Baby prep planner

become the proactive dad your family deserves

Join 1,000+ expecting dads confidently taking lead on baby prep with our all-in-one master planner.

Get a detailed checklist of everything you need to do, buy, and pack before baby arrives.

“As first-time parents, there are so many unknowns that it can be overwhelming. But having a clear roadmap of tasks made it way less daunting. And we loved how the shopping list and product recommendations saved us from hours of online research.”

Tristan and Danyelle — Reno, NV

Look inside baby prep hq

NEW BONUS

baby budget Calculator

35% of expecting dads say financial readiness is their biggest concern as they prepare for fatherhood.

Our Baby Budget Calculator will empower you to plan ahead for all major baby expenses and give you much needed peace of mind.

Our calculator will help you:

  • Create an overall budget for baby’s first year

  • Find savings opportunities

  • Log expenses and stick to your budget

You’re not the first expecting dad to ask “How can I help?”

When my wife got pregnant with our first kid back in 2020, I had no idea how to be helpful.

What’s my job during pregnancy? How do I best support my wife? What do we need to buy? How do I make sure we don’t forget anything important?

As I talked to more dads, I found out that I wasn’t alone. And while we can’t help grow a baby, we can help tackle the rest of the to-do list and lighten the mental load for our partner.

Our Baby Prep Planner takes the guesswork out of baby prep and gives you step-by-step guidance to become the proactive partner that your family needs.

John McBride, Co-Founder of Fatherhood Unlocked

why does this matter?

Pregnancy is physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting for mothers. They are likely to experience nausea, fatigue, mood swings, physical pain, anxiety, and countless other unpleasant symptoms.

You can’t lighten the physical load for your pregnant partner, but you can lighten their mental load. And if you want to understand the scope of that mental load, check out this viral Instagram reel that really hit the nail on the head.

why 1,000+ expecting dads CHOSE TO LEVEL UP WITH OUR PLANNER

  • 1. Your Partner Needs Help, Dude

    Imagine the look on your partner’s face when you’ve already tackled the baby prep, without her having to constantly remind you. This planner empowers you to take the lead, showing her that you’re fully invested in supporting her and preparing for your baby’s arrival. By being proactive, you’ll reduce her stress, boost appreciation, and deepen your connection — setting the tone for how you’ll navigate parenting together as a team.

  • 2. Save Time & Reduce Overwhelm

    Stop drowning in information overload. Between blog articles, social media advice, and endless Amazon reviews, figuring out baby prep can feel like a full-time job. We’ve already done 100+ hours of research across two pregnancies, so you don’t have to. With everything boiled down into simple, actionable steps, you’ll be able to focus on what matters most — your partner and your future child — instead of stressing over details.

  • 3. Find your baby gear essentials

    It’s easy to overspend on baby gear you don’t actually need. Our planner makes sure that doesn’t happen. With our carefully curated shopping list, you’ll know exactly what to buy — so you can invest in high-quality essentials that truly matter, while skipping the unnecessary extras that waste your time and money. We’ll help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure that every dollar you spend is on something that will genuinely help your baby and family.

“Very early in pregnancy it was clear how unequal our experiences were. She was dealing with morning sickness, exhaustion, and she couldn’t even enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day any more. I knew I wanted to step up and I was so glad I found this planner. It gave me the confidence I needed to take lead on more projects and really contribute to the preparation process.

Dillon — Marin, CA

here’s exactly what you get with baby prep hq

14 day money-back guarantee

We’re so confident in the Baby Prep Planner, we’re offering a 14 day money-back guarantee. Just email us within 14 days of purchased and we’ll issue a full refund — no questions asked.

Frequently asked questions

  • Ask 10 expecting moms what their number one complaint would be about their partner during pregnancy. 9/10 would say that their partner didn't pull their weight and relied on them to educate them about pregnancy and baby prep.

    Pregnant moms are already feeling exhausted, nauseous, emotional, and anxious about their pregnancy journey. They shouldn't also need to project manage all of baby prep.

    So with this planner, you can be empowered to actually step up and take on your fare share of the work. And give her some much needed rest and peace of mind. I guarantee she will be immensely grateful and it will help you to build a great foundation as a parenting team.

  • Yes, Baby Prep HQ is designed to save you hours of research and planning. Instead of spending countless hours searching online or making to-do lists from scratch, you get a comprehensive, expert-vetted roadmap, all in one place.

  • Yes, absolutely. With our carefully curated and deeply researched shopping list, you'll avoid wasting money on unnecessary and low quality products.

  • The planner was originally created by Niki Nikatos, who is married to Fatherhood Ready co-founder John McBride.

    She is a highly organized, detailed-oriented, and a total overachiever.

    This planner is the product of:

    • 3 years of motherhood experience and 2 pregnancies

    • 100+ hours of online research

    • Weekly conversations with other moms (IRL + in Facebook groups)

    It’s incredibly well researched, informed by dozens of conversations with other moms, and crafted with tons of love.

  • You could do that, but it will take you dozens of hours thoroughly research and vet the thousands of different free lists and resources out there.

    You should also be cautious about trusting most online shopping guides, because they are making advertising revenue off your purchases. That means their goal is to get you to buy more stuff, so they make more affiliate dollars.

    We don't use affiliate links and don't make any money off your purchases. Our only goal is to help you save time and money.

  • The planner is hosted in Google Sheets, which we found to be the easiest and most intuitive way to give people access to the planner.

    All you need to access the tool is a Google account. And to make your life easier, I would recommend downloading the Google Sheets mobile app so you can use the planner on your phone.

  • Baby Prep HQ can still be a game-changer! It ensures you haven’t missed anything important and helps you organize your remaining tasks efficiently. Plus, it can introduce things you may not have thought about.

    Think of it like an insurance policy to give you total piece of mind.

  • Absolutely! That's exactly what it was created for and is how we used it during both our pregnancies.

    The planner includes columns tracking:

    • Who is responsible for the task?

    • When is it due?

    • What's the status?

    This makes it really easy to divvy up the work, keep track of how things are progressing, and not need to keep checking in with each other.

  • Not at all! Baby Prep HQ is just as valuable for experienced parents who want a simple, efficient way to prepare for their next baby, without reinventing the wheel.

    We just had our second baby 6 months ago, and I can tell you firsthand that we forgot about 90% of what went into baby prep. We immediately pulled out this planner and knew exactly what needed to get done.

  • Great question! This planner is very comprehensive, but also allows for customization based on your personal beliefs and needs. So feel free to add stuff, remove stuff, or ignore things that don't resonate with you.

    That said, here are some of our core values on pregnancy prep and parenting that informed this planner:

    • We follow the modern, evidence-based recommendations when it comes to pregnancy, birth, and infant care

    • For product recommendations, we focus on high-quality, non-toxic materials that are safest for baby

    • We are proactive planners, so we tend to plan ahead for many scenarios and don't like to wait to the last minute