If budget is an issue, buy one of the cheaper monitors, but mount it six plus feet away. Our testing shows that by doubling the distance, you cut exposure by seventy five percent. If you already own a baby monitor, first, check your distance. Most people, myself included prior to this research, mount these two to three feet away from the crib. I’ve also seen a bunch of those cute little articulating arms that mount the monitor on the crib. Do not do that. Back everything up. Six feet minimum. You can do this before your baby’s next nap. It’s free and it’s effective. Second, smart usage patterns. Turn it off when no one’s sleeping. Use audio only during naps if your monitor has that option. You don’t need twenty four seven live streaming like it’s Twitch for grandparents. Look. I get it. This is terrifying information. Maybe you bought a WiFi free monitor specifically to protect your child, and now I’m telling you that it might be doing the exact opposite. It’s a bit like finding out that car seats are made out of dynamite. But here’s the thing. You now have information that most parents don’t have. You can make choices that dramatically reduce any potential risk while still monitoring your baby effectively. This also isn’t about becoming a paranoid parent who wraps their house in aluminum foil. This is about applying the same precautionary thinking that we use everywhere else in parenting. We don’t let babies play with small objects because they might choke. We don’t give them honey because of botulism risk, and we baby proof electrical outlets even though the odds of electrocution are tiny. So why wouldn’t we take these simple steps to minimize radiation exposure when they’re this easy and the potential consequences based on that twenty twenty five study could affect your child’s development. Your baby’s brain is developing at an incredible rate right now. Every connection forming, every neural pathway being built, the premium Wi Fi companies clearly think EMF reduction matters. They’re engineering solutions and marketing their safety features. Maybe we should listen to what their actions are telling us. So here’s what I’m doing. First, I’ve personally moved the monitor I use for my son, Hank, back a couple of feet. It’s free. It’s not really sacrificing image quality, and it feels like a no brainer. Second, I’m publishing all of our testing data and our full methodology to father craft dot com slash e m f. You’ll find the chart we referenced in this video so you can compare your monitor against the others. Don’t see your monitor? Drop it in the comments below. I’ll see if I can keep updating this data over time. And please share this with other parents because right now, most people are choosing baby monitors based on Wi Fi free marketing with zero idea that their eighty dollars safe monitor might be pumping out thirty times more radiation than necessary. Your baby’s developing brain deserves the same informed decision making that you’d apply to car seats, cribs, and baby food. So go check out where that baby monitor is mounted and maybe skip the BabySense. Alright. That’s all for today. Thanks for watching. We’ll see you next time. Adios.

How I tested

Meter used: TriField TF2 (RF mode, measuring in mW/m²).
Devices tested: Nanit Pro, Miku Pro, Harbor, Cradlewise, Owlet, Cubo, vtech, Babysense, HelloBaby. As benchmarks: a cell phone and a WiFi router.
Setup:
- Monitors mounted as they would be in real life.
- Distances tested: 2′ (approximate Cradlewise crib placement) and 5′ (Nanit wall-mount placement).
- Benchmarks (phone and router) also tested at contact (0″), 2′, and 5′.
- Meter placed at pillow height (baby’s head position), pointed up at the monitor.
- Monitors set to video streaming ON.
Recording: For each run, we logged:
- Average (big bottom number): a rolling time average, sampled at 1s, 10s, 20s, and 30s, then reported as the median.
- Peak (tiny top-left number): the largest burst captured in that window.

Device	Distance	Reported Avg (mW/m²)	Reported Peak (mW/m²)	Peak ÷ Avg
Nanit Pro	2′	0.051	0.434	8.6
Nanit Pro	5′	0.032	0.170	5.3
Miku Pro	2′	0.151	0.570	3.8
Miku Pro	5′	0.049	0.410	8.5
Harbor	2′	0.066	0.680	10.3
Harbor	5′	0.066	0.280	4.3
Cradlewise	2′	0.300	2.600	8.7
Cell Phone	Contact	1.000	14.0	14.0
	2′	0.200	1.800	9.0
	5′	0.050	0.600	12.0
WiFi Router	Contact	2.000	20.0	10.0
	2′	0.400	3.000	7.5
	5′	0.080	0.800	10.0
Background	–	0.020	0.055	–

For those of us who prefer data in graph form, here’s the 2′ and 5′ monitor numbers visualized:

What the science tells us

How to read the numbers:

Inverse square law: RF power falls quickly with distance. Move from 0″ to 2′ to 5′ and the readings collapse, even when the device is powerful.
Bursty transmissions: WiFi and phones don’t transmit smoothly. They fire short bursts of high power, which show up in the Peak number. That’s why the Peak ÷ Avg ratio is often 5–10×.
Relative scale: Phones and routers are much noisier than baby monitors.
- Phones at contact: peaks ~14 mW/m².
- Routers at contact: peaks ~20 mW/m².
- Baby monitors at 2′–5′: peaks <3 mW/m², averages <0.3.

The obvious takeaway from these relative scale numbers: 1) don’t put your phone up to your baby’s ear so she can hear grandma talk to her. And, don’t put a wifi router near where your baby is sleeping.

Context: The FCC/ICNIRP public exposure limit is 10,000 mW/m² averaged over time. None of these devices come close. The concern for baby monitors is not raw intensity but chronic proximity — a monitor inches from a baby’s head vs mounted across the room.

Our results vs published research

Published benchmarks line up with what we measured:

Smart Cam (20 cm, McKenzie 2024): 0.32–0.85 mW/m² averages.
Baby Monitor (1 m, EMF-Portal): ~0.42 mW/m² average.
High Exposure Homes (Setia 2025): median ~8.66 mW/m², high tertile ~32 mW/m².
ICNIRP Public Limit: 10,000 mW/m².

The bottom line

Your choice of monitor matters, but placement matters more.

At 2′ (Cradlewise distance): hotter than Nanit/Miku/Harbor, but still far below phones or routers.
At 5′ (Nanit wall-mount distance): monitors blend into background.
Phones and routers are the bigger offenders in most homes.

Rule of thumb: keep WiFi baby monitors at least 6 feet from your child’s head. That step does more than comparing brand marketing claims.

Methodology and full data

Trial-Level Numbers

Type	Device	Distance	A Peak	A1	A2	A3	A4	B Peak	B1	B2	B3	B4
	Background		0.055	0.016	0.019	0.02	0.015	0.059	0.016	0.017	0.018	0.021
Control	Cell Phone	0″ contact	15.19	0.50	0.61	0.46	0.53	—
		2′	0.898	0.056	0.066	0.063	0.073	—
		5′	—	—	—	—	—	—
Control	Wifi Router	0″ contact	too hot	8.98	11.73	7.23	9.4	—
		2′	18.3	1.16	2.01	2.6	3.4	—
		5′	7.7	0.5	1.04	0.92	0.71	—
Wifi	Cradlewise	2′	2.65	0.22	0.33	0.27	0.18	2.52	0.217	0.174	0.198	0.228
Wifi	Cubo AI	2′	0.941	0.10	0.092	0.15	0.107	0.837	0.095	0.084	0.093	0.091
Wifi	Owlet	2′	0.618	0.07	0.06	0.12	0.08	0.736	0.07	0.08	0.07	0.122
Wifi	Harbor	2′	0.61	0.075	0.06	0.056	0.055	0.68	0.11	0.06	0.106	0.056
Wifi	Miku	2′	0.57	0.149	0.174	0.123	0.152	0.51	0.131	0.112	0.10	0.119
Wifi	Nanit	2′	0.35	0.047	0.044	0.049	0.053	0.434	0.047	0.054	0.046	0.067
Non-Wifi	Baby Sense	2′	12.64	4.25	4.46	4.29	4.19	13.25	4.13	4.27	4.49	4.43
Non-Wifi	VTech	2′	5.21	2.20	2.19	2.11	2.25	4.52	1.54	1.39	1.74	1.58
Non-Wifi	Hello Baby	2′	5.12	1.32	1.03	1.10	0.98	2.63	0.51	0.56	0.48	0.58
Wifi	Miku	5′	0.41	0.046	0.039	0.040	0.041	0.22	0.042	0.058	0.044	0.053
Wifi	Owlet	5′	0.322	0.24	0.24	0.24	0.24	0.403	0.25	0.26	0.26	0.25
Wifi	Cubo AI	5′	0.315	0.225	0.230	0.221	0.229	0.307	0.229	0.236	0.227	0.232
Wifi	Harbor	5′	0.28	0.061	0.065	0.074	0.066	0.25	0.069	0.058	0.060	0.059
Wifi	Nanit	5′	0.17	0.024	0.027	0.023	0.026	0.13	0.026	0.037	0.24	0.027
Non-Wifi	VTech	5′	1.21	0.33	0.23	0.19	0.26	1.06	0.37	0.44	0.33	0.39
Non-Wifi	Baby Sense	5′	0.87	0.36	0.35	0.36	0.36	2.11	0.40	0.39	0.38	0.40
Non-Wifi	Hello Baby	5′	0.54	0.32	0.30	0.28	0.29	1.09	0.26	0.27	0.25	0.26

All measurements in mW/m² (milliwatts per square meter) using TriField TF2. Scroll horizontally on mobile →

Question 4: so… what monitor should I buy?

Alright, you have the full dataset and testing.

Taking into account EMF data AND which of these monitors are actually good across the other factors I’ve tested, here’s what I think is worthy buying.

If you want the monitor with the absolute lowest EMF ratings, you should go with Nanit. And, bonus, Nanit has been our top monitor pick for many years running—it’s what we’ve used most with our own kids.

Miku and Harbor, two other wifi monitors, also have low EMF levels and are very solid picks. Harbor, the new kid on the block in the wifi baby monitor space, is our up-and-coming pick with its dedicated parent unit and fallback to a local network if your wifi goes out.

If your heart is still set on a non-wifi baby monitor…

Step 1: reconsider. Because the options, when you try to find the center of the venn diagram between 1) lower EMF scores and 2) does not suck, you will find the middle is… kind of empty.

Step 2: Do NOT mount your non-wifi monitor close to your baby. Higher EMF levels need to be countered with distance.

Step 3: Do NOT buy Babysense monitor. Worst EMF ratings AND scored low in our best non-wifi baby monitor testing (our YouTube video here).

Step 4: Choose the Vtech (Amazon). Our top overall non-wifi pick AND much lower EMF readings that Babysense. Hellobaby had a lower reading at 5′, but… it’s unfortunately a POS on just about everything else.

Please note Fathercraft is reader-supported, meaning, at no cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy after clicking an affiliate link. Learn more. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Best 2025 Black Friday/Cyber Monday baby monitor and baby gear deals

Paul Zalewski — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 20:32:07 +0000

Well, Black Friday season is upon us. And it’s 2025. So, Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals often run together, and thre’s no need to leave your house to grab deals for baby monitors, baby gear, strollers, and more..

Here at Fathercraft, we’ve rounded up a curated list of our favorite Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals for expecting parents and new parents, and parents of young kids. We’ve personally pulled together the best deals from products we’ve tested, reviewed, or are top-rated. You’ll find Black Friday baby monitor deals for monitors like Nanit and Owlet, Cyber Monday baby deals, strollers, smart cribs, feeding supplies and more baby gear sales!

Editor’s note:
1. Since not all deals are available yet, if a deal isn’t online yet we’ve included what the deal was in 2024 so you can compare.
2. Fathercraft is reader-supported, meaning, at no cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy after clicking an affiliate link. Learn more.

So, here we go, the best Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals of 2025: scan through ’em all or here they are, broken down by category:

Best Black Friday/Cyber Monday baby monitor deals
- Nanit Cyber Monday sale
Crib and bassinet Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals
- Snoo Black Friday sale
- Cradlewise Black Friday sale
Stroller Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals
Even more deals — breast pumps, toys, gifts for dads, and more …

The best Black Friday and Cyber Monday baby monitor deals of 2025

30% off site wide for the Nanit Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale

We’ve confirmed our all-time favorite baby monitor, the Nanit Pro will go on sale for Black Friday & Cyber Monday, with their best deal ever. Get 30% off site wide. We’re not 100% sure when this deal will go live, but you can check here.

But, here’s how to get early access: click the link below, tap on the “Unlock early BF access, and sign up for emails & texts.

Shop The Nanit Pro

Save up to $110 during Owlet’s Black Friday Sale

We recently re-reviewed the Owlet, with all of the upgrades they’ve made, and were quite impressed.

For 2025 Black Friday, you can save up to $110 on Owlet — on their Dream Duo 3 Sock/Camera package, or $100 off an Owlet Dream Sock. And, when you use this link, you’ll get a free gift with purchase ($40 value).

Shop Owlet Black Friday. (Sale starts Thursday, 11/20.)

$60 off a Cubo Ai Baby Monitor 3 for Black Friday

Cubo is one of our favorite baby monitors in the less expensive category. They’re innovative and constantly improving. For Black Friday, you can save $30 off a wall-mounted Cubo, or $70 off a Cubo bundle with 3 different stand options. Head on over to Cubo’s website.

Crib and Bassinet Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals 2025

Snoo Black Friday sale and Happiest Baby Early Cyber Monday Deals

Happiest Baby, makers of The Snoo smart bassinet, have their Black Friday sale live now. Use this link and the code to get 30% off Snoo and up to 40% off on select items. They also have some free gifts when you spend $250, $500, or $1,000—check them out here. It doesn’t go lower than this, folks.

Shop the Snoo Black Friday sale using this link + get a free gift with purchase.

Up to $800 (40%) off Cradlewise Black Friday sale

Cradlewise is the new powerhouse when it comes to smart cribs. Similar to the Snoo, it uses a combination of motion and white noise to soothe your baby. There are some big differences though—the Snoo’s “wings” prevent your baby from rolling over when sleeping, and are designed to ensure your baby remains on her back, which is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics as the safest sleep position. Cradlewise focuses on a more traditional firm mattress plus ventilated crib sides for safety, and has some interesting features Snoo does not, such as a built-in baby monitor and a larger size, which can accommodate your child for up to 2 years (vs 6 months for the Snoo).

For this year’s Black Friday sale, Cradlewise is offering up to $800 off retail price, starting now.

Shop Cradlewise and save up to $800

25% off a Newton crib mattress and Newton bassinet starting now!

Netwon Baby’s crib mattress is designed to be ultra safe (it’s ‘breathe-through’, meaning, according to the company, if your baby rolls onto her stomach she should be able to breathe through the mattress), plus it’s lightweight, hypoallergenic, machine-washable, and holds up for years — and is comfortable enough to transition to a toddler mattress and beyond.

Newton’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale allows save 25% on a Newton mattress and site-wide. Their sale starts now

Shop Newton mattress and save 25%

Shop Newton bassinet and save 25%

Stroller deals

25% off at Colugo

Colugo makes our favorite budget travel stroller—the Colugo Compact Stroller+. And, their baby carrier is another hit around here at Fathercraft. It’s currently 45% off on their website.

Shop Colugo, get 20% off sitewide and 25% off bundles, starting now!

Mockingbird’s only sale of the year

In the past, Mockingbird, which makes our favorite single-to-double stroller (because, let’s face it, you’re probably not just going to have one kid), hasn’t had a Black Friday sale in the past. That changes this year.

You can grab a Mockingbird stroller or high chair for 20% off here 11/25 – 12/1 … get 20% off either of these products or bundle for 25% off!

Even more Black Friday baby gear deals for 2025

Save $230 on the Fathercraft Dad-to-Be Bundle

Our own Black Friday sale is officially on! You can save on The Fathercraft Bag, our dad bag, Father’s Ed — our flagship online video course for expecting dads, and the Better Baby Sleep Bootcamp — our online class on better baby sleep. Or, you can get everything in one package perfect for the expecting dad: the Fathercraft Dad-to-Be bundle. When you get the bundle, you’ll also get 3 bonuses.

Shop the Fathercraft Dad-to-Be Bundle.

Save $50 on Fathercraft’s online course for expecting dads or $50 on our dad bag

Our own Black Friday sale starts now! You can get our best deal ever on our online course for dads-to-be, Father’s Ed, right here. Or, if you’re in the market for the ultimate dad bag for yourself as a gift, save $40 right here.

30% off the Willow wearable breast pump

A former Time Magazine Invention of the Year winner, our reviewers loved just how handy (or handsfree, that is) Willow Pump was. Basically, it allowed them to do just about anything while pumping, and did it quietly and in a spill proof manner.

Shop Willow Pump and get 30% off

Read our Willow Pump review

Save big on Molekule Air Purifiers

Why an air purifier on a list of the best baby gear deals for Black Friday? Well, with wildfires, increased pollution, and everything else going on in the world, indoor air quality is becoming an increased concern. Plus, you know, babies can be kind of stinky. We reviewed the Molekule Air Mini+ and have been customers ever since.

For Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2024, you can save $130 on Molekule’s Air Mini+.

Save on Kiwi Crates (and Koala Crates, and … all of them)

Kiwi Crate was the original subscription box service for little kids. And, it’s still one of the absolute best. Thoughtfully-designed, includes fun, educational cartoons, and mind-expanding projects that will keep your little one busy for a long time.

KiwiCo has two sales that are live right now—you can use code JOY to get 4 crates free with the purchase of an annual plan.

Shop Kiwi Crate, get up to 4 months free

Save up to 25% sitewide at Lovevery

Lovevery’s Montessori-inspired subscription toy kits contain high-quality toys that take the guesswork out of choosing brain-friendly toy for your baby or toddler. You’ll get a new kit every 3 months full of well-made toys. Or, you can buy individual Montessori toys at their site.

Starting 11/25, get up to 25% off—10% off when you spend $80, 15% off when you spend $125, 20% at $250 and 25% off at $500 or more..

Shop Lovevery and save

Save up to 50% on skincare for dads at Geologie

It’s easy for dads to throw personal care out the window when a baby enters the picture. That’s why we’re excited about Geologie, which takes a science-backed approach to skincare for guys.

Take their personalized skincare quiz and then save up to 50% for Black Friday.

