Dads go through this too.
Postpartum Fathers started because almost nobody talks about what new fathers go through, or how hard it is to hold a family together when your partner is struggling.
Why this site exists
The months after a baby can be much harder than anyone expects. Postpartum depression can bring a lot of crying, arguing, and days when nobody in the house feels like themselves.
Through all of it, there is very little out there for fathers. Dads are often expected to stay steady while everything around them changes. Very few people ask the dad how he's doing, and many dads never think to say.
When a mother is going through postpartum depression, it often takes a toll on her partner too. Dads end up carrying everything at once: the baby, the house, work, and a partner they're worried about. Fathers whose partners have postpartum depression are at higher risk of becoming depressed themselves (see the research). It isn't weakness. It's what happens when one person is holding up a whole family.
If your home feels like that right now, with tears, tension and fights over small things, that doesn't mean your relationship is broken or that you're a bad father. Postpartum depression and anxiety affect the whole family, and they are common and treatable.
This site exists so the next dad who goes looking for answers has somewhere to start, with real resources and no judgment.
If your partner is struggling, or you are, you are not failing, and you are not alone.
What we believe
- Fathers' mental health matters, for their own sake and for their kids.
- Asking for help is strength, not weakness.
- Supporting a partner and taking care of yourself aren't in competition.
- This is a long-term commitment to dads, families, and kids.
Who’s behind this
Postpartum Fathers is a volunteer project run by David, a dad. He isn’t a doctor or a therapist. The facts on these pages come from Postpartum Support International, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institutes of Health, and the guides link to them. Nothing here has been reviewed by a clinician. Spot a mistake? Email info@postpartumfathers.org and it gets fixed.
Get in touch
Email info@postpartumfathers.org. This is a small volunteer project, so replies can take a while, and nobody is watching this inbox for emergencies. If you're in crisis, call or text 988.