Here’s a list of my go-to resources for dads-to-be — books, podcasts, classes, and more — for guys who want real depth, not just “bro” jokes and dad-joke merch.
The men I work with as a doula and prenatal teacher often request info that focuses on the dad’s journey, nurturing their relationship with their partner during pregnancy, birth and more importantly, life as a family. They mostly want to be good dads and thoughtful partners who maintain their identity along the way.
They want to be strong and helpful birth partners. The most common thing I hear from 2nd time parents who just winged it at their first birth, is that Dad felt “so useless”. There’s a lot men can do to prepare to be a great birth support while also going through their own journey to fatherhood.
Years ago I taught a prenatal class in Canmore just for dads-to-be. I walked in with a script full of research and facts. Three minutes in, I threw it out. Turns out the dads didn’t want facts — they wanted real-life advice, a safe place to “ask the questions they couldn’t ask in front of their partner”, and a private space to just chat with me and each other about this big journey. I loved teaching that class!
Over the years I’ve also learned that many dads love to share their birthing story but are not asked to do so. At the school-bus stop, at recess, or the grocery store, many dads told me the stories of their babies being born. They were eager to share, even after several years, and had never shared their story.
Now more men are talking about birth and parenthood. It’s a good time in history to be a dad!
My recommendations are biased toward resources that are not just silly jokes and dude/bro vibes. Those can be fun and are a dime a dozen. However they often insult the intelligence & competence of men and sometimes women too, and rarely provide any info of real value in thriving through this big journey.
Resources For Birth:
- Class: My Easing Labour Pain class. It’s about the best 2hrs a couple can spend on preparing for the intensity of birth and working together. Basically I prepare pregnant women for birth while also teaching partners how to do birth support.
- Get a doula! Research shows heterosexual couples with a doula have significantly more eye contact and touch between them during birth. A good doula will support the birthing person while also helping couples work together.
- I also teach a great prenatal series that includes many tips for partners.
- Book: “The Birth Partner” by Penny Simkin is pretty much the gold standard of birth support. Even doulas read this one. It’s likely an audiobook too.
Resources for Pregnancy and Parenthood:
Full disclosure. These have been recommended to me and I’ve checked them out, but not thoroughly enough to promise there won’t be political or religious slants that might not suit. I’ve never seen anything to suggest that, but that’s my disclaimer.
Online Classes: Dad Ready, a completely free, self-paced antenatal course built by Gareth Wall, specifically for dads. It covers pregnancy, preparing for birth, supporting a partner, newborn care, bonding, feeding, sleep, dad mental health and those first weeks at home. In addition to the online classes, Gareth offers one-on-one sessions for dads.
Books:
Anything by Armin A. Brott. His book (also an audiobook), The New Father: A Dad’s Guide to the First Year (3rd Ed) is a good place to start. (Note – financial bits are American based.)
Podcasts:
- Armin Brott does a podcast for dads called Mr. Dad.
- The Dad Edge Podcast by Larry Hagner
- Dad in Progress by Movember
- Intentional Fatherhood Podcast
Websites:
- https://thefatheringproject.org/fathering-channel/
- https://www.fatherly.com/
- https://www.makeuseof.com/dad-sites-for-fathers-find-parenting-advice-practical-tips/.
Forums:
https://www.reddit.com/r/predaddit/comments/17u4e77/new_dad_resources/: Some great support and info sharing here for expecting fathers. Some fluff too and some scary stuff- it’s Reddit – but I’ve been impressed with the conscious sharing in this group.
Blogs:
There’s an interesting list here from https://manofmany.com/culture/advice/best-dad-blogs
Please let me know if you enjoy any of these and also if you find others you like. I like to keep a running list and we all learn from each other.
Pregnancy & Birth Support, Online Prenatal Classes & Preparation 