And, that’s a wrap! There are tons of Black Friday/Cyber Monday baby deals out there for new parents and parents-to-be, but there’s also tons of stuff you just don’t need for your baby, so, we’re sticking to the best of the best.

If you’re overwhelmed by all of the baby gear out there, you can see our full list of what actually constitutes essential gear for babies here.

And, continue the search for that perfect new dad gift right here.

Am I Ready to be a Dad? A 5 Point Checklist and Quiz

Matt H. — Sun, 14 Sep 2025 21:18:33 +0000

Before we, the guys here at Fathercraft, actually became fathers, we asked ourselves a lot of (anxiety-induced) questions. Am I too young to be a dad? Too old? Am I responsible enough to be someone’s father? Am I stable enough? Financially and otherwise? Is my partner ready? In the end, all these questions can be summarized by The Big One: Am I ready to be a dad? Or, maybe more pressing: Will I be a good dad?

So, ARE you ready to be a dad?

Take a look at our checklist of broader questions to help you assess your mental readiness and your lifestyle. Then, you can the Am I Ready to be a Dad quiz, which has been recently updated to ask you knowledge-based questions like should your baby have water? Or, when should I give my baby a blanket to sleep with? In 5 minutes or less, you’ll get your dad readiness score, plus the answer key and a custom plan to level up the skills and knowledge you need to be an awesome dad.

Ready to dive in? Here are the five checklist items at a glance.

Am I responsible?
Am I financially stable?
Am I ready for a change?
Am I selfless?
Am I supported?

Just here for the free quiz and info? That’s here, near the bottom of this article.

Am I responsible?

Becoming a parent is one of the biggest (or the biggest) responsibilities a guy can have. You are responsible for raising your child to become a functioning member of society. You have to equip them with the tools to succeed in life. You are the primary male role model in their life. Your role in your child’s development can not be understated. For example, according to a study by the American Association of Pediatrics, a father’s “involvement in play with preschoolers predicted decreased externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and enhanced social competence.” Basically, when fathers were involved in their kid’s lives, the kids were more successful in life. You make a huge difference in the life of your child.

Are you ready for that responsibility?

Probably not. No one is ready for that big of a responsibility all at one time. But you can work to become more responsible until your child is born. Here are a few ways you can help yourself get ready to be a father:

Be disciplined in something

Wake up at the same time every day, exercise consistently, eat right, read every day, etc. Pick something and force yourself to do it every day. Being disciplined is a great skill that you can grow, and it will come in handy when you are a new dad.

Get a pet

Having a pet that requires you for everything is a great way to force you to be more responsible. Much like a baby, your pet needs you for food, potty time, play time, etc. A pet forces you to think outside of yourself and focus some of your attention on it.

Stop procrastinating

This is a big one. With a baby, things need to be done/prepped on time. Imagine you are at home alone with your child. You get a text that you need to meet your partner at the store. This used to be so simple. But now… Do you have the car seat ready to go? Do you have the diaper bag? Does the diaper bag actually have diapers in it? A change of clothes just in case? Does the baby need to be changed before you leave? Did you empty the diaper genie earlier, or are you going to have to put the dirty diaper somewhere else? Did you let your car get down to “2 miles to empty” because you thought the next time you got in you’d be going straight to the gas station? This list of questions could spell disaster if you procrastinate on your responsibilities.

Woah, that’s a lot of stuff. Need help with preparing for a baby? We’ve got you with this essentials checklist.

Being a parent is an immense responsibility. Make sure you’re ready!

Am I financially stable?

Part of being a responsible father is being able to provide for your child. Your household (however it looks—single dad, both parents work, stay-at-home parent) needs to be able to put a roof over the head and food in the belly of your child.

Obviously, financial stability looks different to everyone. Do you need to be making 6-figures and have a million dollars in a 401k in order to be ready for a baby? Of course not. But, having stable income, being financially responsible, and prioritizing your child is crucial. I’ll just be honest here—having a baby is expensive. Check out our article on how to budget for a baby if you’d like to see how expensive a newborn can be. Here are some considerations about being financially responsible:

Job/Career: Do you have a job that pays irregularly? Can you see your job/position being eliminated in a moment’s notice? Do you travel erratically for your job? These are all things that might have been perfectly fine when you were single or without a child, but these don’t spell s-t-a-b-l-e.
Spending: Do you spend more than you make? Do you buy whatever you want, whenever you want because you own a credit card(s)? Things might need to change. Take time to reflect on how you spend your money, and what monthly expenses come with a newborn (again, check out this article).
Saving: Have you viewed saving money as something you’ll do when you’re older? Well, if a baby is on the way, that time is now. Being able to shell out some cash for an unexpected expense with your child is something you need to prioritize. Want your child to go to college? That process of saving can start from the time your little one is born.

Being financially stable is a big part in taking that next step toward being the best father you can be. Shouldering the responsibility of providing for your child is not only necessary, but honorable. It’s why you see all of the dad memes about dads being cheap or thrifty. A great father prioritizes their family’s well being.

Am I ready for a change?

Are you ready for the lifestyle change becoming a parent brings?

Because there’s no way around it—your life as a dad will look different from your life now. How drastic of a change depends on the person.

When we told people that a baby was on the way, nearly all of the feedback went something like this:

“Congratulations!”

“That’s so exciting!”

“I’m so happy for you guys!”

Followed by:

“Get ready for a lot of long nights!”

“Say goodbye to your social life!”

“I hope you can function on no sleep!”

“Everything is about to change!…Everything”

“I hope you don’t mind lots of crying!”

Notice a trend? We did. After the excitement of the news of a baby, the following responses were almost all negative. How sad is that!? The only thing people could think to say was how miserable having a baby was? What did we get ourselves into??

So, does your life change? Absolutely it does! But….what does that really mean? Here are a few examples of lifestyle choices that might need to be adjusted when the little one comes around:

Leaving at 4pm for happy hour at the bar with your friends to “catch up”…until 2am
Heading straight from work to the gym to workout…for 3 hours…every single day…
Spur of the moment road trip 4 states away to visit that one friend from college
Realizing your true calling to be a drummer and practicing through all hours of the night
Finding a briefcase, driving across the country to Aspen to return it, finding out it’s full of cash, spending all of it, realizing it was actually ransom money, replacing the cash with IOU’s and somehow making it out alive…So you’re telling me there’s a chance!?

Aside from some of the more drastic examples, you are the one that can determine how much your life changes. For example, my wife and I love going camping (some might call it ‘glamping’). Set up the camper, spend the weekend relaxing, hiking, swimming, cornhole, etc. Did we decide to put that on hold until our baby was ‘old enough’ to go? Nope! My son Micah made his first camping trip when he was 5 weeks old. You know yourself, your baby and your situation better than anyone. You decide how much things change when the little one comes around.

Am I selfless?

Humans are selfish. Even the most selfless person you know is selfish—they are just better at getting over that trait. Becoming a father doesn’t mean you can never have selfish moments (it’s important to take care of yourself!), but it’s not all about YOU anymore.

You learn this lesson on a different scale when you get married. You don’t just think about YOU anymore; there is someone else in the picture. Maybe you used to spend a Saturday sleeping in, playing video games, watching football then ending the night out with your buds. With a spouse in the picture, that Saturday looks different. But, you still find a way to carve out some YOU time.

When a baby comes along, you have to be willing to potentially sacrifice more of that YOU time. Baby goes down for a nap, so you start a project. Oops! The baby woke up early—you’re back on dad duty. You sit down to eat those freshly grilled steaks (perfect when they’re nice and hot). Oops! Baby just spit up all over the place, and while you’re cleaning them up they have a blowout. 20 minutes later, those perfect steaks are no longer hot-off-the-grill. It’s the 4th quarter, your team is on a 2-minute drive, trailing by 4, needs a touchdown to win, just got into the redzone, and…baby woke themselves up crying, and they need dad to help them go back down.

Ask yourself: Am I ready to be the father my kids need me to be? Note: this isn’t to say that you never have any time to yourself again. Kids are different —some have perfect sleep schedules and you get tons of time to do your own thing. BUT, it’s important to know that you need to be prepared to sacrifice some YOU time to be “on” for your child.

Am I supported?

Having support when raising a child is crucial to that child’s development. What does that look like? It’s not just about the parents. It’s about close family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, etc. that interact with your child.

Check out this study from the National Institutes of Health, which looks into parental roles in childhood development. “We conclude that while children do better, on average, living with two biological married parents, the advantages of two-parent families are not shared equally by all.” What does this mean? Well, a child that has mom and dad at home generally has a better chance at life (better in school, less likely to struggle with substance abuse, etc.). BUT—what if mom and dad are always fighting? What if mom and dad have a terrible relationship? Is that child better off than a single mom/dad?

A rocky, shaky, more bad days than good type of relationship doesn’t magically get fixed when a baby comes around. Sleep deprivation and stress don’t exactly make a struggling relationship better. Working to have a strong relationship before the baby comes is critical! Your child needs to see a healthy relationship as they grow up. This sets the stage for them to succeed in life.

Do you have family, friends or neighbors that can give you support? Having a trusted group of people that can help you out on a moment’s notice makes a world of difference. What is your plan when you get held up at work and someone needs to pick up Baby from the sitter? Baby is sick and needs to stay home, but your boss needs you to come in? You want to go on a “date” (what’s that, again?) and need someone to babysit? Having a system of support makes life so much easier when the baby comes.

When it comes to friends, it’s said that if you say ‘no’ enough times, the invitations stop coming. Your friends will understand that your life is changing when the baby comes. But make sure you still have time to get out (take your baby!) and do things with your friends. Saying ‘no’ to every single invite will eventually land you with zero invites. Make it a priority to continue putting yourself out there and spending time with friends and family.

Take our “Am I ready to be a dad” quiz!

Think you’re ready to become a father? Test your knowledge with our quiz and stay tuned for some resources to help you prepare to be the best parent you can be.

So, are you ready to be a parent?

Having a baby is the best thing ever! If you feel like you aren’t ready, that’s totally normal. Like I mentioned, people probably only tell you about how hard having a newborn is. And, it can be a trying time. But it’s totally worth it. It’s hard to be ‘ready’ to be a dad until you are actually holding your child in your arms. Can you ever be completely ‘ready’ for something you’ve never experienced? No! But you can start to practice some of the tenets of what it takes to become a great dad before the baby comes.

Bonding with baby: How can dads bond with a newborn without breastfeeding?

Tim Barczak — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 16:34:52 +0000

When my first daughter was born, I had no idea what I was doing. Frankly, I still don’t know much about what I’m doing, but after two babies, I’m starting to figure out this fatherhood thing. Still, one of the biggest challenges I faced with both girls in the newborn stage was figuring out how to bond with them.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s incredible to see the connection develop between my wife and the baby she just carried for nine months. But sometimes they seemed so attached, especially when she was breastfeeding, I wondered where I fit in.

Now, I have a fantastic bond with both of my kids (including the mostly-breastfed-seven-month-old), and I can confidently say there are plenty of ways for dads to build connections with their newborns—no lactating required.

In this article, we’ll discuss why bonding matters and how to do it. Read straight through or jump to what you need:

Why bonding with your baby matters
7 ways to bond with your newborn
Signs you haven’t bonded yet

Why bonding with your baby matters

First, let’s get one thing straight: Your baby needs you just as much as they need their mom. Studies show that active involvement from dads helps with a newborn’s emotional development, cognitive skills, and even reduces stress levels for both baby and parents. Plus, building that bond early on lays the foundation for a strong relationship as they grow.

Second, and as any formula or combo-feeding mom (including my wife) will tell you, breastfeeding is not the only way to bond with a baby. Your baby loves to snuggle, play, and generally take as much attention as you’re willing to give. All that attention, aka love, helps them grow into confident, well-adjusted individuals.

Baby still on the way? Check out this pregnancy checklist for dads.

7 ways dads can bond with their newborn

Look no further for some highly practical ways you can work to establish a bond with your newborn on a daily basis.

1. Master the art of skin-to-skin contact

Skin-to-skin isn’t just for moms. Strip down to your chest, place your baby against your skin, and let the bonding begin. This helps regulate their body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing—plus, it releases oxytocin, a.k.a. the “love hormone,” for both of you.

Me mastering the art of skin-to-skin with my first

2. Be the diaper change MVP

Okay, it’s not glamorous, but hear me out—diaper changes are prime bonding time. Your baby learns your face and voice during these moments. Talk to them, make silly faces, and turn a mundane task into a connection-building routine. Bonus: Your partner, who has potentially just recently had a human exit her body, will be glad to give this task up.

3. Talk and sing (even if you’re off-key)

Babies don’t care if you can’t carry a tune. They just want to hear your voice. Read books, narrate what you’re doing (“Alright, time to clean up this poop-tastrophe”), or sing whatever song comes to mind. Your voice becomes a source of comfort.

Check out more tips for first-time dads

With both of my girls, I liked to narrate getting dressed (“ok, put your right arm in”). I have no idea if this actually helps them learn their left from right, but I like to think it does.

4. Take charge of bath time

Babies love routine, and bath time is a great one to own. Babies actually tend to like relaxing in the warm water, so it’s a chance to interact with them while they’re happy. Plus, the more your baby associates you with comforting care, the stronger your connection becomes.

5. Get on your baby’s level

Tummy time, playtime, or just lying on the floor next to your baby helps them recognize you as a safe, fun presence. Make eye contact, smile, and let them explore your face (yes, tiny fingers in your nose are part of the deal… get used to it).

6. Wear your baby

Invest in a baby carrier and wear your newborn while you walk around, do light chores, or just chill. Not only does this free up your hands, but the motion, warmth, and closeness reinforce your bond. Plus, it’s a solid dad move that earns you extra cool points.

7. Develop your own special rituals

Maybe it’s a morning cuddle session, a particular song you always sing before naps, or a signature rocking motion that only you do. These unique interactions help create a dad-specific bond that no one else can replace.

I started reading to my oldest the day after she was born, and now we all read together

What if it takes time to bond?

Not every dad feels an instant connection, and that’s okay. Bonding is a process. The key is consistency—show up, be present, and keep engaging. Your baby doesn’t need perfection, just your effort.

Worried you may not be ready to be a dad? Reassure yourself with our dad quiz and resources.

Signs dad hasn’t bonded with baby yet

Every dad-baby relationship looks different, but here are a few signs that bonding might need a little boost:

You feel disconnected or uninterested during time with your baby
You avoid baby-related tasks like feeding, diapering, or holding
You’re unsure how to comfort or soothe your baby
You feel overwhelmed or even resentful about your new role
Your baby doesn’t respond as readily to your presence compared to others

If any of these sound familiar, don’t panic—it doesn’t mean you’re failing. It just means your bond is still developing. Note: if you’re feeling disconnected, angry, or sad, you could have postpartum depression (yes, dads can get postpartum depression, too). The best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to ask for help.

Keep showing up, ask for support if needed, and remember that even the strongest connections often grow slowly and steadily.

The bottom line

You don’t need to breastfeed to form a deep connection with your newborn. Skin-to-skin, talking, diaper changes, and just being involved daily are what make the bond strong. The more you interact, the more your baby learns to recognize and trust you—and before you know it, you’ll be their favorite person (or at least tied for first place).

Meet Fathercraft

Thanks for reading! We’re Fathercraft, founded by dads for dads. Our goal is to help make your parenting journey the best it can be with product reviews, courses, and the best dad bag you’re going to find on the internet. If you’re expecting, we recommend checking out our baby essentials list next or checking out our YouTube channel.

Your ultimate third trimester checklist: what to expect, what to do, and advice from the experts

Kristan Barczak — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 02:24:14 +0000

Note: Because this article discusses some of the…. intricacies… of the third trimester, we’ve asked Kristan, a mom of two, to write this article. We figure this stuff is best discussed by someone who’s experienced it first hand!

Ahhh, the third trimester. It’s the home stretch, but it’s also quite possibly the longest 12 weeks of your life—thanks to some of the less-than-pleasant third trimester symptoms and the general anticipation of waiting for a baby. The good(ish) news? There’s plenty you can do to pass the time. And don’t worry, we consider “napping” a part of that list.

We noticed there are plenty of checklists that talk about yoga and baby books but not enough that cut to the chase. Yes, you should be resting… but this is also kind of the time to get your sh*t together. This third trimester checklist is built from my own experience, with the help of three pregnancy experts: a perinatal mental health counselor, a birth and postpartum doula, and a certified lactation consultant/car seat technician.

When in doubt, I use my personal third trimester philosophy: Rest when you can, prep when can’t.

In other words, consider this your oh shi*t list… for when you look at the calendar and realize a whole human baby will be in your arms in 12 weeks (or less!). We’ll start by going over third trimester symptoms (aka, what to expect). Then, you’ll find your third trimester checklist broken down into these categories (click to skip around):

Birth
Baby and home
Medical
Education
Work
Taking care of you
For dads/partners

Please note: Fathercraft is reader supported, meaning, at no cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy after clicking an affiliate link. Learn more.

