At COPE, we’re here for you from the very beginning. Access trusted guidance, expert information, and compassionate support as you navigate the journey of trying to conceive.
Coping with loss is deeply personal and painful — COPE offers gentle support, guidance, and understanding to help you navigate this difficult time.
Navigate your pregnancy with confidence using COPE’s expert advice, emotional support, and reliable information tailored for every step of the journey.
Providing you with evidence based information to help prepare and nurture yourself before, during and following birth
Early parenthood can be joyful, challenging and everything in between. COPE provides you with expert guidance and real insights to help you feel seen and supported every step of the way.
Whether you're a partner, friend, or family member, COPE provides guidance and support to help you care for your loved one and yourself through every stage of parenthood.
COPE provides guidance and resources to help workplaces support the emotional wellbeing of expecting and new parents with care and understanding.
COPE offers tools, training, and resources to support health professionals in providing compassionate, evidence-based care to expecting and new parents.
If you're going through a tough time, you're not alone. The COPE Directory is a supportive first step toward finding the right help, close to home and tailored to your needs
At COPE, we believe every parent deserves access to compassionate support and reliable information. Our mission is to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and empower families facing perinatal mental health challenges.
Your support can make a lasting impact. By donating to COPE, you help to provide vital support, resources, and research for families facing perinatal mental health challenges. Together, we can make sure no parent is alone.
Understand when to seek help, how to take the first step of talking to someone, types of support available, plus how to find specialised perinatal mental health support near you.
Becoming a parent is a significant transition with changes in all aspects of your life.
Becoming a parent is a significant adjustment and a time of change in many areas of your life.
You suddenly move from being a couple to being a family. I think women probably adjust more along the way through pregnancy, but for guys, it all suddenly becomes real in the first hours and days after the baby is born.
Many new parents describe feeling an overwhelming sense of protectiveness towards their baby and/or their partner.
It was when I was holding my daughter for the first time that it really hit me: I’m a dad! And we were now responsible for this little person for many years to come.
Your relationship with your partner, family and friends may also change, as can your feelings about your work and hobbies.
The birth of your baby can be an overwhelming experience for many fathers and partners. You may have initially witnessed your partner in pain, yet later feel relieved and overjoyed once your baby has arrived. With most of the energy and attention directed toward the mother and newborn, partners often don’t have an opportunity to discuss the impacts that this may have had on them.
In instances where the birth may not have progressed as planned, or was traumatic, you may find that you have strong memories of what you witnessed. It's common for partners to have lingering feelings of distress but to feel they have to ‘hold it together’ and be the "rock."
These feelings can intensify over time, however, so discussing these thoughts with someone you feel comfortable with can be helpful.
Following the birth, partners often describe feeling a mix of emotions. Initially, this may include feelings of joy, pride and relief once the baby has arrived safely. Feeling exhausted and anxious is also common.
It's important to take the opportunity to rest whenever possible in this early stage. Spend time holding and getting to know your baby while giving your partner time to rest and recover.
While every birth is different, there are a few things that are useful to keep in mind for preparing for labour.
Recovering from a traumatic birth can take time but supports are available to help you recover from birth trauma.
The first days and weeks at home with your new baby can be exhausting and stressful as you adjust to your new normal and your baby's needs - often on very little sleep.
In addition to these practical, obvious changes, there may also be other adjustments happening in your life. Your identity will be changing and so might your friendships and sense of responsibility.
There may be times when you feel stressed, pressured or overwhelmed. Rest assured that you're not alone - becoming a parent is a steep learning curve there's information to help guide you.
Whether struggling or managing well with a new addition to your family, there are a range of ways you can support your partner.
For many fathers, the birth of their baby marks the official 'beginning' of fatherhood - when reality really hits and you see the impact on your life.
The big adjustments that parenthood brings means that you may be on a steep learning curve, so managing stress is another skill to master.
Mental health problems in dads or in partners of birthing mothers is important, as their risk of stress and becoming distressed increases in the months following becoming parent.
Getting help early is very important for you and/or your partner if things seem to be getting stressful.
If you are concerned about your partner, feel they are not coping, here are a some strategies for helping your partner get the support and help they need.
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