Learning that you’re going to be a father is one of the most exciting pieces of news that you’ll ever get. That doesn’t mean, however, that poring over dry instructional books on pregnancy and childbirth is particularly stimulating. Thankfully, the advent of smartphones allows a father-to-be to stay involved and educate himself about the changes in his partners’ and his child’s body in an interactive, entertaining way. These are the ten must-have iPhone apps for expectant fathers, from the informative to the amusing.
1. mPregnancy – For Men With Pregnant Women – At ten weeks gestation, your baby is 3cm long. In guy-speak, that’s the size of a beer cap. This is just one of the ways that mPregnancy explains the process in funny but useful terms, keeping it light and geared towards the male pregnancy experience.
2. Labor and Contraction Timer – While this app will really only come in handy at the end of your partner’s pregnancy, it’s still not one that you’ll want to be with out. Timing the duration and spacing of her contractions, as well as recording the intensity, gives you a heads-up when it’s time to go to the hospital.
3. The Guy’s Guide to the Delivery Room – Even the most eager expectant fathers are likely to have a few qualms about the delivery room, most borne of fear and inexperience. The Guy’s Guide to the Delivery Room is spelled out in clear, easy to understand language that lets you know exactly what to expect and how to prepare for your little one’s big debut.
4. iPregnancy – Written by an actual OB/GYN, iPregnancy is one of the most popular pregnancy apps on the market. Track your baby’s gestational age, learn what your partner is experiencing with each week that passes and integrate the app with Facebook and Twitter for easy social networking updates.
5. Baby Names – One of the things that has to be decided is your baby’s name, otherwise she’ll never get a driver’s license or a job, and will never move out of your house. Baby Names lets you browse through thousands of names with several different sorting features to narrow the search, saving your favorites and accessing their meanings.
6. PatPat – Baby clothes and other accessories can be expensive. This app helps parents find insane deals on top-trending clothes, shoes, accessories, toys, electronics, home goods, and more for you or your baby. The apps creators select each product and cut out the middleman so you can get what you love at the highest quality and the lowest prices around.
7. Baby Pool – Dads-to-be that know the line on every sporting event in the foreseeable future are sure to get a kick out of Baby Pool, which allows your friends, family and coworkers to place bets on your baby’s gender, size at birth and the date and time that the blessed event occurs.
8. Pregnancy (Sprout) – Choose a 3D avatar and watch it grow each week along with your baby with Pregnancy (Sprout). You can even assign the avatar a gender when you learn that of your upcoming bundle of joy, and enter the name you and your partner decide on for a customizable and impressive iPhone pregnancy experience.
9. Kinedu – Created by experts in child development with years in experience operating childcare centers, Kinedu joins parents in the journey of their babies first years. It provides a field guide of nourishing and meaningful interactions, Kinedu allows parents to harness their children’s learning potential during their early years with a personalized developmental roadmap. It includes activities tailored to the child’s based on both age and indicators of development. The 550+ activities are also easy to follow.
10. UrbanSpoon – When those pregnancy cravings for a specific style of cuisine hit your partner, save the day by pinpointing the best match closest to you with this top-rated local restaurant app. You’ll be feeding them for at least the next eighteen years, so it’s a good habit to get into.
Initially published on BellyitchBlog.com