Third trimester symptoms (aka, what you’re up against)

Let’s be honest… the third trimester is no walk in the park. You trade your pregnancy glow for a bruised rib cage and lightning crotch (yeah, that’s a thing). But it helps to go in prepared, so here’s what you can expect:

Note: I’m not a doctor. If you experience anything that seems abnormal, call your doctor! And don’t be ashamed. I called in for false alarms three times before my second was born

Increased aches and pains: As your baby takes up more space, you start to feel more pressure on your ribs, joints, back, and lungs. For some, this gets uncomfortable. For others (myself included), it can get downright painful. Finding the right combination of movement and rest can help.
Lightning crotch: This is (bewilderingly) exactly what it sounds like. Baby hits a nerve, and you end up feeling like there’s lightning where lightning should not be.
Changes in discharge: As your body preps for birth, you may experience a change or increase in vaginal discharge. As you approach the final weeks, make sure you call the doctor if the discharge gets watery or soaks through a pad… it could be your water!
Swelling: A little puffiness is normal in the final weeks. But if you experience sudden and extreme swelling, call your doctor.
Nausea and/or heart burn: Isn’t nausea a thing of the past?! Well… not for everyone. Some people get nauseous again in the third trimester, and heart burn kicks into high gear as baby invades the space of your stomach and esophagus.
Braxton Hicks contractions: Unlike real contractions, Braxton Hicks are typically mild, irregular, and go away if you change positions or drink water. They don’t make any changes to your cervix (that’s the job of a real contraction). It’s just your body practicing! Fair warning—I got a TON of these with my second pregnancy. It felt like I couldn’t move without contracting, and some of them got painful. When I wasn’t sure if they were truly just BH, I called my doctor!
Mood swings, anxiety, and/or depression: Maybe it’s hormones, maybe it’s that you’re sick and tired of being pregnant. For me, it was both. If you start to struggle, (you guessed it) call your doctor!
Sleep disruption: It seems cruel, but pregnancy insomnia is a thing. Some say it helps prepare for when the baby is here, keeping you up at night. I’m not sure if I felt better prepared… mostly, I was just tired.
Actual labor: Eventually, it’s the real deal. The third trimester gets you closer and closer to your baby making their grand entrance! Watch out for contractions that build in intensity and follow a pattern. Or, you might be in the small percentage of women whose water breaks first (that was me!). If that happens, go straight to labor & delivery!

Your third trimester checklist

As you read through this checklist, keep the above symptoms in mind. While you may no experience every symptom on the list, chances are you’ll feel pretty tired. Rest when you can… but when you have the energy, chip away at the things below.

Birth

Create your birth plan
Create a postpartum plan
Pack your hospital bag
Tour the hospital and/or ask your doctor questions
Create a labor playlist

The third trimester is a great time to square away your birth and postpartum plans. Create a document that lays out your preferences for birth (but keep in mind that there’s only so much you can control!). Who is on your birth team (i.e., do you want to hire a doula)? Where will you give birth? Do you want pain medication? Who is allowed in the room? Do you want to be able to move around?

My nurses knew I wanted to move around as much as possible, so here I am in labor, hooked up to wireless monitors, pointing to the Ted Lasso-inspired sign they made for me. They were super supportive!

Perinatal mental health therapist, Sara Rader, also emphasizes the importance of a postpartum plan, where you sit down with your partner (if applicable) and discuss how you will handle sleep deprivation, household chores, and all the other fun stuff that comes with a new baby.

From the mental health perspective, the number one recommendation I have for third trimester moms is to create a detailed postpartum care plan. This is a great opportunity to connect with your partner & discuss ways to work as a team postpartum. It makes a big difference if you can think ahead to reduce confusion & conflict during this time period so you can really focus on rest, recovery, and bonding with your new baby.

– Sara Rader, Licensed Professional Counselor

Sara recommends visiting the Postpartum Support International website and downloading their free postpartum plan template. Once you’ve done that, go ahead and pack your hospital bag. And while you’re at it, create your perfect birth playlist. Trust me, music helps!

A snippet from the Postpartum Support International website’s postpartum plan

Baby and home

Get the rest of your baby essentials
Install your car seat
Wash and sanitize bottles and pacifiers
Order a breast pump (if you’re planning to breast feed)
Put together a postpartum cart or basket
Identify your support systems

You don’t need a fancy nursery, but you do need a few basic essentials to make sure you can feed, change, and bathe your baby. Plus, you’ll want to safely move your baby and put them to sleep. There’s a lot of people screaming “you must have this!” out there, so we’ve gathered up a list of your basic essentials here.

A few things you’ll definitely need… diapers, wipes, and enough clothes to account for the blowouts

Installing the car seat isn’t quite as simple as it sounds, and you’re required to have it installed before you leave the hospital. Go ahead and get that done, so you have time to check the installation with a car seat tech.

Car seat installation is not as simple as it seems! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 90% of parents feel confident in their car seat installation, but around half of all car seats are install incorrectly. Installation in the vehicle is one thing – and then proper use each time is another layer!

– Heather Price, IBCLC / CPST / Founder of Pro Parents Prep

The most common mistakes Heather Price, licensed car seat technician, sees?

seats/bases that are installed too loosely in the vehicle
seats that are installed with both latch AND seat belts (nearly all car seats require just one or the other, not both)
straps positioned too high in infant seats
straps that are too loose
chest clips landing too low on the abdomen

Finally, part of prepping your home is prepping for postpartum. Get a basket with some healing essentials together—that includes your favorite snacks! Healing and taking care of a baby is hard work. As much as you can, lean on your support systems to help you navigate the first few weeks of infancy.

In preparing for new parenthood, consider this: birth is one day or so. Newborn period is 6 weeks. Infant is the remainder of that first year, and of course, parenting is forever! It is worth your time to deeply consider what kind of support you need, especially in those first few months. Lean on whatever support network you have for meals, help with housework, infant care, and care for yourselves.

– Heather Price, IBCLC / CPST / Founder of Pro Parents Prep

Medical

Monitor your baby’s kicks
Attend your prenatal appointments

Around 26-28 weeks, you should start paying attention to your baby’s kicks. Some medical experts suggest laying down at the same time everyday and making sure you can count 10 movements within two hours. Others recommend paying attention to what feels “normal” for your baby (and trust me, it will get to a point where it’s hard to ignore) and calling if anything seems off. Count the kicks is an excellent resource for this!

Count the Kicks app… just tap the foot to count the kick

The prenatal appointments will get more frequent (every other week until week 36… then it’s every week!). Make sure you attend them so that you can express any concerns you have, relay your birth preferences, and monitor your baby’s health.

Education

Take a birthing class
See a lactation consultant (if you’re planning to breastfeed)

Birth is… wild. It’s helpful for both partners to know what to expect (and that might be the understatement of the year—it’s borderline critical, especially if you have strong birth preferences). With the right amount of education and prep, birth can also be a pretty incredible experience.

A course can walk you through what the heck is going on throughout all those contractions. Plus, you can learn more about pain management, pushing, and what happens directly after birth (we love Tinyhood for birth education—it’s super affordable and offers so many courses to help you through the first year. And you get access to all of them!).

If you’re planning to breastfeed, seeing a lactation consultant before you birth your baby can actually increase your chances of success. According to IBCLC Heather Price, prenatal lactation consultations are a chance to review your health history, discuss goals, learn about your pump, and have a plan in place for early postpartum.

Work

Determine what you want in terms of work vs. staying home (or some combination of both)
Tour daycares and get on a waitlist (if applicable)
Create a maternity leave plan and set boundaries (if applicable)

For some reason, I never see work-related things on a third trimester checklist, but no matter what your plan is, you gotta figure some things out before the baby comes.

If you’re planning to return to work, you’ve probably already told your colleagues about your pregnancy and arranged for maternity leave (if you haven’t—now is the time!). But it’s helpful to start thinking now about projects you may want to wrap up before taking off and how you’ll transition your tasks. Making a plan can make the last few weeks feel less overwhelming, especially when you should be focused on resting. Communicate your boundaries and expectations. Unfortunately, some people still think maternity leave is a vacation. But trust me, you won’t be trying to respond to emails when you’re sleep deprived and covered in spit up.

Is this a vacation yet?

Fair warning: The daycare situation is kind of abysmal. In many areas, there are super long waitlists. If you haven’t already, go ahead and tour some daycares and get on a waitlist.

And if you’re planning to stay home? Discuss the division of labor with your partner. In some ways, the home becomes your workplace, and it’s just as important to figure out expectations and boundaries. And if you’re like me, and you’re self-employed… do yourself a favor and set parameters around what your “leave” will look like, even if it’s self-funded. Communicate that to your clients.

Taking care of you

Rest, rest, rest
Hydrate
Eat nutritious foods
Do what feels good

There is a lot going on and kind of a lot to do, but please don’t forget to take care of yourself. Your body will force you to rest if you don’t allow time for extra snoozing. Call in for backup if you can and put your feet up. While you’re at it, drink another glass of water.

And lastly… just do what feels good. Light movement can help relieve aches and pains, but don’t force yourself to work out if what you really need is a nap. Maybe it helps to keep your mind occupied with a new hobby or calling up a friend. Remember: this stage is temporary, and every day brings you closer to your baby!

In fact, postpartum and birth doula, Mallory Hansen, confirms the benefits of naps and hobbies:

My biggest thing with my clients is ensuring that they’re resting! So all the naps. But also just doing things they’ve maybe wanted to do for themselves but haven’t yet—learn to knit, go get a manicure, massage, facial, etc, or acupuncture. Focus on your nervous system regulation and staying calm and grounded

– Mallory Hansen, Holistic Birth & Postpartum Doula

For dads

Alright dads, I know you want to help because you’re great dads. But if you find yourself feeling like you can’t be all that helpful, scroll up and read back through the third trimester symptoms. Anything you can do to take tasks off your pregnant partner’s plate helps. Here are some specific suggestions:

Take care of yourself

First and foremost, make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Find support through your community and seek professional help if you need it—there’s no shame! According to licensed therapist Sara Rader, dads can also be prone to mental health challenges during the third trimester and beyond, due to the rather incomparible life changes taking place.

Dads absolutely can benefit from therapy in this time period as well! Although we don’t talk about it often, new dads can also develop depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns during the perinatal period. Moms & dads can often find themselves feeling overwhelmed during the transition to parenthood, due to the huge changes in your lifestyle and responsibilities. You may even find yourself triggered by aspects of new parenthood that stir up your own wounds. Seeking support for yourself allows you to show up as the parent and partner you want to be during this sacred time of life.

– Sara Rader, Licensed Professional Counselor

Attend prenatal appointments

As much as you can, continue to attend the prenatal appointments. It’s helpful to have the extra support.

Pack your own hospital bag

Pack your own bag, and do it before your partner reaches 36 weeks. You’ll need a few changes of clothes and toiletries. Pro tip: Pack yourself some snacks and blanket.

Plan to take on more of the housework/care for older children

When I was in the final weeks of my pregnancy, caring for my three-year-old felt like an olympic sport. Even if you already have a pretty equal split, you might need to take on more than your typical fair share.

Educate yourself on birth and breastfeeding (if your partner plans to breastfeed)

Take a birthing class with your partner. There are a lot of sights, smells, and sounds. It’s helpful if you’re not shocked by any of them. The support of my partner was critical to me staying sane throughout the birthing process.

If your partner plans to breastfeed, plan to take a breastfeeding class with her as well. According to board certified lactation consultant, Heather Price, partners have a direct impact on breastfeeding success, and I believe it! My partner helped me figure out how to latch, attended lactation consultations with me, and is Chief Pump Part Washer in our house.

Education is SO important for both the breastfeeding parent AND their support people. Partners who understand the basics of milk production and breastfeeding can be better encouragers and supporters. [As a partner], you impact whether she chooses to breastfeed or not, how confident she feels in breastfeeding, and how long she does it!

– Heather Price, IBCLC / CPST

Get a plan for care for older children in place

If you have older children, take on the task of figuring out where they’re going to go when your partner goes into labor. Do you have family nearby? Close friends? If you don’t live near your support system, can someone come in town and stay for awhile? Alternatively, I’ve seen where people hire on-call sitters to be available when the moment comes.

Call insurance

Call your insurance company and make sure you know what to do to add your new human to your insurance plan when they’re born.

Take a parenting class

To state the obvious: Once you get through birth, you have to actually be a parent. You may find that some of it comes naturally, but not all of it. A new parenting class can help you navigate everything from the pure basics (i.e., how to actually hold a baby who can’t support their own head) to more complicated matters like how do I get this baby to sleep.

Shameless plug: Check out the Fathercraft New Dad class. You go at your own pace, you get practical tips and lessons, and if you don’t feel like it’s helping you, you can get your money back within 60 days.

Parenting education at your fingertips

What’s next?

Hi, we’re Fathercraft! If you’re prepping for a baby, make sure you check out our free baby prep checklists and product reviews. We’re on a mission to make cool stuff for awesome dads and families, and we hope you’ll tag along.

How to prepare for a baby—financially, emotionally, as a dad, and more (timelines, checklists, and to-dos)

Paul Zalewski — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 21:45:59 +0000

The overwhelm you might feel trying to figure out how to prepare for a baby, especially if it’s your first time, isn’t totally unwarranted.

It’s a big task. But the good news is, if you’re reading this, you’re planning ahead and thinking about what to do to prepare for a baby ahead of time—something that’s going to make your life a whole lot easier as the big day comes.

This is not a list of 8 random things you need to do, It’s a comprehensive guide you can use to dig deep on baby preparations. We’re going to cover (click a link to skip ahead):

When to start preparing for your baby’s arrival
A baby preparation timeline
Things to do while waiting for your baby’s arrival
Figure out your parenting education plan
How to prepare for a baby financially
What to buy before the baby arrives
Finally, we’ll help you keep things organized with our comprehensive preparing for baby checklist
Bonus: selecting a pediatrician—a video guide

When to start preparing for your baby’s arrival

Often, expecting parents fall into one of two camps; they either jump in and start preparing as soon as they get pregnant (find an adoption agency, line up a surrogate, etc.), or they think, “9 months is a long time” and put off preparations as a ‘future me’ problem. As with most things, preparation for a new baby is usually best started somewhere in the middle. But, waiting to do major preparations until after the first trimester can be a good idea to ensure all is well with the pregnancy.

There are a few things that are a good idea to start early:

A baby preparation timeline

As soon as you or your partner (or surrogate, or adoptive mom) realizes she’s pregnant

Call the OB and set up your first appointment. The OBGYN will let you know when what they recommend in terms of first visit, visit frequency, and more. (By the way, OB appointments aren’t just for moms—they’re a great way for dads to get involved, too.)

Follow pregnancy health guidelines. We probably don’t need to go over the basics with you, but experts advise avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and excess caffeine, along with some ones you might not know about like deli meat, some seafood, hot tubs & saunas, herbal teas, and more. And, be sure to check with your doctor about any medications and supplements during pregnancy. More here from the Mayo Clinic.

Read up on pregnancy. Even if you’re not the one who’s pregnant, it pays to get educated. There are great resources at The Mayo Clinic’s website and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ site. Or, check out our comprehensive guide to pregnancy geared to dads.

After the first trimester

Start telling people you’re having a baby. Most couples choose to start telling people the big news after the first trimester, when pregnancy risk is lower and you or your partner will be more obviously pregnant.

Start to research daycare. Some daycares have waiting lists that are months (and months) long. So, even if you’re not sending your baby to daycare right away, it may be time to consider and research options, otherwise you may find yourself ready for daycare but not have one (or one you like) available.

Start to research what to buy. There’s some gear you’ll want before the baby is born. Don’t worry, we’ve got a whole section on that below, keep reading.

By the start of the 3rd trimester

Find a pediatrician. You’ll want to have your pediatrician lined up before the baby’s birth. You’ll also want to interview this person to make sure you like him or her—see our video at the end of this post for more on how to do that.

Decide on your birth plan and pick a hospital for delivery. Having a plan in place & knowing where you’ll deliver is essential. Most hospitals offer tours, which are great if you have a choice of where to deliver, or to get a lay of the land even if you don’t. You’ll also want to ensure this hospital takes your insurance, and often you can fill out paperwork ahead of time so you don’t have to do that while you or your partner is in labor.

Prepare for the third trimester by reading our full third trimester checklist.

3+ weeks from due date

Get your hospital bags together. You’ll want some essentials. You’ll want them ready to go, like a secret agent grab bag.

Create a gameplan. What are you doing with the dog? How will you get to the hospital? How will your partner notify you, or vice versa?

Consider freezing some meals. Time is not going to be your friend when the new baby comes. Neither is energy for cooking. A few weeks of meals in the freezer can be a lifesaver.

Things to do before the baby arrives — a checklist for expecting parents

Ok, let’s dive into the the bulk of your baby prep assignment—things to do before the baby comes. We’re breaking this down into a few key categories: paperwork, insurance & administrative, discussions to have with your partner, and preparing your house and nursery.

Baby preparation paperwork, insurance, and another administrative stuff

There are a few key administrative things you’ll want to add to your to do list to have in place before your baby arrives.

Health Insurance

You’ll want to check in with your health insurance provider to understand the procedure and cost for adding a baby to your plan. If you and your partner both work and have a health insurance plan available through work, it’s a good idea to check with both—costs for moving from Employee or Employee + Spouse to Employee + Family can vary dramatically between insurance plans and employers.

While you’re at it, talk to your insurance company (or use their website) to find out what services are covered—you might be surprised how much is covered: prenatal testing, help to quit smoking, birth control for after the baby, breastfeeding counseling, a breast pump, and more.

Finally, it’s a good idea to ask about typical cost of services, and in particular cost for your baby’s birth and any policies your insurance company has about this—for example maximum length of stay in the hospital.

Life insurance

Your employer may provide some form of life insurance, but note that most employer-sponsored life insurance plans are not nearly as much as you’ll want in an ideal world. So, when you’re preparing for your baby’s arrival is a great time to look at life insurance, which can be more affordable than you think. You can get a term policy for several hundred thousand dollars in coverage for a few hundred dollars a year. Doing this can take some time, and will likely require a drug test and health screening, so plan ahead and make sure this is taken care of before your baby’s arrival.

A will for you and your partner

You probably haven’t thought much about having a will, but now’s the time. Even in the best of family situations, custody situations can get tense in the event of death of parents, you’ll want to know your new little one is taken care of according to your wishes. While this stuff isn’t fun to think about, the good news is you can get a perfectly workable will quickly and affordably from a service like LegalZoom. Make sure both you and your partner have one and the language in each agrees with the other’s.

