Advocacy Messages

Well, we've heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child, but it can also take a village to hold a parent. This year's theme, Hold a Parent, reminds us that this can be a challenging time for people when they become a new parent and there is a role for community to play in that.

Just as a parent nurtures and responds to the needs of their newborn, the theme reminds us that supporting parents is a shared responsibility and an essential part of promoting family well-being.

Having a child is a magical time, but it's not always easy. There's always a lot on your plate and for many, depression and anxiety can affect mums and dads across Australia. In fact, 100,000 reported each year.

As a father of three, I know how exciting and rewarding becoming a parent can be. I also know that it can be challenging and no one should feel like they have to navigate all those challenges by themselves.

Being a new parent or experiencing pregnancy loss or birth trauma can be a really challenging time and it's so common to need extra help or support during that time of your life. If that's you, know that you're not alone.

It's perinatal mental health week this week. Perinatal anxiety effects one in five mothers and one in 10 fathers. So you're not alone. Please make sure that you get help if you suffer from that anxiety or depression after having a baby.

Perinatal Mental Health Week reminds us that while we all care deeply for newborn babies, we also need to hold the parent.

I'm so happy to support Perinatal Mental Health Week this week to raise awareness for what's is a really big and growing issue in Australia.

Perinatal mental health work is incredibly important. It's sadly it remains one of the most under recognised events on the health calendar each year.

As a mum of a toddler expecting my second baby, I really do understand the importance of taking care of your mental health, particularly when you're in the thick of it with little ones and it's experiencing perinatal depression is actually a lot more common than what you think.

Supporting new parents means making sure that every parent knows they're not doing this alone, they know where help is. And it means showing up in a non judge mental way and letting people know they're doing a good job.

I'm really pleased to be supporting the Perinatal Mental Health Week in 2026 to support all of those parents who've been suffering and those who might suffer in the future.

This year's theme is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for new parents with the exact same tenderness that we show a newborn.

If you haven't personally experienced it, one of your friends will have because perinatal depression and anxiety effects one in five mums and one in 10 dads. That's around 100,000 Australian parents each year.