Best Apps for Dads-To-Be

Cost: $0.99

This app, based on the best-selling book of the same name, offers helpful advice and information geared toward the dad-to-be, mostly centered on pregnancy milestones. It offers a month-by-month look at what's going on inside the belly and with pregnant women in general. It offers glimpses of current pregnancy news, and has pretty hilarious and honest audios of men offering advice. It's not the only pregnancy app dad-to-be will want, but it is informative and just about the right amount of info for men to understand what's going on without delving into too much of the nitty-gritty.

Cost: $4.99

Yes, this is on the pricey side for an app, but can a pregnant woman really put a price on doling out tasks in real time? If you have an unbearable craving for Rocky Road ice cream, you simply pick up your phone and add it to you man's list for quick delivery when he sees it on his phone. HoneyDo is a popular task manager that helps you keep track of your own to-do list and manage others. When creating tasks, you can have a quick IM chat to answer questions, add sub lists (such as a grocery list under the "get groceries" task), check off tasks that are done, and offer fake gifts as incentives (such as love, money, a beer, or cupcakes). All in all, this is a neat app for a bustling household, and allows busy moms-to-be to get it all done with help.

Cost: $2.99

When you read to your man from the pregnancy books, do his eyes glaze over in boredom? This app has a way of keeping his attention with a combination of accurate information and humor. Although it's not as comprehensive as some others--it doesn't have a contraction timer or other similar tools--it does have an informative section of FAQs covering random but helpful topics like the foods that are off-limits during pregnancy. Plus, you'll find weekly development stages and growth charts comparing the size of the fetus to things like a beer bottle, a pizza, and a football. Guys will also love the scoreboard that keeps track of days left till the little one arrives.

Cost: $4.99

Dads-to-be can take over in the kitchen with cooking tips and more than 2,000 recipes from Mark Bittman's best-selling cookbook of the same name. They're easy enough to follow for guys who don't cook, yet interesting enough to inspire those that do to mix up their repertoire. Its general guidance can help a complete novice figure out how long it takes to cook rice, and it provides a good mix of simple and more time-consuming recipes. Other features include shopping lists, a cooking timer, easy searching, and recommended quick recipes.

Cost: Free

Dads-to-be may never get the opportunity to experience a contraction, but as their partner endures them, at least they'll be able to lend a hand with this app. In stopwatch fashion, it measures the time between contractions and the length of the contraction, helping couples decide when they should hit the road to the hospital and letting them know what stage of labor they're in. Large start and stop buttons are displayed for easy visibility and use, and the contraction tally for the entire labor is straightforward, informative, and easy to understand. Although this app really comes in handy just on the labor day, it's a good idea for dads-to-be to give it a try beforehand.

Cost: $1.99

Chronicle the baby bump with the PhotoBook Kit app, and create a nifty keepsake for the family. Using the photos taken from your phone, you can create an original book with up to 24 pages, add your own designs to the cover or choose from templates, and make your own photo portfolio. The element that can be most helpful is the growth chart, which can be fun to use to compare baby bump photos taken from month to month. This tool also comes in handy to chart your new baby's growth after he arrives.

Cost: $2.99

Although it's not an ideal everyday baby monitor (you have to leave your phone in the baby's room so can't use it while they sleep), this is a handy app to have in a pinch. When your baby makes noise for a designated amount of time, your phone automatically calls your home phone or another number you set, letting you know he's awake. It has other cool features as well, like a logging element (how long the nap was, how long he made noise for), and it will record Mom or Dad's voice or use any sleep-inducing mp3 file you have to soothe your little one.

Cost: $1.99

Time to start working on the baby's nursery? This handy app is here to help with five different tools for building that crib and working on other projects you may have. You'll have a plumb bob, a surface level, a bubble level bar, a steel protractor, and a steel ruler at your fingertips. You do need to calibrate the app before using the tools, but then you can get building--no tool belt required.

Cost: $0.99

How many movies have featured new dads fainting in the delivery room? Not only are men about to see their newborns for the first time, but they're also confronted with medical terminology and an uncensored live birth that could make anyone a little queasy. The Guys Guide to the Delivery Room app is a cool training tool to prep men for the big day. It walks them through different delivery room scenarios in relaxed, easy-to-understand man-speak, including things like the stages of labor they can expect and detect, how to make a birthing woman comfortable, and information about episiotomies, C-sections, and more, making it an excellent supplement to a birthing class.

Cost: Free

Pregnant women can be finicky when it comes to dining out, and you might as well pack in the date nights before the little one arrives. The Urban Spoon app makes it fun for both of you to decide on a restaurant in your area. You can search under different headers, such as type of food, price range, and area, or you can choose the "shake" option, meaning you shake your phone and it chooses an option for you. If you or the pregnant woman in your life doesn't like the choice provided, just shake again. Restaurants are reviewed and rated by other users, so you often know what you're getting into.

Copyright © 2011 Meredith Corporation.