Employer benefits

Another administrative thing to spend time to understand: your employer’s benefits around children. All employers are required to provide maternity leave for full-time employees, and more and more are adding paternity leave too. But beyond this obvious one, there are several others worth exploring, particularly flexible spending accounts (for both medical expenses and childcare expenses) and college savings accounts. See what else is out there though, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Everything else

If you take care of heath and life insurance, wills, and employer benefits, you’ve got the big stuff covered. In the U.S., the hospital you deliver in will start the paperwork for a birth certificate and social security card. You’ll need to procure immunization records from your pediatrician for daycare.

Things to discuss before your baby arrives

If this is your first baby, let’s state the obvious: life is about to change. A lot. The more discussions you have with your partner ahead of time, the more you’ll be on the same page, and the smoother the sailing will be.

Here’s a list of things it’s a good idea to discuss:

What are your plans for caring for the baby? When will each of you return to work?
Is daycare a part of the near-term or long-term plan?
What other plans for caregiving will you need?
Will you store cord blood?
What are your hopes, fears, and dreams?

And, if applicable:

How will you prepare pets, siblings, and grandparents for the arrival?
If you’re having a boy, will he be circumcised?

Preparing your home for baby’s arrival

When you think about preparing your home for your new baby’s arrival, your mind may jump to things like covering outlets with plastic covers, installing baby gates, and locking cabinets. But, baby proofing is a ways off—most babies won’t start crawling until at least 6 months.

But there are a few things you can do to prepare your home:

Ensure safety measures are in place and up to date. Now’s a great time to ensure you have fire extinguishers on hand, that smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detecters are in place & batteries have been changed.

Set up your baby’s sleeping environment. You might note we didn’t say nursery—the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies sleep in their parents’ room for at least the first 6 months (though in a crib or bassinet, never the parents’ bed). So, go ahead and set up that cute nursery if you like, but give some thought to where your baby will be sleeping, and how to set up your baby for safe and healthy sleep. There are some great tools and sleep hacks out there that can help your baby sleep longer and move her toward the coveted sleep through the night goal too—we spend our Better Baby Sleep Bootcamp School online course exploring how to get your baby to sleep.

Pro tip—blackout curtains can dramatically increase your baby’s sleep—consider them when preparing your house for your baby.

How to prepare your dog for a baby

Your dog’s world is about to change, too. A few tips:

Now’s a good time to brush up on core skills: sit, down, stay become even more useful.
Break your dog’s bad habits of jumping up on you to greet you, especially if the dog’s on the larger size
Consider getting your dog used to a crate
When the baby comes, introduce him or her to your dog slowly. Let the dog sniff from a distance and watch for a while before the dog gets close.

Here’s the ASPCA with more on how to prepare your dog.

Figure out your parenting education plan

There’s a lot of parenting that just comes natural. Your instincts will kick in and you’ll know what to do. (Trust us, we’ve been there.) But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put in some prep work getting educated—there are definitely things to know before the baby arrives.

Read up. There are shelves and shelves of parenting books out there. Some are good. A select few are good and digestible. Our go-to? The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Caring for Baby and Young Child, Birth to Age 5 (available on Amazon here). It’s a beast, but it’s also organized into age-based chapters and backed by rock-solid information. We’ve also compiled our list of best books for expecting dads here. If you’re more into doing your reading online, here’s our roundup of blogs for expecting parents.

Take a class at your local hospital. Chances are a hospital in your area offers birthing and parenting classes. They’re usually pretty good, include infant CPR, and are quite affordable.

Consider an online course for expecting parents. Ready to go back to school? Turns out, there are some really good options out there for online classes too. Many of these benefit from video lessons, which have a big leg up on reading about things in a book because parenting is, well, a pretty hands on sport, learning by watching can be helpful. Here’s our roundup of the best online classes for expecting parents, and we also offer our own online course, called Father’s Ed, which you can check out here. (You can also try it for $1, here)

Now that we’re educated and have a solid list of things to do before having a baby, let’s begin to answer that big question … yeah but how much is all this going to cost us?

How to prepare for a baby financially

We’re not going to sugarcoat it — kids are damn expensive. You’ve probably read some stat like, “It costs $300,000 to raise the a child to the age of 18.” Well, the most reliable figure we could find was $233,610, oddly published by the US Department of Agriculture.

But that kind of number isn’t particularly actionable and can be quite overwhelming. A better one might be the cost of raising a baby from birth to age one, along with a quick breakdown of the big expenses.

Babycenter provides their own oddly-specific number: $11,195.

But this number can vary wildly depending on where you come in on the big costs, which are:

Ongoing baby expenses

Daycare. Expect to pay $400 — upwards of $1,500 per month for daycare.

Diapers and wipes. $70 — $100 per month.

Formula & solid foods. If you’re formula-feeding, formula will run you $100+/month, solid foods, which start around 6 months, $50+/month.

Clothing, first aid, toys & books, and misc. $50 — $100+/month

One-time baby expenses

Baby gear—stroller, car seats, etc. $1,000 — $1,500+

Nursery and home setup—crib, baby monitor, bedding, etc. $1,000 — $1,500+

Nursing or bottle feeding supplies. $250 — $500+

So … yeah … babies are expensive. But, understanding the costs can help you prepare. Babycenter’s interactive calculator is quite helpful. We also wrote a detailed post on baby budgeting here.

One great way to save money is understanding what you DON’T need. Sometimes we call the baby gear industry the baby industrial complex because it’s so good at convincing new parents to buy stuff. You don’t need it all.

Learn what you don’t need from our baby essentials list.

Let’s talk about what of that gear you should buy before the baby comes …

What to buy before your baby arrives

You definitely don’t need to buy everything before your baby comes, but consider stuff that falls into one of two categories:

Baby stuff you’ll want ready to go on day 1

Your baby’s crib or bassinet. They’ve gotta sleep somewhere, and somewhere safe. Buy a crib or bassinet that meets safety standards, or if you want to splurge for more sleep, check out the Snoo smart sleeper bassinet.

Car seat(s). Again, you’ve got to get your baby home from the hospital, and then transport them around. And we hate to break it to you, but if you have two cars, you’re probably going to need 2 car seats—moving them is a hassle, and can reduce safety if you’re hurriedly trying to install them before each ride.

A one-month supply of diapers, wipes, clothing, and supplies. You’re not going to want to be running out to the store frequently for baby stuff. The more stock you have the better (though, since you don’t know how fast your baby will move to the next diaper size, you don’t want a 6-month supply of size 1 diapers). Quick clothing note: you don’t need fancy stuff. Babies grow fast, people will likely buy you clothes. That 5-pack of onesies from target will be just fine, your baby will still be super cute in them.

Just some of the gear you might consider buying when preparing for a baby.

Gear you can practice with

You might not use this stuff on day one (in fact some of it you can’t without proper inserts), but having it ready and testing it out can be better than trying to learn it after your baby comes along.

A stroller. You will definitely want a stroller. Babies love stroller rides, you will love going for walks for fresh air and getting out of the house.

A baby monitor. Parents were just fine for millennia without baby monitors, but they are pretty darn handy. We go deep on baby monitors here, along with our picks for best baby monitor across several key categories.

Assorted other baby gear. Baby carriers, bath supplies, a nasal suction device—there’s lots of handy stuff out there. Poke around, get educated.

We break down our battle-tested list of baby and newborn essentials here.

Our comprehensive preparing for baby checklist

There is A LOT of stuff you need to do to prepare for a baby. You’ll probably forget something, and things will still be ok.

But, checklists are quite handy when it comes to remembering, and accomplishing, a long list of things.

That’s why we created our comprehensive preparing for a baby checklist as a downloadable, fridge-ready PDF. You can get it, 100% free, plus 3 other bonus checklists from Fathercraft when you join our email list (don’t worry, it’s awesome). Just enter your email here:

Fathercraft’s Baby Prep Checklist

Bonus: how to select a pediatrician—a video guide

In this video, we cover how to choose a pediatrician (and avoid creepy clown noses).

Want more? Get our free 3-day baby prep mini class when you drop your email here:

Receive our free baby prep mini class

Wrapping up & further information

There you have it—our guide to preparing for your new baby. Hope it’s been helpful! Now, go create that to do list before the baby arrives and start checking stuff of your list.

By the way, hi, we’re Fathercraft. We’re a company focused on creating high-quality, research-backed content for new and expecting dads—product reviews, online parenting courses, and more. Learn more here, and check out our YouTube channel here.

Please note: Fathercraft is reader supported, meaning, at no cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy after clicking an affiliate link. Learn more. And, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Holiday gifts for expecting dads — 19 great gifts for new dads

Paul Zalewski — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 00:28:23 +0000

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the guy in your life who’s a new or expecting dad? We’ve got you.

When it comes to gifts for expecting couples, expecting dads are usually either a) an afterthought or b) forgotten entirely. We’re not saying they should be first in line. But, a first Christmas or Hanukkah is a great time to show some appreciation for a new dad.

But what do you get the guy who’s about to have endless love for and from a bundle of joy, but with a whole lot less time and vanishing amounts of sleep?

You know what makes a great gift? Actually useful stuff that an expecting father can use to learn, feel useful, and get support in his journey.

That’s what this guide is about. If you have a new dad in your life, consider one of these gifts before the big day hits, or shortly after for his first Father’s Day as a dad. Each category below is full of helpful, unique, and all-around cool fathers day gifts for soon to be dads.

And, because there are a lot of crap gift guides out there and we at Fathercraft don’t want to be one of them, every single item on this list is one we’ve personally tested thoroughly and gotten value from.

Please note Fathercraft is reader-supported, meaning, at no cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy after clicking an affiliate link. Learn more. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

New dad gift category 1: Useful baby gear

It’s impossible to start a guide on new dad gifts without considering useful baby gear. Who doesn’t want to feel like MacGyver when the little one has a sneezy nose? Oh yes, we’re going there.

Stuff in this section can be particularly useful for fathers to be who are going to be first time dads.

None of the below options is exclusively for dads. We’ve picked each item because they’re fun, techy, and just a good fit for someone who wants to be helpful in any way possible during those first few months and years.

Nanit Pro baby monitor

Baby monitors are, in many ways, the perfect dad gear. That’s because, as every new dad will likely find out, most of them are terrible. With this gift, you can help the dad to be in your life feel useful in more ways than one.

This is their chance to make an impact. The Nanit Pro comes with clear HD vision and sound, along with in-depth analytics and tips on how to improve baby’s sleep. And let’s face it: gadgets are just cool gifts for expectant dads. Talk about a way for dad to feel useful even as they get to play with a new tech toy.

here’s looking at you, kid

Shop Nanit Pro, our top baby monitor pick.

Read our Nanit Pro review

An awesome dad bag

Guys love bags. But maybe not that polka dot diaper bag you got for your baby shower. Getting a dad bag as a new dad gift is a great way to give him something that will inspire him to get the little one out of the house and on an adventure … whether that adventure is to the store, the park, or climbing a peak.

One more important thing … notice we said dad bag, not diaper bag. The difference? Diaper bags are built to only be useful during the diapering stage. They might have a built-in changing pad or wipes pocket that makes them kinda useless after, or they may be not be built to last. A great dad bag, on the other hand, is versatile and durable enough to last for years. How do we know all this? Well, after years of using diaper bags ourselves, we decided to build our own. The Fathercraft Bag combines all our learnings to build the bag dad will be excited to use for years and years.

Shop the Fathercraft Bag

NoseFrida

Stuffy noses suck, and they suck even more when they prevent your baby from sleeping. Their little cries sound heartbreaking, and they just won’t stay asleep. Enter the NoseFrida, both the grossest and maybe most ingenious gift in this guide.

What’s a NoseFrida, you ask? Great question. It’s a suction-based bogie-removing tube. That suction comes from your own mouth. But here’s the thing: it works beautifully. The satisfaction of getting those boogers out and the extra sleep you get make you get over that grossness really quickly.

The NoseFrida, in all its glory

Shop the Nose Frida on Amazon

Read our Nose Frida review

Baby Brezza Formula Pro

If the future dad’s baby will be formula-fed, he’ll probably be involved in feeding it almost from the moment it’s born. That means not just those cuddly moments, but also the responsibility of mixing the formula. Covered in powder and water that’s just a bit too hot, they’ll soon be itching for a better process. There has to be a better way!

There is, and it’s called the Formula Pro. We’ve called it the Keurig of formula bottles, and there really isn’t a better way to describe it. Instead of waiting for what seems like an eternity of making that bottle, you simply fill up the water reservoir and formula container and make the bottle in 30 seconds or less. Works wonders.

Shop the Formula Pro Advanced on Amazon

Read (and watch) our Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced review

The Colugo baby carrier

You can’t just leave babies for a bit while you get some stuff done around the house. Sometimes you just want to have your arms free. That’s why baby carriers are a must for any new family, and a great way for dad to get involved. But you have to get the right one.

We love the Colugo carrier because it’s extremely easy to operate, and actually looks pretty good in the process. It also has pockets so that when you go to the store or work on those dishes, you always have a bottle, wipes, hand sanitizer, and other must-haves closeby.

Shop the Colugo carrier

Read (and watch) our Colugo carrier review

Gifts for expecting dads Category 2: Helping a new dad with that sleeping baby

Sometimes, mom just wants to sleep. Other times, dad does too. What good is the advice to sleep when the baby sleeps when that just never seems to happen? Items that help baby (and, by extension, the parents) sleep tend to make for great new dad gifts.

Snoo

It’s a robotic bassinet that automatically rocks your baby to sleep. It’s designed for those first six months that tend to be especially tough. Tech, plus the added contribution of helping baby sleep–what could be better for first-time dads?

According to its designers, the Snoo increases your baby’s sleep by 1-2 hours every night. It’s a bit expensive, but those extra hours of sleep will become absolutely priceless once the joys of fatherhood start.

Shop Snoo

Read (and watch) our Snoo review

Sleep sacks

Baby experts tell you to swaddle your baby. Anyone who’s tried it will realize it’s just about as easy as becoming an origami master. Good luck. But what if the dad to be in your life doesn’t have to even try, and still get a good, tight wrap on the baby?

With a sleep sack, you can get the same effects as swaddling without all the wrapping. Our favorite is the Sleepea, made by the same company as the Snoo. Try to buy a couple for the inevitable dirtiness. An added benefit: you won’t have to worry about even trying to give your baby a blanket (a big no-no) because a sleep sack will keep her nice and warm.

Shop Sleepea

Read (and watch) our Sleepea review

5s’s Happiest Baby on the Block streaming video

Dr. Harvey Karp is an expert that just keeps being proven right when it comes to sleeping babies. This video, available in streaming form (or, DVDs, if you still know what those are) on the Happiest Baby website, teaches the new dad (and mom) crucial tricks about getting and keeping the baby calm.

It’s one of those videos that seems both obvious and incredibly helpful. There is no magic formula–just valuable information that will be useful for all of the baby’s first few months of inevitable sleeplessness.

Shop the 5s’s streaming video

Baby shower gifts for dad category 3: Books that help prepare a soon to be dad for fatherhood

Any list of dad to be gifts has to include a category on books. That’s no different here, but these options are something special. They’re among the best books for new dads because they’re helpful, different, and sometimes just fun. You can find our full list of the best books for expecting dads here.

Caring for Your Baby and Young Child by the American Academy of Pediatrics

It’s close to impossible to find a new family advice book as comprehensive as this one. In just under 1,000 pages, the AAP goes through just about every possible scenario, every little ailment, and every question expecting parents might have.

The book is not written specifically for dads, but it’s a great option to read through together before and during those hectic first few months. It’s as good as and typically better than Google because you know you can trust the information here. 1,000 pages might sound intimidating, but this book is well-organized so you can read just the appropriate information for any age or situation.

Shop Caring for Your Baby and Young Child on Amazon

Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood by Michael Lewis

The future dad in your life might already know books and movies like Moneyball and The Big Short. What if we told you that the same author, Michael Lewis, also wrote a seminal book on advice for new parents?

Okay, maybe it’s not quite that. Lewis never pretends to write an encyclopedia like the AAP has. Instead, this is a first-hand account of the chaos of new dad hood, full of honesty and humor. If nothing else, it’s incredibly comforting to know that the craziness with a baby in your life is perfectly normal

Shop Home Game on Amazon

Cribsheet by Emily Oyster

Is your gift recipient into sports analytics? Or do they just like to play with some data? Maybe they aren’t afraid to challenge conventional wisdom. In each of these cases, Cribsheet is the perfect answer. It’s full of data, but it manages to make that data fun and approachable.

Most importantly, though, the book is full of great writing. Oyster manages to combine writing and data into a book that takes a closer look at conventional wisdom and confirms or debunks everything a new dad might hear from others. Before you know it, the future dad will quote studies and evidence non-stop.

Shop Cribsheet on Amazon

The Going-to-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

Sometimes, the best father to be gifts are actually for their little ones. With this book, Boynton manages to write a few boards full of content that’s as fun to hear for dads as it is for their little ones.

As its name suggests, this is a book about animals going to bed. But it’s also about subtle puns, clean adult humor, and just plain silliness. How would you like giggling along with your baby and toddler as you read it? That’s what this board book does.

Shop The Going to Bed Book on Amazon

Category 4: Fun and funny Father’s Day, and baby shower & holiday gifts for dads

We’ve covered books, sleep, and baby gear. All those typical soon to be dad gifts make sense, but what if you want to go outside the box? We can almost guarantee that you’ll be the only one thinking of some of these options. They’ll be as unexpected as they are welcome.

Father’s Ed

The gift of education. This one’s for the dads who loves learning, those who want to learn a bit more about what it takes to become a father, and… well, pretty much everything baby related. That’s what makes Father’s Ed such a good gift.

Are we biased? Maybe a little (it’s our course). But we wouldn’t offer this course if we didn’t think it would be relevant for dads-to-be. 32 short, well-organized videos are organized into nine modules will help future fathers prep for the new addition, prepare their house, learn what beard oils to avoid… Basically anything you might need to become a great dad. Because studies have shown you learn better when you’re engaged, we built Father’s Ed as a video course that’s actually entertaining to watch—so long as you’re up for a good dad joke (or dozens of them). The video course is accompanied by an 94-page workbook that’s full of supplemental info, checklists, charts, and more, which ships free (within the U.S.) along with the course.

