There’s only such much you can do to prepare for the birth of a child. Seasoned parents will advise you to prepare an overnight bag for hospital visits, including a change of clothing, toiletries, and other essentials. When Katie and Andrew Cohen had their first child in 2022, a fellow dad pulled Andrew aside and warned him about sleeping on the hospital couch, sharing that it was a “brutal” experience.
With this insider knowledge, Cohen packed a mattress topper, and it changed his entire experience—and ultimately inspired a new product launched earlier this year: the Dad Pad.
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“Those long hours of support suddenly became so much more bearable, and even the nurses commented on how smart it was,” Dad Pad Chief “Dad” Officer Andrew Cohen says. “That little hack opened my eyes to an unmet market need. If one dad’s ‘hack’ could make such a difference, why wasn’t there already a simple, purpose-built solution for all dads?”
Together, the husband-and-wife duo refined the idea, tested prototypes, and eventually patented the name, all while raising their growing family. What started as a piece of practical advice shared among new parents has now evolved into a dual-purpose product: a hospital-ready go-bag (including a pad, sheet, and bag with room to pack other essentials) that can be used as a play pad around the house once kids grow a bit older.
Dad Pad launched in 2025 and is available for $75 (with free shipping) at officialdadpad.com. Crafted from durable Polyfoam and sized at 75 by 28 by 2 inches, the product weighs 1.8 pounds alone, or 5.8 pounds when packed with its custom-fitted sheet and duffle bag. Cohen, who serves as president and partner of Moosylvania, a full-service marketing agency, says the Dad Pad helps new fathers be rested and ready to help their newborns and the mothers who give birth to them.
“Moms are obviously doing the incredibly hard part, so we want to help dads everywhere be rested and ready to help across the entire process,” he says. “When you’re sore, sleep-deprived, and running on fumes, it’s harder to be fully present. The Dad Pad changes that. It’s lightweight, portable, and designed specifically to fit those tough hospital beds. It means dads can actually sleep, recharge, and be there in the way their partner and new baby need them most.”
Dad Pad is already working with local hospitals, Obstetrics & Gynecology offices, and the Ronald McDonald House Charities to support the many parents who will be in and out of the hospital for weeks or months at a time, watching over and caring for babies in the NICU, among other reasons. Their goal is to continue getting pads into parents’ hands, and they’ve already donated several.
The Cohens themselves had the chance to use their product first-hand in September, as they welcomed their third child, Ellie. And with Katie’s blessing, Andrew ended up creating some social media content in real-time to promote the product while using it in the hospital. The goal? Bring some humanity into the delivery room.
“We leaned on empathy, practicality, and humor because, the reality is, sometimes dads need backup, too,” he says. “It was about creating something that felt supportive and approachable, without taking itself too seriously.”
