PapaPath

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A warm companion for dads-to-be — helping them understand, support, and grow with mom and baby, one week at a time.

Inspiration

PapaPath was born from a simple observation: pregnancy is a journey for two people, but too often only one person carries most of the responsibility.

Through conversations with expectant mothers and fathers, we discovered a common pattern. Mothers were managing symptoms, preparing for appointments, researching medical information, and carrying much of the emotional and mental load. Fathers, meanwhile, often felt anxious, uncertain, and unsure how to help. They wanted to be involved, but lacked a clear roadmap.

This inspired PapaPath: an AI-powered pregnancy companion designed specifically for expectant fathers. Our belief is simple: if fathers can become more informed, emotionally connected, and actively involved, they can provide better support and indirectly reduce risks for mothers.

What it does

PapaPath helps fathers move from passive observers to active partners throughout the 40-week pregnancy journey.

Each week, the app explains what is happening to the baby, what the mother may be experiencing physically and emotionally, and most importantly, what the father can do to help. Instead of overwhelming users with generic pregnancy information, PapaPath provides personalised, practical, and actionable guidance.

With the mother’s consent, PapaPath can analyse information such as sleep quality, mood, symptoms, fetal movement, and health records. It then generates a simple “Mum Status” summary and a personalised action plan for the father. This helps dads quickly understand what needs attention and how they can provide meaningful support.

PapaPath also includes a Dad Hub, where expectant fathers can learn from experienced dads, connect with others at the same pregnancy stage, and follow a shared 40-week journey roadmap. In addition, the Medical Portal is designed to support safer communication between families and healthcare professionals by organising relevant pregnancy information in one place.

How we built it

We started by identifying the real user problem through conversations with mothers and fathers. From these insights, we designed PapaPath around one core question: “What does the father need to understand and do right now?”

We built the product concept around three connected parts:

A weekly pregnancy journey that explains baby development, mother’s condition, and father-specific actions.
An AI-powered “Mum Status” system that turns pregnancy data into simple summaries and guidance.
A community and support layer through Dad Hub and the Medical Portal.

The AI layer was designed to translate complex pregnancy information into language that is easy for fathers to understand. Rather than simply presenting data, PapaPath focuses on interpretation, prioritisation, and action. The goal is to help fathers know when to comfort, when to help, when to prepare, and when to encourage professional medical attention.

Challenges we ran into

One major challenge was designing for both parents at the same time. PapaPath is built for fathers, but it must always respect the mother’s privacy, consent, and emotional comfort. This meant we had to think carefully about how data is shared, how insights are presented, and how to avoid making mothers feel monitored.

Another challenge was balancing medical information with practical support. Pregnancy involves sensitive health data, so PapaPath should not replace doctors or provide unsafe medical diagnosis. Instead, we focused on helping fathers understand signals, recognise when something may need attention, and support better communication with healthcare professionals.

We also had to make the experience emotionally supportive rather than intimidating. Many fathers already feel nervous or underprepared, so the app needed to feel warm, clear, and encouraging instead of clinical or overwhelming.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that PapaPath addresses an often-overlooked user group: expectant fathers. Many pregnancy tools are designed mainly for mothers, while fathers are treated as secondary users. PapaPath gives fathers a clear role, a weekly roadmap, and practical ways to contribute.

We are also proud of turning the broad idea of “support your partner” into specific, personalised actions. By combining AI summaries, weekly guidance, and father-focused recommendations, PapaPath helps dads understand not only what is happening, but also what they can do.

Most importantly, we are proud that the product is built around empathy. PapaPath is not just about tracking data. It is about reducing emotional burden, improving communication, and helping families feel more prepared together.

What we learned

We learned that many fathers want to be involved during pregnancy, but they often lack confidence and clear guidance. The problem is not always a lack of care; it is often a lack of accessible, father-specific information.

We also learned that support during pregnancy is not only medical. Emotional support, shared responsibility, better communication, and timely preparation can all make a meaningful difference to the mother’s experience.

Finally, we learned that AI is most valuable when it turns complex information into simple, human-centred action. For PapaPath, AI should not just summarise data. It should help fathers understand context, priorities, and the next best step.

What's next for PapaPath

Next, we want to further develop PapaPath into a more complete pregnancy companion for families. This includes improving the personalisation of weekly action plans, expanding the Dad Hub community, and refining the Medical Portal for better communication with healthcare professionals.

We also plan to explore stronger consent and privacy controls, so mothers can decide exactly what information is shared and how it is used. This is essential for building trust.

In the future, PapaPath could support more stages of the parenting journey, from pregnancy to birth preparation and early childcare. Our long-term vision is to help fathers become confident, informed, and supportive partners from the very beginning.