Who in the world is this guy, and what does he have to do with parenting? Find out by clicking the link.

Shop Father’s Ed

A Fore Fathers Polo

Our friends over at For Fathers specialize in one thing: freakin’ sweet polos for dads. And, owning a number of these ourselves we can tell you first hand: they’re as comfortable as they are stylish. It’s hard to go wrong with any of their designs, but for dad’s first Father’s Day, check out their brand new He Got Kids polo, or choose a hobby-based design like the classic Turf Dad or the Pizza Night, which is a great consolation gift for the guy who’s had his eye on that $5,000 home pizza oven that just isn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Sweet polos? Check. New Balance sneakers? Double-check.

Shop Fore Fathers

A Molekule air purifier

Give dad (and the whole family, including new baby) the gift of clean air. Unfortunately, our world is becoming increasingly polluted—things like pandemics and wildfires that can deposit dirty air across continents and other pollutants can have a real impact on you indoor air quality.

That’s where Molekule comes in. Its FDA-cleared PECO and HEPA filter technology destroys pollutants instead of just trapping them, which has earned them on of Time Magazine’s Inventions of the Year awards.

With that kind of power, everyone in the family can breathe a little easier. And the company’s Air Mini+ is the perfect size (and aesthetic—it looks great too) for your new nursery.

Shop Molekule and Air Mini+

A cryotherapy gift card

Cryo-what?

Is that a support group where dads get together and cry about how hard parenting is? Nope.

Is that where … we’ll stop before this gets too morbid.

In reality, cryotherapy is where the body is exposed to extreme cold (-300 degrees Celsius). It’s designed to rejuvenate cells and speed recovery.

Even with the best of tips, let’s be honest – new parents still suffer from a lack of sleep. This gift will help to recover faster from that, giving new dads a boost of energy for work and play. Plus it only takes about 3 minutes, so it’s perfect for the dad who’s short on time.

A session typically costs $60 to $100, so that’s a good sweet spot for a gift card. Just google ‘cryotherapy near me’ to find a studio that’s close by for this gift so he can shiver his way to better sleep and energy.

DIY babysitting gift cards

If you’ve gone through the joys and worries of new fatherhood, you might have your own opinion on many of the above options. Here’s an alternative: put your own experience and expertise to good use with a DIY babysitting gift card.

With a newborn, everything revolves around the baby. But every now and then, the new parents also just want to get out and enjoy some time to themselves. If you have baby skills, give them the gift of a night full of joy, distraction, and reassurance that their little one is well taken care of.

Skincare from Geologie

Self-care is one of the first things to fly out the window when you become a parent. But parents who take care of themselves are able to better take care of their kids. I’ve gotten into Geologie recently, and (confession) I’ve actually been washing my face twice a day most days which is a major step up. Scientifically-proven, clean ingredients and easy-to-follow, simple routines make them great.

Shop Geologie

Category 5: A hospital bag for dad

The final category is a simple idea all by itself: a hospital bag for dad gift. Just like mom will pack some of her favorites, the new dad might want their own bag full of goodies. Some ideas on what to include:

Healthy snacks that keep up dad’s energy in staying by his significant other’s side during and after labor.
A source of caffeine. Hospital coffee is bad. A frappuccino, energy drink, or other caffeine sources can help with the sleepiness.
Reading material, whether that’s the newest Sports Illustrated or the newest in nonfiction. May we suggest Shea Serrano’s Movies (and Other Things)?
Something to destress. A stress ball works, or it might be a Rubik’s cube. Anything to keep the new dad calm so he can help during labor.
Mouthwash. The last thing anyone wants after 24 hours awake is terrible breath.
Some loose change. It never fails to surprise how well acquainted new dads become with the vending machine in the waiting area.

Well, there you have it: our ultimate guide to cool gifts for expecting dads. Whether you’re attending a baby shower or a slightly nervous expecting grandparent, a great gift for a dad to be can go a long way toward making a couple’s journey into parenthood a lot more smooth, and a lot more of a team effort.

Ultimately, you’ll have to decide what works best. Every new father is unique – some worry more, others just get crazed with excitement. Depending on personalities, each of these gifts works well. And of course, the greatest gift is that little bundle of joy… And the countless sleepless nights that follow.

Need even more gift ideas for the expecting dad? Check out our list of baby essentials.

Becoming a father for the first time

Paul Zalewski — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 01:46:25 +0000

I learned I was going to become a dad for the first time on Christmas Eve. My wife, Jamee, walked into the room and tossed something to me—a pregnancy test. What struck me most about this moment was the wild mix of emotions—joy, excitement, an immediate deepening of the bond I felt with my wife, but also uncertainty, doubt, and fear. Those negative emotions came down to—was I ready to become a father? More specifically, I was worried about 3 things …

Spoiler alert—made it—this is me holding my first daughter, Kenzie, the day after she was born.

Worry #1. I knew absolutely nothing about parenting or babies.

I’d never held a baby or changed a diaper. I didn’t know basic facts that seemed paramount to keeping my future child alive. Babies don’t drink water? What?? Giving honey to a child under a year old can be fatal. Holy sh*t. How was I going to keep this child safe?

Worry #2. I didn’t feel financially prepared to have a kid.

Sure, I had a job. Jamee had a job. We had a savings account with a couple of months of living expenses. But we lived in a loft studio apartment. Where was the baby going to go? Weren’t you supposed to own a house with a yard before your first kid came along? My hang-ups around money and success and becoming a dad hit me hard.

Worry #3. Would I be a good, loving father?

A few recurring thoughts refused to leave my brain.

First—kids, and particularly babies, seemed ludicrously boring. My sister’s first baby came along 16 months before our first. So, at that same Christmas Jamee told me she was pregnant, I have this vivid memory of being at my parents’ house—the whole family was watching my nephew on the floor of the living room. He was doing things that are the precursor to rolling over (but NOT rolling over, mind you). Everyone was like, “Aww, that’s so adorable! He’s fascinating!”. And I was like, good lord, I’m bored out of my mind. Which, caused me to think, “Well, shit, what if I’m bored when my own baby comes along??” What if that statement that you will love this new person more than you can imagine loving anything turns out to just not be true for me? This was not a comforting thought.

Add to that that: I like to work. Actually, if it’s something I’m fascinated by, I love to work. Day jobs & attempted side projects filled much of my time. Being ambitious + being a good dad didn’t compute. Was I going to be one of those guys who was always at the office? Always on the phone with my mind somewhere else when I was supposed to be fully consumed and enamored with watching my baby batting at toys on a play mat or pushing her on the swing? This thought ate away at me.

Worries one plus two plus three (plus more … my brain seems wired to think a bit more about worst-case scenarios than I’d like it to) occupied more time and late-night, can’t-sleep thoughts during those first few months of Jamee’s pregnancy than was probably healthy.

Fortunately, these four things happened over the next few months during Jamee’s pregnancy:

Thing #1: my spouse was WAY more relaxed and light-hearted about the whole thing than I was.

Jamee, from the day that I met her, has been the easygoing one in our relationship. And, the practical joker. While pregnant, she told me she’d decided she didn’t want our baby to have any routine vaccinations with such conviction I prepared for an hour to mount a scientific assault on this position before she told me she was screwing with me.

The point here is if you’re not the one who’s pregnant, it’s hard not to take some cues from your partner who is, and is so darn relaxed about the whole thing.

Thing #2: other people in my life told me to stop worrying.

Several folks deserve credit here, but my most profound memory is a walk with my dad. I shared my fear about perhaps becoming the one dad on earth who feels no emotion when he meets his daughter for the first time. My dad, in his calm, measured way, told me to relax and just wait for it to happen. That helped.

Thing #3: I decided I wanted to be an involved dad.

Something magical happens when you watch and interact with your partner during pregnancy—your connection feels deeper. You feel a grand sense of responsibility to them, and to your unborn child. Somewhere during this journey I just decided that no matter what, I would be an involved dad. My ambition didn’t fade, my desire to work didn’t suddenly evaporate, but this feeling built that I’d be there for my daughter. (FYI, we wrote more on pregnancy for dads here.)

Thing #4: We were gifted the means to get educated.

Sometime shortly after Jamee’s first trimester, we got an Amazon box in the mail. Not having ordered anything, I opened it curiously and found inside a book—The American Academy of Pediatrics Caring for Baby and Young Child, 5th Edition (Amazon). This book is kind of a monster—it’s a solid 2 inches thick, 960 pages. It, according to the gift note on the packing slip, was a gift to me and Jamee from my parents—my dad had asked a friend who was a pediatrician what book to get us.

The book is slightly less intimidating when you find it’s well-organized—a section on pregnancy, on birth, on the first few weeks, and so on. It became our parenting bible, starting during Jamee’s pregnancy. Each night before bed (which got earlier and earlier the closer we got), I’d read some of it out loud to Jamee. They say knowledge is power. For me, knowledge was calming—I knew something of what to expect, and I learned those basic facts that had scared the hell out of me that Christmas Eve when I caught the pregnancy test.

So, things 1-4 calmed me down significantly.

Our first daughter was born at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in August. Unexpected adventures began on day 1—PSL was not our hospital of choice—Jamee went there for a checkup and they wouldn’t let her leave, but that’s a story for another time. It ended well, with a happy, healthy baby girl, and a proud dad who felt feelings (at least some of them) from day 1.

I’m still proud of the first picture I sent to my family:

This had the very intended consequence of royally pissing off my sister, who was dying for the first picture of her niece. And yes, we own a family of stuffed polar bears that mirrors our own—there are now 4 polar bears.

The first 48 hours is likely to be one of the most terrifying and exhausting experiences of your life. I will never forget driving Kenzie and Jamee home from the hospital—pretty sure I didn’t top 25 miles per hour, I know I looked 3 times at each stop sign.

But I can promise you this—a weird bond of unconditional love will grab you and not let go. The experience is not for the faint-hearted. It will challenge you, it will be messy, sometimes it will be heartbreaking, and it will give you moments that make you smile like an idiot in line for the checkout, oddly holding a bag of flour and doing that rocking motion years down the road out of sheer reflex.

They don’t hand you a book of dad jokes and a pair of New Balance shoes at the hospital. Becoming a father may happen in an instant, but, as we sign our emails here at Fathercraft …

Enjoy the journey

… becoming a dad for the first time alters the very fabric of your reality. It is indescribable, and also indescribably awesome.

Words of advice

As a new dad, you are going to get a lot of advice. Some will be good, some won’t jive with you (and some may just be wrong). You are also going to screw up a lot. These mistakes will become solid pieces of wisdom, and like any good wisdom, they’ll come with a few painful memories that make you wince, and hopefully, later you can laugh at them. Two of mine? I let my first daughter crawl off the bed shortly after she learned to crawl. We didn’t take my second daughter to the ER after she broke her leg until the next day (there’s a good explanation, I swear, but damn if it doesn’t pull my heartstrings years later).

So, take our advice with a spoonful of salt. But here goes …

Be patient: your kiddo has been crying all night and the only time they seem to sleep are those few moments in the day when you could be sleeping, but instead have to catch up on everything you’ve been putting on hold. You might get frustrated with your baby, you might feel isolated because you feel like you are alone in this, you might not like yourself for not walking on Cloud Nine all day after being blessed with a newborn. Be patient with yourself, your spouse, and your baby.
Take time to breathe: Sometimes just a few breaths and a little bit of self-care can help fill the tank that feels like it’s always being emptied. Don’t forget to help fill your partner’s tank, too. Things are not going to be easy for everyone, and there is a lot of misplaced guilt that comes with parenthood when it comes to indulging yourself with a little “Me Time.” Tag yourself in, and tag yourself out when you’ve hit your limits.
Communicate: Being parents is a partnership. Remember that neither of you is a mind-reader, and if you are frustrated, exhausted, or experiencing a happy moment, share! See our checklists for some great communication starters.
Things will get messy: with a newborn, you’ll learn pretty quickly that you can clean just about anything off your skin with soap and water. Spit-up, urine, and even bright yellow baby poop will wash off. Diapers will leak and those adorable outfits you struggled to get those wiggly arms and legs into will probably get covered in spit-up.
If you don’t know, ask: asking questions is perfectly okay when you are a new parent. Ask your partner, parents, other parents, friends, and keep your support systems on speed dial.
It’s okay to be scared: From that first weird rash on your baby’s skin, to a moment of dread in the middle of the day when you wonder if you are just making a total mess out of things, fear is a natural part of the journey. It keeps us on our toes and helps our brains solve problems, as well as noticing things that might seem a little off. Recognizing fear and letting it control you are two different things.
Have good boundaries: This includes healthy boundaries with yourself, your spouse, your inlaws, co-workers, and even that new bundle of joy you are bringing home from the hospital. There’s too much to cover here, and entire series of books have been written which cover the subject. Not only is saying “No” a way to establish what you are willing to do and not do, but it also allows your kids to see that they can also stand up for themselves in healthy ways.
Someone is always watching: Kids see and absorb pretty much everything. They also tend to adopt these behaviors into their own personalities, even from a young age. So the next time someone cuts you off in traffic, you stub your toe on the end table, the new neighbor flirts with you, you are stressed about how much the electric bill was this month, just remember that there is someone who is going to see how you react to this situation.
Have fun with it!: This cannot be summed up easily. From the first time your newborn smiles to their opinions on seagulls or a toddler’s critique of the dog’s water (sampled personally), watching your baby grow is an emotional journey, and a lot of it is hilarious. A lot of it will also teach you a lot about yourself and how amazing the world is. Having a good sense of humor about it will get you a lot of miles.

This, gentlemen, is a newborn—my daughter Kenzie a few hours after she was born.

Is being a new dad hard?

Absolutely. But it doesn’t mean the experience has to be miserable. Lots of things we enjoy best in life are hard to do at first. With practice comes mastery, and by the time your kid is off to college, you might just have figured out about half of it! Kidding aside, becoming a father for the first time is something you often learn as you go.

Watch your sister’s kids, or read everything you can get ahold of (here’s our list of the best books for expecting dads), and maybe take an online course for dads (<– we made this one!) but experience is the best teacher. The good news is you’ve got this! It does get easier the more tools you can put in your toolbox. Every tip and trick you figure out is going to sharpen your skills, improve your patience, and make every day that much more enjoyable.

People who never ran a mile in their lives go on to get hooked on marathons. This is sorta like that. Keep going!

What should dads do to prepare for baby?

Besides all of the painting bedrooms, assembling strollers, cribs, and bassinets, and kid-proofing the heck out of your house, there are a lot of other ways to prepare for a baby. (Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey will get you through most assembly instructions). Most of it is going to be emotional. Being open to improvising when plans fall apart, or knowing to respond instead of react to the unexpected is probably the most important. Having a sense of humor about things not going according to plan is very important too. Here is a list of things you should keep in mind as a first time father:

First time father checklist

Becoming a father for the first time might feel a lot like getting tossed into the deep end the first time you learned how to swim. It doesn’t have to be like that. Here is a list of things to keep in mind when becoming a father for the first time. And here are some others too:

Get organized: One of the ways to beat the panic of bringing home a newborn is knowing where everything is when you need it, as well as how to use it. But as Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson used to say, “Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the mouth.” Or maybe that was Sun Tzu and the Art of War?
Get involved: Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. As a first time father, you might have been told a lot of things about the role you play in your family, but being involved in your child’s life is one of the most important things you can do. From rocking them to sleep, to playing with them, feeding, changing, talking with them, or just holding them close on quiet days, being involved in their lives is crucial.
Pregnancy is hard: Your partner’s body is going to go through a lot of changes. From sensitivity, cravings, emotional rollercoasters, weight gain, body positivity/image, gas, morning sickness, and so much more, the best way to approach your partner is through empathy (sympathy?). Resist the urge to be a problem solver. Ask questions like, “how can I help?” or “would you like me to just listen or help you figure out a solution?” But first, read our guide to pregnancy for expecting dads.
It isn’t always about you: You might have gotten to play quarterback much of your life, but now is the time to be the defensive line. Be supportive, show empathy, and know that at the end of the game it probably won’t be you giving interviews in the locker room.
Don’t get squeamish: From pregnancy to childbirth to the process of taking care of a newborn, you are about to see and experience a lot of different body fluids (blood, mucus, excrement, etc.), bodily functions, and you are going to be expected to help. It’s good to have a sense of humor about it, but know your limits as far as commentary and be respectful. Learn to read the room and try not to be a seventh grader about a lot of it. As a personal aside, this was one of the things I worried about most pre-dad … could I handle it? Yes, and I got over myself quickly.
Sleep deprivation: This is actually a tactic interrogators use in POW camps. Your baby has the potential of being considered a war criminal from how much sleep you will lose. This won’t last forever and coping with the hours lost is important to do to stay healthy (and somewhat sane).
Figure out your priorities: Being a father for the first time does not mean having to give up everything you used to enjoy doing. Mostly it becomes a matter of shifting your priorities around. Your partner and your newborn are going to take first priority, which means that you might have to postpone a few nights out with your buddies, that new muscle car you have been eyeing, or pretty much going out anywhere that doesn’t have high chairs. Creative scheduling, working out goals, and time management can still mean you can do the fun things you had planned, but they just get bumped down a little bit further for you and your partner on the list of priorities.
Be considerate: Along with showing your partner empathy, you also need to be humble. Don’t do something nice and inform them that you did this because they are hormonal and unreasonable. You are an observer to the pregnancy process, and no matter how many times someone says “We’re pregnant” you are still not the one who pees a little every time they sneeze.
Get educated: Do your research. From strollers and car seats to swings, wagons, and other gear, you should always do your research. Read up on what other parents have said works and what doesn’t. It isn’t just gadgets and gear, but things such as the best way to bundle a baby, how warm should milk be from a bottle, or the best technique on burping and why it is important to prevent collic. The learning curve is steep, but every lesson is important.
Be helpful: Too many new fathers face the stigma of the generations past emphasizing traditional gender roles. Oftentimes, this meant Dad was off fishing for several months, or busy at work, and he prided himself on never having changed a diaper. We know now that there is a lot of pride fathers can celebrate with stories of changing a horrendous diaper explosion in a grocery store parking lot, or not panicking once the spit up covered your back from shoulder to waist. Or how calm you were the first time you had to take your kid to the ER for a fever that wouldn’t break. Leaving it up to your partner to shoulder all the responsibilities isn’t doing anyone any favors.
Be open to new stuff: Part of that unsolicited advice you will get will be in regards to baby equipment. Your parents might not have used car seats, baby wraps, head-shaping helmets, bassinets, or stroller wagons when you were an infant, but that doesn’t mean that all new equipment is frivolous or unnecessary. Some of this gear is required (such as the infant car seats) while others are just genius and will save you a lot of time and pressure. It’s the same rationale as someone saying “Back in my day, we didn’t need forks! We just ate the spaghetti with our hands!”
Call your pediatrician: there is no point of pride in not asking for help, especially when it comes to your newborn’s health and safety. If you have questions about that baby acne, or rash, or why they aren’t latching properly during feedings, call your pediatrician. We’re so serious about this we made a song about it in our new dad class. It’s your doctor’s job to answer questions. And their 24-hour answering service.

