Clinicians say that they do not have much time to explain how dads can connect with their baby. Dads tell us that they see lots of information for mums but nothing much for the dads which is unfortunate as that reinforces the idea that mum should do everything. We have partnered with Centre for Perinatal Psychology to illustrate these brief messages and add some explanation that the dads can take away, or that you can give to the mum to pass on.
We hope you find them useful.
The SMS4dads messages use ‘the voice of the baby’ during the pregnancy to remind dad of his connection to the person growing inside his partner’s womb. Postnatally, messages offer prompts to be physically close with his baby and curious about his baby’s mind.
4dad: I might be moving about now. Can we start playing? You can feel me push and talk to me too
4dad: You can often see personality at a very early age. What do you already know about me as a person? What does mum think I will be like?
After receiving this message:
4dad: It’s never too early to start reading to me dad. The benefits are huge for both of us
a dad of a 16 week old texted back to SMS4dads;
“I don’t generally like it when people tell me what to do but when she asks me to read to her, well, what could I say”.
The idea for this campaign came from Bonwyn Leigh at the Centre for Perinatal Psychology In Melbourne during our collaboration designing visual resources for SMS4dads messages. You can see and download these resources below.
We take the babies’ perspective within the SMS4dads texts but we also encourage policy-makers, services and clinicians to imagine what the baby might want from their father. In many policy areas and services this thinking is missing. You can read a detailed conversation between clinicians on this topic in this paper: Lim, I., McMillan, H., Robertson, P., & Fletcher, R. (2023). The missing father: why can’t infant mental health services keep dads in mind?. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 44(4), 467-476.
See our post; ‘If babies could talk to Treasury about fathers’ and book into the 2026 Infant Mental Health Symposium 11-12 June 2026 in Brisbane where Richard and Bronwyn will be presenting the work undertaken to develop the new resources.
Richard’s research revealed possible long-term negative impacts on the children of dads with mental health issues. Fathers’ depressive symptoms in the first year after the birth predicted behaviour problems in their children years later.
“If dads’ mental health has such a dramatic impact then we need to be screening dads for depression, not just mums,” Richard explains.
In response to these limitations, Richard and his team have designed a smart-phone based program that allows mobile connection for new and expectant dads.
Participants receive texts containing information and links, and self-report their mood. If the mood tracker identifies dads as needing extra support, they will be offered a phone call from a counsellor trained in this area.
Following the success of the pilot of the SMS4dads program, Funding was received to enable a National roll-out.
“When dad’s miss antenatal classes or activities, they also miss out on contact and links to other people. They may never get the chance to say to anyone, look I’m really stressed,” he points out.
“SMS4dads is a way of bringing dads into the health system and keeping them linked in with services and support,” explains Richard.
Richard credits a varied career, a talented and innovative team, and much life experience for affording him the insight needed to address the challenges related to actively engaging dads.
After completing his masters in Medical Science, studying epidemiology, Richard earned his PhD focusing on fathers and attachment.
“Fathers are invisible in many places, and that is endemic. Not because people dislike fathers, but because the system is set up to be focused on mothers.”
Some services and organisations are aware of the need to engage dads, but have been unsuccessful in their attempts.
“When people are challenged about this, they generally want dads involved,” Richard affirms.
“Often, however, they just don’t know how to do it.”
Richard works with health professionals on issues related to fathers, and has delivered many antenatal programs for expectant dads.
He credits his own family with giving him an understanding of the role of fathers needed to make his work relevant.
“I have three daughters and two stepdaughters,”
“My kids would say they taught me just about everything I know and they’d be right. They’ve taught me a lot, and still do.”
Richard’s research revealed possible long-term negative impacts on the children of dads with mental health issues. Fathers’ depressive symptoms in the first year after the birth predicted behaviour problems in their children years later.
“If dads’ mental health has such a dramatic impact then we need to be screening dads for depression, not just mums,” Richard explains.
In response to these limitations, Richard and his team have designed a smart-phone based program that allows mobile connection for new and expectant dads.
Participants receive texts containing information and links, and self-report their mood. If the mood tracker identifies dads as needing extra support, they will be offered a phone call from a counsellor trained in this area.
Following the success of the pilot of the SMS4dads program, Funding was received to enable a National roll-out.
“When dad’s miss antenatal classes or activities, they also miss out on contact and links to other people. They may never get the chance to say to anyone, look I’m really stressed,” he points out.
“SMS4dads is a way of bringing dads into the health system and keeping them linked in with services and support,” explains Richard.