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.
The challenge of managing a new baby is likely to bring some level of stress and anxiety in fathers from time to time as you take on new adjustments
The demands of having a new baby can bring some level of stress and anxiety into your life. Sleep deprivation, juggling work and home and supporting your partner's transition to parenthood can be exhausting and challenging. Generally, this will be transient, and the feelings will pass on their own with time.
If, however, you're feeling ongoing tension, worry and stress that’s making it difficult to function from day to day, then you may be experiencing postnatal anxiety.
Anxiety is the broad term used to refer to a range of conditions which have a number of common symptoms including:
Feelings of fear and worry which begin to ‘take over’ your thinking
Feeling irritable, restless, tense or constantly ‘on edge’
Racing heart/strong palpitations or a tightening of your chest – sometimes leading to panic attacks
Reoccurring worrying thoughts such as that you are not a good parent or that something terrible will happen
Unable to sleep – even when you have the opportunity
Avoiding situations for fear something bad will happen.
If you're experiencing a number of these symptoms, then you're not alone.
Anxiety is the most common type of mental health problem affecting one in five men in their lifetime. Some men will experience anxiety for the first time after having a baby.
Take our free and anonymous Anxiety Self-Check
It is also very common to experience anxiety and depression at the same time. In fact, in up to 50 per cent of cases these two conditions co-occur. Thankfully the treatments for both conditions are similar and can address both conditions at the same time.
Anxiety disorders can be safely and effectively treated. It is recommended that you seek help early – so that you can identify and ‘nip it in the bud’, rather than wait until any worrying thoughts and feelings start to take over.
Depression in fathers is common, affecting up to one in ten dads - but help is available.
There are a range of safe and effective treatments available for anxiety and seeking help early can bring a faster recovery.
If you require support for mental health conditions, this may be subsidised under Medicare.
Getting anxiety under control can improve your quality of life and overall experience of parenthood with your new baby.
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