Chris Burns: SMS revolution means dads-to-be will be fully involved on journey to fatherhood

MANY first-time dads-to-be have felt like a bystander during the pregnancy as everybody naturally focuses on the mother and asks her about the baby. But as Chris Burns says, a quiet revolution is under way that’s changing all that.

SA Mental Health commissioner Chris Burns.

• Building fatherly bonds from the womb

THERE’S a quiet revolution in the coffee shops of our suburbs and country towns.

You can find just as many dads as mums out there parking a pram and buying babycinos.

Socialising and sharing time with children was different when I was a young dad. I was considered progressive because I actually turned up at the birth and bathed our baby each night. The role of a dad is changing. And that’s great.

This determination to be a good dad was evident at the recent Baby Expo in Adelaide.

The SA Mental Health Commission’s SMS4dadsSA stall saw hundreds of expectant dads and their partners coming over for a chat and to sign up for our free SMS support service.

They were excited about the transition to fatherhood. But they were nervous, too, and looking for help.

While many are attending medical appointments and birthing classes with their partners, these expectant dads say there is a lot of support and advice out there for expectant mums — but not so much for dads. One first-time dad-to-be told me he felt like a bit of bystander during the pregnancy as everybody naturally focuses on the mother and asks her about the baby.

“I have doubts about what kind of father I’ll be and doubting myself a bit,” another said.

Yet more so than previous generations, we know a dad’s bond with his baby is vitally important for the development of the child’s mental and emotional wellbeing.

To assist those families, the Commission has teamed up with the University of Newcastle to bring the SMS4dadsSA pilot project to SA, with excellent support and resources from the Adelaide Primary Health Network; Child, Adolescent & Family Health Service (CaFHS) and Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA).

SMS4dadsSA provides free advice and support for those dads-to-be whose partner is at least 20 weeks pregnant.

The texts are tailored specifically for the age of the unborn baby and the texts continue until the baby is six months old. They are designed to help dads build a connection with their baby, support their partner and look after themselves.

Many texts are in the ‘voice’ of the baby: “At 20 weeks my eyelids and eyebrows are forming and I can even blink! Not much to see here, but lots to look forward to.” Every three weeks, a mood checker is used to see how the dads are travelling — this is particularly important when you consider that one in 20 dads will suffer from anxiety and depression before the birth and one in 10 after. We are seeking dads to enrol in the pilot program by going to sms4dadssa.com.au.

■ CHRIS BURNS IS THE SA MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSIONER