DadPad launches in NHS Highland
In a first for Scotland, the DadPad app was launched last week in NHS Highland.
Initially developed as a hard-copy resource in 2012 by Inspire Cornwall CIC, a Cornish-based community interest company, it is now available in a number of areas in the UK as an app.
The DadPad app is an easyto-use resource that is free to download and has been developed with the NHS to provide support and guidance for new dads and dads-to-be.
New dads will feel excited, but may also feel left out, unsure and overwhelmed. The DadPad has been designed to be used as a quick reference tool to enable new dads to enjoy their babies and feel more confident about fatherhood.
Susan Ross, perinatal mental health advanced nurse with NHS Highland, said: “DadPad is packed with relevant information, as well as details on local support groups and service providers.
“Its aim is to provide new fathers, whether it is your first child or not, with guidance on how to develop the mind-set, confidence and practical skills needed to meet their babies’ physical and emotional needs.
“Building a strong attachment enables dads to better enjoy their new role and contribute towards positive long-term social, health and educational outcomes for their babies.
“The app, which is available across Highland and Argyll and Bute, also provides dads with guidance on how to seek support and help, when needed, for themselves and their partners as they adjust to their new roles and cope with the physical and emotional strain this can place on individuals and relationships.”
The app covers including:
▍ Feeding, holding, changing and cleaning your baby
▍ Surviving without sleep and coping with crying
▍ Getting to know your baby
▍ Home safety and first aid
▍ Looking after yourself and supporting your partner
Julian Bose, director of Inspire Cornwall CIC, said: “The DadPad was created because babies don’t come with topics a set of instructions and dads told us there was important information they wanted to be given on what to expect and how to care for their baby.
“We listened to what dads, their partners and health professionals asked for and combined it all in the DadPad.
“With technology playing such a big part in everyone’s lives today, developing an app to complement the existing DadPad seemed the obvious next step.
“This has opened up a world of possibilities in delivering new content and features and, crucially, getting updates and news out to dads quickly and easily. We are delighted to have been given the chance to launch DadPad in Scotland for the first time, with the help and support of the Perinatal Infant Mental Health Team at NHS Highland, and to get this resource available for all new dads and dads-to-be across the Highlands and Argyll and Bute.”