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New Dad: The First 90 Days
The first three months run on short sleep, so the things that matter most need to be written down before you need them. This pack covers the car seat and safe sleep, the first checkups, when to call the doctor, a plan for the crying, family leave basics, and how to look after your partner and yourself.
What's inside
- A before-the-baby-comes-home list: car seat, sleep space, phone numbers
- The checkup schedule for the first two months and the fever rule for babies under 3 months
- A crying plan you can follow at 3 a.m. when you're running on empty
- Federal family leave (FMLA) basics, and who qualifies
- Warning signs after birth to watch for in your baby's mother, and help lines for both of you
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The sections
- Before the baby comes home 7 items
Do these in the last few weeks before the due date, while you still have time and sleep.
- Weeks 1–2: home and the first checkup 6 items
Keep the list short: safe sleep every time, the first checkup, and knowing when to call.
- Weeks 3–6: your crying plan 8 items
Make this plan now, while you're calm, and put it where you'll see it in the middle of the night.
- Weeks 7–13: the 2-month visit and your leave 7 items
The days may feel more familiar now, but the sleep rules stay the same.
- Taking care of your partner and yourself 9 items
If your baby's mother is in the picture, these months are also her recovery. If you're raising the baby on your own, the last two lines and the box below are for you.
Facts in it come from American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Hear Her campaign) and Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, each checked Oct 15, 2026 and listed at the end of the pack.