Plenty more new dad tips here, from the ultra-practical to the ultra-important topic of dad joke development.

How does it feel to be a father for the first time?

Lots of different concepts to come mind when thinking of becoming a father for the first time. Terror, isolation, exhaustion, frustration, being unsure of yourself, worry, and inexplicable love for this tiny person who hasn’t let you sleep for weeks. One of the big feelings being a father for the first time will cause is anxiety. This is completely normal.

Whether you are asking yourself if you are screwing your kid up with every breath you take, to looking down the line and imagining their first date coming to the door and being…well, pretty much you in High School, and other harrowing flashes of insight, anxiety holds a tight grip on us. Talk with your partner about these fears, talk to a therapist, and realize that everyone feels anxiety from being a parent from time to time.

We did a whole YouTube video on 8 big feelings you should expect. You can find it here.

Becoming a father for the first time quotes

Sometimes we need some words of encouragement or inspiration. Here are some good ones to keep in mind:

“When you’re young, you think your dad is Superman. Then you grow up, and you realize he’s just a regular guy who wears a cape. ” — Dave Attell
“Of all the titles I’ve been privileged to have, Dad, has always been the best.” — Ken Norton
“It’s an ongoing joy being a dad.” — Liam Neeson
“Never is a man more of a man than when he is the father of a newborn.” — Matthew McConaughey
Fatherhood is the greatest thing that could ever happen. You can’t explain it until it happens; it’s like telling somebody what water feels like before they’ve ever swam in it.” — Michael Buble

What’s next?

If you’re reading this far, we’ve got news for you—you’re going to be an awesome dad. Because you care enough to put in the work. There’s lots more ahead of you, but you’ve got this. And, if you want some more help with it all, allow us to introduce ourselves … hi, we’re Fathercraft. We make stuff that makes this whole parenting thing (even more) awesome. Learn more here.

Editor’s note: this post was originally published in March 2022, but was thoroughly overhauled in November 2024. Fathercraft is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

The Ultimate Week-by-Week Pregnancy Guide for Dads and Partners

Paul Zalewski — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 17:23:26 +0000

As a dad, you can’t take on the morning sickness burden once in a while… so, what can you do? Way more than you might think! Your support can help your partner throughout their pregnancy (and beyond). In fact, when fathers are involved during pregnancy, their partners tend to exercise more, attend more of their doctor’s appointments, and may even show improved mental health outcomes. But you have to know what’s going on.

In this article:

So, whether you’re a seasoned dad just needing a refresher or a first-timer with no idea of what pregnancy entails, we’re here to help with a detailed week-by-week pregnancy for dads. For each trimester, we’ll discuss the changes happening to your baby and your partner, plus tips for what you can do as a dad to support your pregnant partner.

Editor’s Note: This pregnancy guide for dads was originally published in April 2021. It was updated in June 2024 with minor edits after being fact-checked again by Kristan Barczak who also happens to be a pregnant toddler mom.

First Trimester (Weeks 1 – 14)

Pregnancy for Dads 101: You’ve gotta learn how to count the duration. If you missed out on Greek and Latin roots in school, the prefix tri– means three. The most common way to break down the trimesters of pregnancy is through weeks and months. Generally speaking, a pregnancy lasts nine months and some change (technically closer to 10 months) with the first trimester being ~14 weeks, the second trimester being ~14 weeks, and the third being ~12 weeks. The first trimester starts on the first day of your partner’s last period and goes until the end of the thirteenth week. Within the first trimester, the baby and the mother change significantly. Let’s break it down.

Weeks 1 and 2

Technically, your partner isn’t pregnant yet. Medical professionals begin counting “weeks” of pregnancy from the first date of your partner’s last menstrual cycle, so “Week 1” is the week of your partner’s period (a little confusing, we know). But this is still an important couple of weeks if you’re trying for a baby. Sometime after your partner’s period ends, an ovum (egg) will be released into the fallopian tube, during a phase called ovulation.

You can use apps and methods like taking your basal body temperature to try to increase your chances of conception. For example, if your partner has a regular, 28-day cycle, every 28 days, they have their period. Then, approximately 14 days after their period begins, or 14 days into their cycle, they ovulate. Ultimately, this is the best time to try for a baby because your partner is fertile.

What Can You Do?

During this period, keep calm and keep trying for the baby. Also, make sure you’ve tackled a few things:

Preconception checkup
- You may not be pregnant yet, but prenatal care begins long before fertilization occurs. A discussion with your gynecologist, together with your partner, is an excellent way to tackle any health issues. During the preconception checkup, your obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) asks questions about birth control, menstrual cycles, chronic conditions, medication, and diet.
  
  At the end of the consultation, you and your partner find ways to boost fertility, increase the chances of pregnancy, and prepare a safe environment for fertilization to occur. It’s all about the information, and you should take in as much as you can.

Take care of yourself and your partner
- Use this time to improve your physical, emotional, and mental health. At this point, you’re trying “to-be-a-dad-to-be,” but you also need to be a loving and supportive partner. Enjoy sex, cuddle, talk, enjoy healthy food, and go on dates. Of course, make sure you’re on the same page about your pregnancy and child to come.

Insurance and Financial Planning
- If you’re trying for a baby, there’s a chance your insurance coverage isn’t top of your mind. Unfortunately, financial troubles are a quick way to strain through a pregnancy. We advise that you check on your insurance coverage before pregnancy.
  
  Fortunately, most health insurance providers cover prenatal and maternity costs. If you’re a company employee, there’s a chance that your health insurance covers maternity costs. You can also research health insurance covers for your growing family at this point and plan for future out-of-pocket expenses.
  
  Extend your financial planning to other expenses. Besides the prenatal care and insurance costs, you also have to care for a baby. Even if you don’t get down into all the details, it’s a great idea to have an amount in mind. You’ll likely find yourself exploring funds, insurance, savings plans, and business- and let’s be honest… some extra cash ain’t never hurt nobody.

Quit smoking and drinking
- This is a good time to stop unhealthy habits that might harm the baby. Your partner will need to quit smoking and drinking during pregnancy, and, as a partner, you should consider quitting smoking. Even second-hand smoke can harm a fetus.

Week 3

By the third week, your partner’s body is a flurry of activity. Remember the egg released during ovulation? It travels to a part called the fallopian tube. It sits and awaits fertilization. When sperm reaches the ovum and fertilizes it, a zygote forms.

Your partner also may not experience any noticeable physical or emotional changes just yet. However, the zygote quickly divides to form multiple cells. This multiplying cluster of cells is called a blastocyst, and it may be microscopic at this point, but it creates critical cells to form the embryo and the placenta. The blastocyst will start to slowly move towards your partner’s uterus, where it will begin to “implant.” Implantation typically occurs 6-12 days after ovulation, but it’s different for each pregnancy, and it could happen a bit sooner or later. If your partner implanted early, you might be able to get a positive on a pregnancy test during Week 3, but it could still be too early.

What Can You Do?

As the dad-to-be, make sure you continue to be supportive and caring. The wait for the positive pregnancy test can feel intense and emotional for your partner. Try to be understanding and find fun ways to take her mind off the wait.

Week 4

If you’ve gotten this far into the week-by-week pregnancy for dads, you’re already doing great. At this point, implantation has likely occurred and a hormone called hCG has begun to build—this is the hormone responsible for the positive on that test.

Even if your partner isn’t peeing on pregnancy tests at home, they may notice a missing period, which is a good reason to suspect pregnancy. Note: some people experience implantation bleeding. The bleeding usually occurs when the blastocyst burrows into the uterine wall. The bleeding is not severe and is significantly lighter than a period. It’s not a cause for alarm, but sometimes people mistake it for a period.

By the end of the fourth week, you might just have a pregnancy confirmed by an at-home test. Baby is tiny, about the size of a grain of sand.

Before we move on, a quick review of the hormones at play:

Human Chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is a hormone that is produced 6 to 12 days after fertilization, which typically falls in Week 4 or 5. This hormone is formed in the placenta and increases as the pregnancy progresses. This is the hormone responsible for a positive sign on both a urine and blood test.
Estrogen levels also increase. Usually, estrogen helps the body adjust for pregnancy. It affects development in the uterus, breasts, and cervix.
Progesterone: The level of progesterone is usually higher than estrogen. It encourages implantation in the uterus and prevents contractions in the uterus that cause pregnancy loss.

Week 5

In this week, the hormones increase rapidly as the body prepares for the development of the baby. The earlier mentioned hCG rises quickly and sends a signal to the ovaries to stop releasing another egg for fertilization and instead release estrogen and progesterone to help with the baby’s growth. Due to a hormone shift, your partner misses their period (if they haven’t already).

You can also discover pregnancy in the fifth week of pregnancy (again, if you haven’t already). Once you get that positive, call your doctor. Some OBGYNs prefer to go ahead and bring your partner in to confirm the pregnancy around week 6. Others will have you wait until Weeks 8-10. If you need extra confirmation, women’s clinics will often provide free pregnancy tests in the meantime.

Inside the uterus, a baby, known as an embryo, is growing rapidly. The embryo divides into three layers and forms the foundation for the outer skin, the nervous systems, the inner eyes, and the ears. The middle cells give rise to the circulatory system, bone, ligaments, kidneys, and reproductive system. Lastly, we have the innermost layer, which develops into the lungs and intestines.

What Can You Do?

It may be a lot of science to remember, but don’t stress yourself into cramming every bit of it. What matters is that your baby is developing well. Once you confirm that you’re pregnant, there are several things you can do to make the pregnancy easier and safer.

If you’re on laundry duty, wash it with unscented cleaners, especially if your partner complains about strong scents. Use unscented soaps, cut down on perfume, and avoid anything that triggers their nausea until the morning sickness goes away.
Encourage your partner to consume meals high in iron, calcium, and vitamin C. You can also get them prenatal vitamins with guidance from your doctor. Prepare nutritious meals that provide adequate nourishment for your partner and the developing baby. Make sure you include a healthy amount of protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins in each meal.
If your partner is experiencing nausea and vomiting, help them replenish their electrolytes by giving them liquids. Broths, diluted juices, and hot water with lemon can soothe them.

As soon as you and your partner suspect pregnancy, schedule a visit with your OB-GYN. Your prenatal appointments are crucial for your doctor to investigate your medical history (if they haven’t already done so) and deal with any health conditions that may affect your pregnancy’s health. If you have your first prenatal appointment during this week, you can expect the following questions:

Your partner’s menstrual cycle, birth control, medical history, and past pregnancies (if any)
You and your partner’s medical and family histories
Medication used recently
Lifestyle habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and substance abuse
Travel details, especially to areas with malaria, Zika virus, tuberculosis, among other infectious diseases.
The physician also checks your partner’s body weight, blood, pressure, and height. If they feel that your partner isn’t in tip-top shape for the pregnancy, they’ll make recommendations for you and your partner.
The doctor also checks for vital issues such as the Rhesus factor, hemoglobin levels, and immunity and explores infections such as HIV and sexually transmitted infections that affect the baby’s health and development.

Your Baby’s Growth After Week 5

At this point, you will probably be aware that your partner is pregnant. Let’s quickly run through what your baby will go through in the first trimester, shall we?

Week 6

In the first eight weeks of the pregnancy, the baby is called an embryo. In the sixth week of development, the embryo begins to form a curved tadpole-like shape. It also develops the neural tube from which the spinal cord and the brain develop. Also, foundational structures for the eyes, ears, and arms grow. It’s also in this stage that the heart develops! Exciting!

Week 7

The embryo’s head and face grow significantly in the seventh week. The depressions that form the ears become visible, and the retinas start forming. New buds that eventually form the legs rise, and the buds forming the upper limbs develop into pads.

Week 8

In the eighth week of development, the lower limb buds grow into paddles while fingers form on the upper limbs. The head also undergoes significant changes. Shapes of the ears and eyes become prominent, and the upper lip begins to form. The neck also starts straightening out.

Week 9

In the ninth week, you can now call your baby a fetus. In this stage of growth, the baby forms elbows and toes. Their eyelids also become visible. You’ll also notice a larger head and better neck formation.

Week 10

Your embryo is officially a fetus! In the tenth week of growth, your baby’s head grows rounder, and the fingers and toes become less webbed and spread apart. Your baby can also bend their elbows at this point.

Week 11

By the eleventh week, your baby’s head grows broader, and the eyes separate. Other significant developments on the head include low-set ears and fused eyelids. The baby also grows buds that become future teeth. Inside the baby’s body, the red blood cells form the liver. At the end of the week, the baby’s genitalia also starts to grow.

Week 12

In week 12, the baby has intestines. Their facial features continue to develop, and they grow fingernails. Crazy, right?

Week 13

Up until this point, your baby’s head was the most significant part of the body. However, the rest of the body catches up. The kidneys and the urinary tract are functional, which allows the child to excrete amniotic fluid.

Week 14

The baby’s genitals develop, and their biological sex becomes more apparent. The baby’s spleen also begins to develop.

Meanwhile, What’s Happening to Your Partner in the First Trimester?

As the baby develops, your partner experiences more physical pregnancy changes. First, the breasts become swollen, tender, and sore as they adapt to the hormonal changes.
Nausea and vomiting become common as the body adjusts to the hormones. The best way to fight this is to eat in small portions, drink plenty of fluids, and consume fluids with ginger. It’s also best to avoid fatty foods and any foods that cause nausea.
Your partner experiences more urination because the amount of blood increases. The kidneys work more frequently to clean blood.
As hormone levels rise, your partner tends to experience more fatigue. Plenty of rest, nutritious goods, and exercise are helpful.
Pregnancy hormones cause the relaxation of the valve between the stomach and esophagus, which causes heartburn. It’s crucial to avoid spicy meals, chocolate, and fried foods to prevent heartburn
High levels of progesterone may cause slow movement of food, which causes constipation.
Emotionally, your partner may experience mood swings. They may feel anxious, thrilled, and exhausted at the same time.

What Can You Do?

John from Fathercraft doing his research

Start your research!
Now that your partner is approaching the second trimester, it’s time to start preparing for your new baby. We’ve got some great free checklists to get you pointed in the right direction, grab those right over here. Or, if you’re ready to jump in head first, consider an online course for expecting dads, we highlight 13 of the best ones out there here, and you can also check out Fathercraft’s own Father’s Ed—we’re biased, obviously, but we think it’s the most comprehensive and fun of the bunch.
Let your partner get adequate sleep and rest. Take up more chores around the house and ask the rest of the family members to chip in. Also, drive your partner for doctor checkups as much as you can.
Prepare healthy meals for the expectant mother. Include plenty of fluids and fiber in the diet to fight constipation. Try and avoid spicy, fried foods, citrus fruits, and chocolate to prevent heartburn.
Help your partner prepare healthy meals they’re craving, and avoid those that cause nausea.
Be supportive if your partner experiences mood swings you find challenging to understand. Talk to them, listen, and offer compassion.
Visit the OBGYN with your partner to discuss the pregnancy and educate yourself on things dads should know about pregnancy. Remember to ask as many questions as you can about week by week pregnancy for dads to help you feel less anxious or uncertain about the baby on the way.
Attend all first trimester tests and screening. The series of prenatal tests help determine the health of your baby. In the first trimester, your doctor may recommend testing your partner’s blood and performing ultrasounds.

First Trimester Prenatal Screening

Your doctor can check for genetic abnormalities before your child is fully developed. Some of the genetic disorders that can be detected include cystic fibrosis, hemophilia A, Down syndrome, sickle cell disease, and polycystic kidney disease. It’s best to consult your OB-GYN on possible congenital disabilities.

Your doctor will recommend ultrasounds (nuchal translucency) to check for:

Increased fluid in the fetal neck
Growth of the nasal bone. Sometimes, this bone is not detectable in babies with Down’s syndrome. If any of the results from the ultrasounds are concerning, your doctor will recommend you and your partner for genetic counseling.
The due date
Ectopic pregnancies
The number of fetuses in the uterus

Your doctor may also order maternal blood tests in the first trimester to check pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels. Abnormally high levels indicate a problem. The healthcare provider will also test the blood for the risk of carrying a baby with Down syndrome.

What Are The Risks In Early Pregnancy?

Unfortunately, while we all look forward to a great pregnancy, sometimes things do not go as expected. Early pregnancy loss or miscarriage sometimes occurs in the first trimester. Pregnancy loss mostly presents as cramping and bleeding. If you suspect you may be experiencing a miscarriage, you should call your doctor right away. Note: Some women experience light spotting in the first trimester as a normal pregnancy symptom. If your partner experiences spotting (i.e., light bleeding), you should still call your doctor (and they will likely tell you to go to the hospital), but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re experiencing a miscarriage.

