Early parenthood expectations can often be overly optimistic, anticipated as a magical time for a family getting to know their new baby.
But for Craig Anderson, mental health challenges meant his early years of fatherhood were a nightmare.
"I felt like I was constantly failing as a parent," he told AAP.
"My anxiety was triggered by being in public places with my son and I started making excuses not to leave the house - I felt physically ill at the thought of it."
Mr Anderson's wife was also experiencing mental health challenges triggered by lack of sleep and difficulty feeding and he felt he needed to push through his own struggles.
Eventually he saw a GP who diagnosed him with postnatal anxiety, something he said was a huge weight off his shoulders.
"Walking into a chat with a professional who told me how common it is for parents to experience this and that it was treatable was liberating," he said.
Research by Deakin University has identified the impact a father's mental health may have on his children, potentially affecting developmental outcomes from birth until the child's early teens.
The study found mental distress in fathers, both during pregnancy and after birth, was associated with poorer outcomes in children's social, emotional, cognitive, language and physical development.
This showed the importance of supporting dads' mental health and wellbeing, especially throughout the first two years of their child's life, research lead Genevieve Le Bas said.
"Mental distress in fathers may be linked to how a child interacts with others, understands feelings, conceptualises the world, and communicates, as well as their physical health outcomes, such as body weight, sleep and eating patterns," she said.
In Australia, one-in-five new mothers and one-in-10 new fathers will experience perinatal depressive, anxiety, trauma or stress-related disorders associated with pregnancy or early parenthood.
This equals more than 100,000 new parents nationally each year, according to the Gidget Foundation which supports the mental health of expectant, new and potential parents.
Dads can feel quite invisible within the healthcare system and are not routinely screened or assessed for mental health in the same way pregnant women are, Gidget Foundation clinical team leader Mathew Aquilina says.
"We need to normalise the experience of perinatal mental health difficulties for all parents," he said.
"Men in general may have difficulty acknowledging that they are struggling and may try to find other ways to manage like drinking more or working more.
"It can be really hard for men to be vulnerable enough to open up about their struggles."
For Mr Anderson, seeking help was one of the best things he could have done for himself and his family.
He and his wife went on to have twin girls, and discussed strategies for coping mentally before they were born.
"The services are there, but the biggest barrier for men is admitting that you need them and not seeing it as a weakness if you do," he said.
"I wouldn't be the father I am today if I didn't take that step to seek support."
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