Supporting Partners & Support People During the Perinatal Period

What Partners & Support People Might Experience

Partners and support people navigate their own challenges, which can sometimes be overlooked. Common experiences include:

1. Anticipatory Anxiety
   Support people often feel worry about the unknown. This might include fear about the birth, concerns about being “good enough” as a parent, or stress around finances and balancing work with family life. Even small decisions — choosing a pram, planning routines, or picking baby clothes — can trigger anxiety. Anticipatory stress is normal, but if left unaddressed, it can affect mood, sleep, and confidence. Check out our full blog on this topic here
2. Feeling Excluded
   Many antenatal classes, hospital discussions, and parenting resources are birth-focused. Partners may feel like observers rather than active participants. This sense of exclusion can create frustration, guilt, or uncertainty, making it harder to fully engage in pregnancy preparations and parenting.
3. Mental Health Strain
   Partners and support people are not immune to perinatal depression or anxiety. Around 10% of fathers report experiencing depression during the perinatal period, with many more reporting heightened stress or anxiety and many more who just don’t report. This can show up as irritability, withdrawal, or difficulty bonding with the baby. Mental health struggles are often under-recognised because support people may feel pressure to “stay strong” for the family.
   (Source: Beyond Blue – Parenting and Mental Health)
4. Role Shifts
   Becoming a parent or primary support person often changes identity and priorities. Social life, leisure, and personal time may be reduced, and daily routines shift to meet the baby’s needs. Partners can feel pressure to balance their own needs with those of the family, which can be emotionally taxing if unbalanced.
5. Burnout Risk
   Balancing work, emotional support, and active parenting can lead to exhaustion. Sleep deprivation, emotional vigilance, and constant multitasking can leave support people feeling drained, resentful, or disconnected. Neglecting self-care increases the risk of burnout, which can affect their ability to support the birthing parent, bond with the baby, and maintain healthy family relationships.

How to Support Partners & Support People

1. Create Space for Honest Conversations
   Regular check-ins — asking, “How are you feeling?” — normalise their emotional experience and reinforce that their wellbeing matters.
2. Include Them in Prenatal Planning
   Invite support people to attend classes, antenatal visits, and discussions about parenting roles. Being informed helps them feel confident and engaged.
3. Build a Support Network
   Encourage connection with other partners and support people through local groups, peer networks, or WACPPS programs. Feeling part of a community reduces isolation and provides shared coping strategies.
4. Promote Self-Care & Mental Health Check-Ins
   Self-care is not optional. Encourage walks, quiet time, hobbies, or professional support. WACPPS offers pregnancy and parenting counselling tailored to support people.
5. Validate Their Role & Impact
   Partners often underestimate their contribution. Affirming their role in emotional care, practical support, and bonding helps them feel valued and confident.
6. Prepare for Post-Birth Realities Together
   Discuss duties, responsibilities, and communication plans before the baby arrives. Setting expectations early helps reduce emotional tension later. Tools like WACPPS Conversation Cards can spark meaningful discussions about topics families might not otherwise consider.

When to Seek Professional Help

If a support person experiences persistent anxiety, depression, withdrawal, or exhaustion, seeking professional help is important. Early intervention improves outcomes for both the support person and the family. WACPPS counselling provides safe, tailored support for partners navigating the perinatal period.

Benefits for the Whole Family

• Emotional Stability: Supported partners manage stress better and contribute to positive family interactions.
• Stronger Bonding: Engaged, emotionally healthy partners can build strong relationships with the baby.
• Shared Responsibility: Clear communication about roles reduces conflict and burnout.
• Long-Term Resilience: Supporting partners strengthens the foundation for family wellbeing and resilience into the future.