Miscarriage occurs in every 1 of 4 pregnancies, most often due to chromosomal abnormalities outside of you or your partner’s control. The risk is highest in the first 6 weeks before it steadily declines as you approach the second trimester. Miscarriage emotionally tough on both partners and physically tough on the pregnancy’s carrier. A few other notes on miscarriage:

Lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking also increase the risk of a miscarriage in the early pregnancy stages. It’s best to avoid smoking and drinking during pregnancy.
Research indicates that the risk of a miscarriage increases with age. In this case, it’s crucial to stay in close communication with your OB-GYN.
Even if your partner is bleeding and cramping, you can only confirm pregnancy loss with a checkup. Sometimes, the symptoms could be a sign of ectopic pregnancy. This is a condition where the implantation occurs in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus and is a medical emergency.

Second Trimester

Congratulations on reaching the second trimester of your pregnancy! The second trimester of pregnancy is between week 14 and week 28. If you’re already in this part of the pregnancy, you can smile a little because, in most cases, the risks of early pregnancy are sufficiently over. Check out our first pregnancy guide for men for more details.

Your Baby’s Growth in Weeks 15-27

The second trimester of baby development is intense, but even still, this trimester is often referred to as the “honeymoon phase” of pregnancy. By the end of this phase, the baby has functional internal systems, growing from around 3.5 inches and 1.5 ounces to 9 inches and 2 pounds. During the ultrasounds, you’ll see your tiny baby growing larger as they prepare to come to the world. At the same time, your partner’s nausea and fatigue are likely easing—but they aren’t experiencing the discomforts of late pregnancy just yet.

Week 15

The baby develops a scalp hair pattern. General bone development is intensifying at this point.

Week 16

The head becomes erect, and the baby starts moving its eyes. The ears also move to the correct position, and the skin thickens. You’ll also notice limb movement during ultrasounds.

Week 17

The baby’s activity increases, and they start rolling in the amniotic sac. They also develop toenails.

Week 18

Congratulations! Your baby can hear by now. The baby also faces forward and has a functional digestive system.

Week 19

In this week of growth, growth slows, and instead, the baby develops a protective coating called the vernix caseosa.

Week 20

At this point in the pregnancy, the baby sleeps and wakes. You may also feel the baby’s movements.

Week 21

Your baby has a fine layer of hair called lanugo which keeps the protective layer close to the skin. Your baby also develops the sucking reflex, which helps them suck on their thumb.

Week 22

In week 22, you can see the baby’s hair and eyebrows. Brown fat also begins to form in sites of heat production.

Week 23

The baby develops fingerprints, and the baby has rapid eye movement. Your baby can also hiccup at this point.

Week 24

Your baby’s skin begins to wrinkle and appears pink due to the blood capillaries on the skin.

Week 25

You baby can respond to your voice. However, the baby spends most of their time sleeping.

Week 26

The baby develops functional lungs.

Week 27

The baby’s nervous system and fat deposits continue to grow. This also marks the end of the second trimester.

Meanwhile, What’s Happening to Your Partner in the Second Trimester?

For most people, the second trimester is easier since the body adjusts to the changes. Nausea and fatigue decrease while more noticeable physical changes take shape. The baby bump also starts showing, and shopping for loose-fitting clothes becomes essential. Did someone say online shopping spree?

Your partner experiences the following changes:

Body aches in the groin, back, and abdomen increase.
Stretch marks begin to appear on the thighs, breasts, and stomach.
A line running from the belly button to the pubic area might arise.

Your partner may experience numbing or tingling in the hands—this is called carpal tunnel syndrome. Fortunately, you can consult your doctor for treatment.
Patches of dark skin may develop on the face, lips, and cheeks—this is called melasma or pregnancy mask.
The ankles, toes, fingers, and face may swell.
Irregular, mild contractions in the abdomen may occur in the evenings, after physical exercise, or after sex. These are called “Braxton Hicks contractions,” and they’re just the body’s way of practicing. Unlike real labor contractions, these shouldn’t be painful and they don’t result in any changes to the cervix.
Nasal congestion may occur due to swelling of the mucous membranes. Saline drops can help relieve nasal congestion, and applying petroleum jelly around the nostrils can help with dryness.
As a result of poor circulation, your partner may experience dizziness from time to time.
The gums may also become more sensitive. It’s best to brush teeth with a soft brush and be careful around the gums (the second trimester is the best time to see a dentist!).
The risk of urinary tract infection (UTI) increases during pregnancy. It’s crucial for your partner to check for discomfort or pain during urination because it could indicate infection. Visiting the doctor is essential to treat UTI and prevent progression into the urinary tract and kidneys.

What Can You Do?

Massage your partner’s back and pain points to help them with pain relief.
Be reassuring and supportive of your partner’s physical changes.
Help your partner consume more fluids or set up a humidifier for them to reduce nasal congestion.
Maintain hygiene, especially in shared bathrooms, to reduce the risk of UTIs.
Help your partner remain observant of the changes taking place. For instance, while weight gain and swelling are normal, sudden weight gain could indicate preeclampsia. If you and your partner are uncertain about something, schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Attend doctor visits and second trimester testing with your partner.
Do more research and read about pregnancy and newborn babies with your partner. We like The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Caring for Baby and Young Child, Birth to Age 5. And have we mentioned checklists can go a long way toward helping you feel prepared?

This is a great time to start preparing! Check out our newborn and baby essentials checklist here.

Second Trimester Doctor Visit Milestones

In the second trimester, you’ll continue to see your doctor every four weeks. They may recommend tests known as multiple blood markers, as well as a few other screenings:

AFP screening checks for AFP levels in the blood. Abnormal levels may indicate abnormalities in the fetus’ abdominal walls, twins, Down’s syndrome, or spina bifida.
Your doctor also checks for hormones such as hCG, estriol, and inhibin A in the placenta through blood tests.
Your doctor may recommend amniocentesis between the 15th and 20th week of the pregnancy to confirm genetic defects and spina bifida. Typically, if blood work returns as “normal,” this won’t be recommended.
You will receive an anatomy scan at 20 weeks. This is where you can find out the sex of the baby if you want! They also confirm that everything is forming as it should.
Your partner will take a glucose test at around 26 weeks to check for gestational diabetes. The glucose drink makes some women feel sick and/or dizzy, so try to drive your partner if you can and plan to clear schedules for the rest of the day.

The end of the second trimester is a cause for celebration as you and your partner move into the third trimester. You can sing and talk to your baby because they can hear you and feel them as they move inside the uterus.

Third Trimester

Getting to the third trimester of a pregnancy is a relief for many parents. By this stage, the baby has grown considerably and may even survive in an incubator if born pre-term. Your partner may generally feel more tired as their belly grows bigger day by day. Fortunately, the end is in sight in the third trimester, and you can start counting down week-by-week pregnancy to the birth of your child or children. Let’s explore the baby’s development in the third trimester.

Your Baby’s Growth in Weeks 28-40

This is the final stage in your baby’s growth during pregnancy. You’ve made it all this way, watching as your partner nourished your baby from a cluster of cells to a moving, breathing being that you can proudly call your child. They don’t call it the miracle of life for nothing, folks.

Week 28

The baby measures around 10 inches and weighs approximately 2.25 pounds by the beginning of the third trimester. At this stage of development, the baby can open their eyes, and their eyelashes are grown. Their central nervous system is also in full swing as it regulates body temperature and breathing movements.

Week 29

As the baby continues to grow, motion becomes more common. Your partner can feel the baby grasp, stretch and kick.

Week 30

The red blood cells inside your baby are busy forming the bone marrow. At this stage, your baby can open its eyes. The head is also healthily developed by this week.

Week 31

The baby begins to gain weight rapidly. The majority of the significant development is already complete by this week.

Week 32

Remember the soft layered skin called lanugo that formed around your baby? It starts to fall off this week. At this point, your baby measures around 11 inches and weighs about 3.75 pounds. Your baby also starts practicing breathing in preparation for birth.

Week 33

Your baby’s pupils begin to detect light and change in size in response to the stimuli. The bones in the body also harden, although the skull remains soft.

Week 34

The fingernails reach maximum development this week. The baby also grows in size and measures around 12 inches and 4.5 pounds by this week.

Week 35

The baby’s skin smoothens, and the limbs grow in chubbiness. Gotta love the chubbiness.

Week 36

The baby is large at this point and consumes most of the space inside the amniotic sac. You’ll notice lots of movement on your partner’s belly as the baby stretches.

Week 37

By this point, your baby will likely have flipped head-down in preparation for delivery. At this stage, the baby weighs approximately 6.5 pounds.

Week 39

In the 39^th week, the baby’s chest is prominent. In males, the testes descend towards the scrotum. The baby also gains fat to keep them warm.

Week 40

Your baby may have a length of 14 inches from their crown to rump and weigh around 7.5 pounds. It’s during this week that the due date arrives and you have to go to the hospital. However, remember due dates may vary, and your baby may come anywhere during this period.

Meanwhile, What’s Happening to Your Partner in the Third Trimester?

In the third trimester, your partner may generally feel more tired because the baby gains significant weight. It can be physically and emotionally challenging to get through this period. Here are some of the changes you can expect in the third trimester:

Braxton Hicks contractions: Your partner may experience more of these mild contractions. Remember, these aren’t the real deal.
Actual labor contractions: As you get closer to your due date, your partner may experience sporadic labor contractions. If they start to occur at regular intervals, don’t stop when changing positions or resting, or are accompanied by vaginal bleeding, call the hospital!
Backaches: As the due date approaches, pregnancy hormones relax the connective tissue around the pelvic area in preparation for birth. Unfortunately, this causes discomfort and backaches. It’s best to wear comfortable flat shoes and avoid movement in this stage.
Shortness of breath: Your partner may find themselves running out of breath frequently. Breathing exercises are recommended to keep the lungs strong.
Heartburns: Pregnancy hormones tend to relax the valves between the stomach and the esophagus. This causes acid reflux, which is irritating.
Prominent veins and hemorrhoids: Your partner may form spider veins along the face, neck, and arms. They may also develop painful varicose veins in their legs and get hemorrhoids in the rectal area. Soaking in warm tubs with witch-hazel helps with hemorrhoids.
Increased urination: As the baby turns towards the pelvis, they place more pressure on the bladder, which causes frequent urination. Your partner may also have leaks when they sneeze, laugh or bend. Save the dad jokes for just a couple more weeks.
The reality of birth, complications, and parenthood begins to set in: Your partner (and you) may be more anxious.

What Can You Do?

As the pregnancy grows heavier and slightly uncomfortable, make your partner as physically comfortable as possible. Get them pillows and backrests to support their lower back. Support your partner in taking more naps… their body is doing a lot of work!
Avoid highly acidic meals, fried foods, citrus fruits, and spicy food to prevent heartburn.
Help your partner elevate their legs and frequently exercise to reduce swelling in the legs. Draw warm baths for them to soak in and relax.
Talk to your partner about the baby, birth, and plans for the child’s future. Make sure you’re on the same page to reduce stress.

Pro tip: Read our full third trimester checklist here.

Prenatal Care

Once you enter the third trimester, your doctor or midwife will ask you to come in every two weeks until 36 weeks. Then, you’ll visit once a week until the baby makes their appearance. Your doctor will assess:

Symptoms of discomfort
Weight gain
Blood pressure
Risk of Preeclampsia: The doctor performs a urine test to find albumin, a protein that indicates preeclampsia.
Risk of Hyperglycemia: The doctor checks the urine for glucose levels
Baby’s heartbeat
Baby’s position in the uterus
Gestational diabetes: The doctor checks all symptoms that indicate the development of diabetes during pregnancy
Group B strep: This bacteria develop in the vagina or rectum and may cause severe infection to the baby. The doctor recommends antibiotics if your partner has this bacteria.
Anemia: during pregnancy, many people develop iron deficiency anemia. If your partner has anemia, they don’t have enough blood cells to circulate oxygen, making them tired.
Your partner may also take an additional shot of vaccinations for diphtheria toxocoid and acellular pertuisis despite their vaccination status to prevent the unborn child from contracting whooping cough.

Birth: What To Expect

There are a few events that will trigger THE big trip to the hospital:

Regular labor contractions occurring every 10-15 minutes apart for at least an hour and that grow in intensity
Your partner suspects their water has broken (it’s not like the movies! Your partner’s water likely won’t break until after contractions have begun, and it’s usually not a whole “scene”—it can be a trickle)
The day of your scheduled induction or c-section has arrived

Labor

First, remember that labor is a natural process, which means it starts and proceeds at its own pace. Most of time, if labor begins naturally, it will start with mild contractions that build in intensity and become closer together.

It’s possible that your partner’s water could break before they feel contractions (although it doesn’t happen like the movies). Typically, this will feel like an uncontrollable trickle of water that doesn’t stop—this is the amniotic fluid leaving your partner’s body. No matter what, you should call the doctor if your partner’s water breaks. They’ll need to be monitored for infection. But if the color of the fluid is green or red, it becomes a bit more urgent. Sometimes, babies poop in the sac. It happens. But it can cause issues. So, just like the classic nursery rhyme: “If it’s yellowish, then we’re mellowish. If it’s red or green, GET YOUR ASS TO THE HOSPITAL!” Or something along those lines.

[Editor’s note: If this you, don’t fret! It actually happens a lot—it happened to me. I was already in the hospital, and I barely knew there was a problem. Our baby was born healthy. That said, it can be a medical emergency, and we are not medical professionals here at Fathercraft, so be sure to call.]

During labor, the contractions cause the cervix to open and soften. These actions allow the baby to move into the vaginal canal. In the early stages of labor, the contractions are irregular. Your partner may also notice pinkish discharge, usually because of the mucus from the cervix. The early labor may last for a few hours or days.

This period is uncomfortable, but until the contractions increase in frequency, you and your partner have to wait it out. You can encourage your partner by helping them:

Take showers and baths
Go for slow walks
Change positions
Have relaxing conversations or listen to calming music
Practice breathing exercises

After early labor, active labor begins. In this stage, the contractions are frequent and intense. The cervix dilates by 3-4 inches. Your partner may also feel:

Pressure in their back
Nausea
Leg cramps
Pain

Active labor typically lasts up to eight hours, although it could go longer. As the pain increases, you can help your partner by:

Helping them roll on a birthing ball
Practicing breathing exercises
Taking warm showers
Providing gentle massages
Changing positions
Taking walks

The final stages of active labor are excruciating and uncomfortable for your partner. Contractions come in around 60-second intervals. They may also feel like delivering the baby at this point (this is called “transition,” and it typically means your partner is dilated 10cm).

Delivery

The birth of your baby could be a few minutes to several hours. It all varies depending on your partner and the baby. If you’re in the delivery room with your partner, the midwife or doctor will ask them to push the baby. It’s a challenging process, even with pain management, and one that requires lots of encouragement and motivation from you. Your partner can push the baby out while lying down, squatting, kneeling, or standing. You may find that your partner starts to doze off between contractions—this is normal and caused by hormones (and exhaustion).

Once the baby’s head is out, the rest of the body follows shortly. Sometimes, the doctor may recommend an episiotomy, a small cut on the perineum, to prevent injury during birth. The healthcare providers clear the airways and cut the umbilical cord as necessary. After the birth of the baby, the third part of labor and delivery begins. Your partner will experience mild contractions and birth the placenta.

The doctors may provide medication to minimize bleeding during the delivery process. After the placenta is out, contractions continue to return the uterus to its normal size. Your healthcare providers will also examine your partner to ensure that their body recovers. They’ll do something called a “fundal massage” to prevent hemorrhaging—it feels nothing like an actual massage and is actually pretty painful, so be prepared for more hand-squeezing. If stitches are necessary, the doctors will do them after the placenta is out.

Epidural

An epidural is a common method of pain relief. Many people request epidurals to help manage the pain that comes with labor. The epidural anesthesia relieves pain in a specific region without blocking total sensations. Before your due date, talk to your doctor or midwife about different epidural options.

Induced Labor

Labor induction is the use of interventions and medication (e.g., “pitocin” or synthetic oxytocin) to induce labor. There are several reasons why your doctor may induce labor:

When the water has broken, but contractions have not started
When it’s past the due date and contractions have not started
When there isn’t enough amniotic fluid around your baby
When the fetus stops growing at the expected rate
When your partner has an infection in their uterus
When the placenta separates from the uterus before delivery
When your partner has medical conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, or obesity
Elective induction: You and your partner may choose to induce labor even when it’s not medically necessary. For this to happen, your baby should be at least 39 weeks old. This procedure may be available to people with rapid deliveries in the past and live far from health centers.

Are there risks of induced labor? As with most medical events, there are. Here are some of the risks you should know:

Failed induction: The procedure may fail, which means that your partner may have to undergo a c-section to deliver the baby.
Low heart rate: The medication used to induce labor causes rapid contractions that affect the baby’s heart rate and lower oxygen supply to the baby.
Uterine rupture: if your partner has had a previous c-section or uterine surgery, inducing labor may cause rupturing.
Bleeding: Induced labor increases the risk of severe bleeding after delivery.
If your partner has had a c-section, undergone uterine surgery, or if the placenta is blocking the cervix, the doctor cannot induce labor.
If the baby is lying sideways (traverse) or buttocks first (breech), your healthcare provider cannot induce labor.

In general, it’s helpful to know that many doctors considered induced labor to be a “high-risk” delivery, so your partner will need some extra monitoring. It’s always best to discuss the benefits and risks with your doctor or midwife when making a decision about induction.

C-Section

What if a vaginal birth does not happen? In some cases, your partner may have to deliver the baby through cesarian delivery or a c-section. This is a surgical procedure that takes the baby out from the abdomen or uterus. For first deliveries, a c-section may not be the obvious option until labor begins. However, if your partner has had a c-section before or develops complications with the pregnancy, your healthcare provider may plan for a c-section. There are several reasons why your doctor may recommend a c-section.

