Mark Chen will be the first to admit that when his son Leo was born in February 2026, he had no idea what he was doing. 'I'm an engineer. I like systems and data. But newborns felt completely unpredictable and chaotic. I couldn't find the system.'
His partner, Jess, was recovering from a C-section and taking the lead on breastfeeding. Mark was handling everything else — nappies, settling, soothing, and trying to be as useful as possible during a time when he felt largely helpless. 'I kept forgetting when Leo last fed, how long he'd slept, when the last nappy change was. I felt like I was failing at the basics.'
The Turning Point
A friend recommended Lettora at a three-week check-in. Mark downloaded it that afternoon. 'Within 24 hours, I had a log of everything — times, durations, nappy types. I could see Leo's patterns starting to emerge. As an engineer, seeing the data made me feel like I understood something for the first time.'
"By week six, I knew Leo's natural wake windows, his average nap length, and approximately when he'd want his next feed. I stopped reacting and started anticipating. That changed everything." — Mark
What Mark Does Differently Now
Mark reviews Lettora's weekly summary every Sunday with Jess. He logs every feed, sleep, and nappy change — even the ones he doesn't do (Jess logs from her phone). He uses the Smart Schedule as a starting point each day and adjusts based on Leo's cues. 'I'm not rigid about it — Leo runs the show. But having a framework means I spend less mental energy wondering what comes next and more energy just being present with him.'
Parenting doesn't come with an instruction manual — but it does come with data, if you're willing to track it. For Mark, finding a system didn't make him a less intuitive parent. It made him a more confident one. And for a first-time dad flying blind, confidence was everything.
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