Dads feeling their unborn babies kick? Yes. It can really happen. No, we don’t mean in that, “I’ll just put my palm on mum’s big belly” way. Instead, a video created by Huggies shows a tech-tool that actually allows daddy’s-to-be to feel kicks on their own bellies.
Made as a Father’s Day greeting commercial for Huggies Argentina, the company built a special belt that transfers the feeling of baby’s kicks from mum to dad, especially for couples who are expecting.
How do these bands work?
The belly-covering belts detect movement in mum’s womb. When baby starts kicking, the signal is sent over to dad’s band. Dad doesn’t feel the same kick, but he does get a light-up display and a vibrating pulse (in the same belly area where baby has kicked mum. The result? Dad can literally feel every little move. The experience is a once in a lifetime moment for these dads, which is clear by their expressions.
With millions of Facebook views, the video dad’s day ‘card’ isn’t just a tech-minded showcase – it’s a tear-jerker too! The couples (who are real parents, not just actors) share their heart-warming reactions to the belly belt, and show just how special this device is for the dads. With nothing more than a hand to the belly, dads are often left out of the more intimate parts of pregnancy. Instead of standing by and letting mum do all the bonding, Huggies’ belt lets dads in on the action. One dad exclaims, “I can feel him” as the band lights up.
Kimberly-Clark (the parent company of Huggies) spokesman Eric Bruner told Today Parents, “We think it’s a new and different way for dads to experience the emotions of pregnancy and it’s certainly worth highlighting in this special time of year.” Bruner added, “We’re very pleased with the response on this video and the emphasis that it puts on dad’s experience during pregnancy.”
If you’re wondering where you can get one of these daddy-to-be devices, Huggies isn’t exactly ready for a mass market release. They developed the band specifically for this commercial, and have no plans to produce one for the public. Despite the video dads’ tears of joy, sweet sentiments and obvious joy (in feeling their babies teeny tiny little kicks), the commercial is where this ultimate would-be baby shower gift ends.
For now dads will have to stick to the traditional routes when it comes to pregnancy – watching that belly grow, using their hands to feel the growing little guy or girl move around and treating mum like the queen she is (this includes late night ice cream runs)!