If the labor stalls and the cervix fails to dilate
If the baby is in an abnormal position. If the feet or buttocks are facing the cervix, the baby is in a breech position. If the baby is facing the cervix shoulder first, they’re in a transverse position.
If your partner is carrying more than one baby
If the placenta covers the opening of your cervix
If a section of the umbilical cord comes out of the uterus before the baby
If your partner has health conditions such as genital herpes or heart disease
If your partner has pelvic fractures or fibroids covering the birth canal

What To Bring To Hospital

Sometime in the third trimester, you’ll want to pack the hospital bags. Here’s what we recommend including:

Baby pajamas, swaddles, hats, socks, diapers, burp cloths, baby bottles, and pacifiers if you’re using them (the hospital will provide blankets, hats, diapers, and formula if needed, so try to use their things and save your own)—your partner might want to pack a “going home” outfit for baby
A properly installed baby car seat you know how to use
Loose clothes that are easy to throw on
Comfortable house slippers for you and your partner
Select a calming playlist or bring some essential oils for aromatherapy
Hygiene products such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, pads, shower essentials, underwear, and deodorant
Snacks and a water bottle
Charging cords
Pillows and blankets
Books, laptops, or anything else your partner might want if they’re feeling mellow
Pictures, affirmations, or anything else that might help your partner during labor

Note: The hospital will most likely provide anything your partner needs for postpartum care.

Postpartum

You’ve made it to the end of the pregnancy road, but your partner will still need your support while they heal from labor. The postpartum period is often thought of as the first six weeks after delivery, although research shows it can take up to two years for your partner to feel fully “themselves.”

During the postpartum period:

Your partner may be trying to establish a breastfeeding relationship. You can help by attending appointments with lactation consultants, washing pump parts, and helping position your baby (also: warding off nosy visitors with unsolicited opinions).
Your partner is healing from a vaginal birth or c-section.
- Vaginal birth: Healing period varies based on if there was a tear and its severity. Your partner may also be taking iron supplements to help with the loss of blood. Encourage them to rest as much as possible.
- C-section: Healing period may last longer than vaginal birth, as the incision scar heals. Your partner should exercise caution getting in and out of bed and moving up and down stairs. They may need help with everyday tasks for awhile.
Your partner may exhibit signs of postpartum anxiety or depression. Research shows these signs can present anytime in the first year, up to the fourth year. Watch for signs and encourage her to speak with her doctor if she’s not feeling like herself.
You and your partner will navigate any entirely new family dynamic—ask for help when needed, try to get rest, and remember you’re on the same team.

A note on your mental health

We like to keep things light around here, but you can’t be partner you want to be if you’re not feeling like yourself! You may not have carried the baby, but newborn life can still take a toll on your mental health. Research shows that 1 in 10 men exhibit signs of postpartum depression as well, due in part to change in hormones that you will actually experience, too. Watch out for these symptoms of paternal postpartum depression, and reach out if you need help:

Anger/irritiability/violent outbursts
Disconnection from partner and baby
Loss of focus and interest in activities
Physical symptoms like stomach and back aches
Working a lot more or a lot less
Thoughts of harming yourself or others

If you or your partner need help, call or text one of the following hotlines, or reach out to your doctor:

Postpartum Support International (PSI): (800) 944-4773 (call or text)
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: (833) 852-6262 (call or text)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): (800) 662-4357 (call)

What’s next

Well, you made it! At least you made it to the end of this article. And you and your partner will make it through pregnancy too. And, educating yourself can go a long way toward helping you feel more prepared. That’s what we’re all about here at Fathercraft, learn more here.

The 8 best baby strollers of 2025: From compact to luxury

Mark Zalewski — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 19:52:47 +0000

One of the first big purchases I made as a parent was my soon-to-be baby’s stroller. And to be honest with you, I wish I would’ve spent more time making the decision. We didn’t realize quite how much time we’d spend with our stroller and how much we’d need it to make sense within our lifestyle. There’s a lot to consider:

Do you want it to grow with your family (a question I definitely should have asked, but didn’t)?
Do you need something big and sturdy? Or something more compact?
Do you need your stroller to be compatible with a certain car seat (i.e., do you need a travel system)?
Plan on taking a jog with it (not all strollers are joggers!)?

It can feel overwhelming, but we’re here to simplify the process. We’ve compiled a list of the best strollers of 2025, and we like to think there’s something on this list for everyone… whether you’re pining for luxury, hoping to keep up your workout regimen, or strolling on a budget:

Most versatile stroller: Mockingbird Single-to-Double 2.0
Best compact stroller: Colugo One
Best jogging stroller: Thule Urban Glide 2
Jogger that doubles as everyday: BOB Revolution
Best luxury stroller: UPPAbaby Vista V3
Best wagon stroller: Wonderfold W2 Elite
Best umbrella stroller: Summer Infant 3D Lite
Best budget stroller: Graco FastAction Fold Sport Travel System ($339.99)
Best double stroller: Mockingbird Single-to-Double 2.0

One more thing before we dive into our list of best strollers of 2025: please note Fathercraft is reader-supported, meaning, at no cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy after clicking an affiliate link. Learn more. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

How to choose the best stroller for your family

With so many different types of strollers to choose from you can fit your needs with just about any one of them. First, consider your lifestyle. How big is your home, and how much storage space do you have? How often do you travel? What’s your budget?

Then, consider the age and needs of your children:

Age:
- 0-6 months: Your child isn’t old enough to sit in a typical stroller seat yet, so you’ll want to make sure you have a bassinet attachment and/or that your infant carrier is compatible with your stroller (bear in mind most jogging strollers aren’t safe until your child is between 8 and 12 months–check the weight minimum!)
- 6-12 months: Most stroller seats should work with your child!
- Toddlers and beyond: Many toddler seats can accommodate most children up to 3 or 4 years, but you may also consider special attachments like riding boards
Special needs:
- If your child has special needs, you will want to check with your medical provider for stroller recommendations
Number of children:
- If you have (or plan to have) multiple children you may want a stroller with multiple seats or attachment options

Finally, consider your needs. What accessories do you need? Organizers? Cup holders? With all the different options below, you’ll find a stroller that works for baby and you.

Our top stroller picks for 2025

Most versatile stroller: The Mockingbird Single to Double 2.0

Infant carseat + toddler seat + riding board

If you want to cover more than one base, the Mockingbird Single to Double gets our vote for most versatile stroller.

Why we love it: Built from sturdy aluminum with a utilitarian fabric pattern, cargo sling underneath, and the option to add another seat for another passenger, this stroller is like the Jack of All Trades when it comes to strollers. It’s also compatible with other makes of infant car seat with the use of an adapter (sold separately).
What you need to know: This stroller gets the job done right out of the box, but you could find yourself on a slippery slope when it comes to add ons. $15 here, $30 there, you might be tempted to add another seat, cupholders, snack trays, and even footmuffs.
Our review: In short, a strong buy that would suit any family with plenty of room to grow. You might get nibbled to death by ducks with all the add-ons however.
Price & where to buy: Buy directly from Mockingbird on their website to save some money. It runs about $450 for the single and an addition $120 to add another seat.

Check Mockingbird pricing here.

Read and watch our full Mockingbird stroller review here.

Best compact stroller: The Colugo One

This stroller might just be the one (sorry, bad pun). But seriously—it’s compact enough to quickly fold up into an airplane overhead bin, but equipped with enough features (car seat compatibility! cup holders!) to be your one and only. By the way, head over here deep dive the best travel strollers.

Why we love it: The Colugo One can go everywhere. The market? Obviously (see the above picture). The mall? Sure. An airplane. Why not? Big city stroll? This is the one. Plus, it’s a smooth ride for baby and boasts many of the same features as larger strollers, like the car seat attachments (in the picture above, the little one is sitting in a Nuna carseat). We can break it down with one hand, but we don’t need to worry about it literally breaking.
What you need to know: Colugo has another compact stroller (appropriately named the Colugo Compact) that’s a bit cheaper. But the Compact doesn’t have the same car seat compatibility featured by the One. So, if that’s important to you, it may be worth the extra buck to get the lastest and greatest from this brand.

Read our review of the Colugo Compact if you’re interested in that option.

Our review: If you need a stroller small enough to fit basically anywhere, and you don’t care about the fancier, bigger strollers (see Uppababy for a good contrast), the Colugo One is perfect for you.
Price & where to buy: You can buy directly from Colugo’s website for $395 and receive free shipping and a 100-day trial. Until recently, Colugo was a direct-to-consumer brand, but you can now also buy the stroller on Amazon and at Target for the same price.

Shop Colugo One on Colugo’s website

Shop for the Colugo One at Target

Shop for the Colugo One on Amazon

Best jogging stroller: Thule Urban Glide 2

You can just feel the gentle breeze flowing through that mesh, cooling your child, as your sculpted calf muscles power you past even kid-less runners at the local park

For the parent who just can’t sit still or enjoys the rush of the wind through their hair, the Thule Urban Glide 2 (Amazon) is our pick for best jogging stroller of 2024.

Why we love it: This stroller is an absolute beast when it comes to jogging strollers. With 18″ rear wheels and a 16″ front wheel, this tricycle design lets you cover lots of ground on your daily run over just about any kind of ground. It features a handbrake, spoked wheels, and the harness keeps your kid where you buckled them, so no more surprise exits!
What you need to know: Like many jogging strollers, it is sturdy and built for speed more than maneuverability with a fixed front wheel. Also more expensive than the BOB (below). Reflectors on the body and wheels help provide visibility. Jogging with infants isn’t recommended until at least 6 months of age. Ask your pediatrician!
Price & where to buy: Buy from Amazon, that free Prime shipping is going to help with a big heavy box. The Glide 2 starts at $649.

Check Urban Glide 2 pricing on Amazon.

Read (and watch) our Thule Urban Glide 2 review

Go-to sturdy built jogger: The BOB Revolution

If the last stroller was a beast, this one is a tank. The BOB Revolution (Amazon) is another tricycle type stroller with large wheels and inflatable tires to handle the bumps in the road.

Why we love it: This stroller is a solid build with a handbrake, the ability to convert to a double stroller, and the ability to incorporate other brands of car seats with the use of an adapter. The stroller is built tough for all-terrain use, whether it’s the beach, a mountain trail, or a run through the park. Also often retails for considerably less than Thule (above), our top jogging stroller pick
What you need to know: This stroller is heavy and cupholders come separately. Adapters could be better marked and less confusing to use. Overall, this stroller feels a bit clunkier and didn’t ride quite as well as the Thule (above), hence why it comes in second in the jogging stroller category. But, it does the job, and there’s a reason it’s the 800-lb gorilla of the jogging stroller space …
Our review: Worth the price, durable, and you will use it every day, especially if you are active. It is durable and you won’t feel like you are breaking it when you collapse or open it up. Loved it!
Price & where to buy: You can buy this stroller on Amazon by using our affliliate link! It helps us continue to bring you quality content and also with jelly removal. Right now it starts at $439, but lists as high as $549.

Check pricing on the BOB Revolution (Amazon).

Read (and watch) our full BOB Revolution review.

Best money-is-no-object stroller: UPPAbaby Vista V3(best luxury stroller)

We were big fans of the UPPABaby Vista V2. In fact, we deemed it the “Cadillac of strollers” after spending some time with the absolute beauty. The Vista V3 makes some deisgn improvements while keeping its leather-wrapped handles, noticeably smoother ride, and green-light indicator to show you when your brakes are engaged (if you’ve ever operated a stroller, you know what a big deal this is). The only downside? The new model no longer includes a bassinet with purchase.

Why we love it: The Vista V3 makes things easy. The braking system is operated with a one-foot pedal (plus, you get the fancy green-light indicator), and it breaks down quickly. Plus, it takes care of a few different needs. It’s compatible with our car seat (Nuna), and we used the bassinet stand to use the attachment as a secondary standalone bassinet when it wasn’t attached to the stroller.
What you need to know: This stroller has one genuine drawback—it’s huge. We actually found it to be a bit too big for a trip to the mall. But we used it in plenty of other environments, and we like that it can grow with our family. The V3 also doesn’t include a bassinet attachment.
Price & where to buy: You can buy the UPPAbaby Vista V3 on the company website for $899.99.

Shop the UPPAbaby Vista V3

Best wagon stroller: The Wonderfold W2 Elite

When if comes to wagon strollers, you might feel a little bit like you are playing Oregon Trail again with all the stuff you can haul with the Wonderfold W2 Elite. A two-passenger stroller wagon with built in sun shade that easily adjusts, all sorts of zippered storage panels, and ease of use when if comes to folding and opening on the go, you might not want to go back to a conventional stroller again once you’ve used this wagon stroller.

Why we love it: Not only can you carry two kids, buckled in and facing each other, this stroller wagon makes transporting a sleeping newborn simple when converted to a bassinet. With plenty of storage, leg room, and a sturdy design you can easily maneuver, your kids can enter and exit through a fun hatch, and it folds up neatly for transport.
What you need to know: This stroller wagon is heavy, and though it folds up, it still has a fairly large footprint which could eat up a lot of space in your vehicle. The seats are adjustable, but for laying back you have to slide the seats up, at the expense of leg room. Though the fabric is washable, it might be less time-consuming to spot clean with a wet cloth and soap than it is to dismantle the whole assembly to wash on a delicate cycle.
Our review: Overall a quality stroller wagon that will be a joy to use. With plenty of storage space, solid construction, and clean looks it’s a solid buy, if not on the higher end of the price scale.
Price & where to buy: Starting at $529, you can purchase the W2 Elite on the Wonderfold website or on Amazon.

Shop Wonderfold W2 on the Wonderfold site.

Shop Wonderfold W2 on Amazon.

Read (and watch) our full Wonderfold Wagon review.

Best umbrella stroller: Summer Infant 3D Lite

Umbrella strollers are a common staple in just about every parent’s assortment of kid gear, especially when space is a commodity and comfort can be sacrificed for portability. That isn’t to say that you can’t have those features as well as durable, quality design and the convenience built in. And that is where the Summer Infant 3D Lite (Amazon) shines as our pick for the best umbrella stroller of 2024.

Why we love it: It is a cut above most other umbrella strollers, with ergonomic push handles, a light yet durable aluminum frame, and cup holders, of course! The seat is padded for comfort and features a padded, adjustable five point harness. Unlike other strollers of this type, it features a cargo area underneath the seat and four anti-shock dual wheels. And, all this comes in at just under $100.
What you need to know: A little on the heavy side, the Summer Infant 3D Lite weighs in at 13lbs, but the wider seat means more comfort, especially for bigger kids. The seat features a four position recline for comfort, naps, and relaxation for your passenger. A sunshade keeps your little one protected from the elements when outside. While this stroller is cheaper than the others on our list, it’s not the lowest-price umbrella stroller you can find (and there’s a reason for that—build quality is better).
Price & where to buy: Purchase from Target or on Amazon. Prices start at $99.99.

Shop Summer Infant 3D Lite on Amazon.

Shop Summer Infant 3D Lite at Target.

Best budget stroller: Graco FastAction Fold Sport Travel System

The Graco FastAction Fold Sport comes from a pedigree of tried and tested strollers and other kid gear from mega baby brand Graco. This quick-folding, tricycle type stroller is more like the Honda Civic of strollers compared to the Bee6 above. But it does come with cupholders, a sunshade, and snack tray.

Why we love it: It’s a combo! (Exploding head emoji ) Meaning: this is both a stroller and a car seat, and they work together! Not only do you save money buying as a package, you’ll also get to experience the joy of taking your sleeping baby out of the car and putting her in the stroller without disturbing her slumber — the car seat clicks into a base that stays in your car, and clicks into the stroller base, too.
What you need to know: While this stroller’s wheels are marketed as ‘off road’, we found that to be a stretch. Big rocks and sidewalk bumps can bring the front wheels to a grinding halt.
Price & where to buy: Purchase on Amazon.com through our affiliate link! Prices start at around $330.

Shop Graco FastAction Fold Sport (travel system) at Amazon.

Shop directly on Graco’s website.

Read our Graco FastAction Fold Sport review

Best double stroller (and best stroller for twins)

Our pick for best double stroller goes to a familiar favorite—the Mockingbird single-to-double. Yep, our pick for best overall is also our pick for best double. And for good reason. In addition the what we mentioned above, the Mockingbird has a key double stroller design — it is NOT a side-by-side design. Allow us to shoot you straight—side by side doubles are enormously wide. They’ll drive you crazy trying to Tetris them through doors, they’ll take up the whole sidewalk and cause dogs walking the other way to try and jump into traffic … we could go on. But, just don’t. Get a Mockingbird instead.

What to know. Mockingbird does get pricey when adding a second seat (which is why it’s nice you can do it later if you only have one baby right now). Learn more about the Mockingbird stroller by reading our review.
Price and where to buy. A Mockingbird with a second seat kit retails for $595. You can buy it from the Mockingbird website and Target (note you need to add the second seat kit separately. And you might need to use the search function on Target’s site to find it if you go that route.

Honorable mentions in the double stroller category go to the Wonderfold W2, also mentioned above (though note your kids need to be old enough to sit up on their own for this option), and, for you hardcore running parents out there, BOB does make the Duallie, and absolute beast of a double jogging stroller. Find wide paths for running and prepare to see pedestrians jump for their lives like you’re living a car chase scene in a Bond movie.

Other stroller shopping considerations

Chances are you’re going to be using this stroller through the majority of your child’s early years. Be warned, though—strollers multiply like rabbits, so start with two at your own risk. And unlike random pens and hair ties, strollers can take up a lot of room. Choosing the right stroller will help you cover as many bases as you can without having to add a stroller parking garage to your home. Like any good tool in your garage (or kitchen) a stroller should be good for more than one specific purpose, otherwise, you’ll have a surplus of the things in no time at all. Pay attention to durability, too, if you plan on using your stroller for more than one kid over the years.

Looking for more? Check out all of our stroller reviews here.