New dads · Free practical guides

A new baby. A lot of firsts. One thing at a time.

The first days at home can make the smallest job feel unfamiliar. You do not have to read everything at once. Pick the question in front of you, then come back for the next one.

A good place to start.

Pick the next useful thing.

This collection is for the ordinary, repeated work of looking after a new baby and each other. Start with getting home, then move to the parts you are finding difficult: feeding support, settling, conversations with your partner or the return to work. There is room here for dads who feel confident about some of it and completely new to the rest.

Practical reading has limits. For a concern about your baby’s health, feeding or sleep, speak to your midwife, health visitor or another qualified professional. Do not wait for a community reply when you need urgent help. The support page is there when what you need is a person rather than another guide.

Guides for this stage.

12 free guides

The first 72 hours at home

The hospital had staff, monitors and a button. Your house has you. A blunt plan for the three days that catch everyone out.

Newborn · 0 to 3mo

The fourth trimester nobody mentions to you

The first twelve weeks change her, and they change you. Here is what is actually happening, in plain terms.

Newborn · 0 to 3mo

Safe sleep, without the fear

The guidance is short, boring and worth knowing exactly. It will also let you put them down and actually breathe.

Newborn · 0 to 3mo

Your relationship after the baby

Two people who used to have conversations now run a small logistics company together. What actually helps.

Newborn · 0 to 3mo

Gear: what actually matters and what is a con

You will be sold three thousand pounds of equipment. About four hundred of it does anything.

Expecting · T2

Weaning, briefly

Around six months, food starts. It is messier and less complicated than the internet suggests.

3 to 12 months

The admin nobody mentions

Registering the birth, adding your name, and the paperwork that has actual deadlines attached.

Newborn · 0 to 3mo
03:40

The crying that will not stop

Colic, reflux, and the evening hours that break people. What actually helps, and how to know when to call someone.

Newborn · 0 to 3mo

Holding, winding and settling: the actual mechanics

Nobody demonstrates this properly and every man is quietly terrified of it for the first fortnight.

Newborn · 0 to 3mo

Feeding: how to actually help

Whether it is breast, bottle or both, there is a real job here for you. Most men do not know what it is.

Newborn · 0 to 3mo

Going back to work after two weeks

You return to a job that has not changed, from a house that has changed completely. This is harder than people expect.

Newborn · 0 to 3mo

Jabs, teething and the first proper illness

The immunisation timetable, what teething actually looks like, and the symptoms that mean stop reading and ring someone.

Newborn · 0 to 3mo

Before you dive in.

Is this collection only for first-time dads?

No. It is useful whenever you have a new baby, including when you are balancing a newborn with older children. You can browse several stages without choosing just one.

Where can I ask other dads a question?

The community is for sharing experiences and asking practical questions under a callsign. Keep identifying details out of public posts and use professional services for health concerns.