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PANDA National Helpline: free support for parents who are not OK, from pregnancy through the first year

PANDA's National Helpline, 1300 726 306, is a free, confidential line for expecting and new mums and dads struggling with anxiety, low mood or the shock of parenthood. Hours in Perth time, what happens when you call, and the online checklist.

A young mother walks a pram along a leafy suburban footpath in late-afternoon light, talking on her phone with a faint, relieved smile

Everyone tells you about the nappies and the sleep. Fewer people tell you about the bit where you love your baby and still feel flat, frightened or not like yourself. Or the bit where your partner goes quiet and you don't know why.

A safe baby needs a parent who is OK, or who knows where to go when they're not. PANDA, Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia, runs the country's only national helpline for exactly this. It is free, confidential and open seven days a week.

Call PANDA on 1300 726 306

What it is

The PANDA National Helpline is a phone line for anyone expecting a baby or in their first year of parenthood, and for the people around them. Trained counsellors and peer workers answer. Some of the peer workers have been through perinatal anxiety or depression themselves.

You can talk openly about your thoughts and feelings. They listen, help you work through what's happening, and point you to more help near you if you need it. For parents with more complex needs, PANDA also runs an ongoing care and counselling program.

Who it's for

You don't need a diagnosis, a referral or a crisis. "I'm not coping and I don't know why" is reason enough to call.

When it's open, in Perth time

PANDA lists its hours in east coast time: 9am to 7:30pm weekdays and 9am to 4pm on weekends. It is open on public holidays except Christmas Day.

For WA parents that means:

Early mornings work well. You can call from the couch with the baby on you, before the day takes over.

What it costs

The service is free. The number is a 1300 number: from a landline it costs a local call, and from a mobile it depends on your plan.

How to use it, step by step

  1. Not sure if it's "bad enough"? Do PANDA's free online mental health checklist first. It asks how you have been feeling and helps you see whether extra support could help. It works for checking on a partner too, and it is available in 40 languages.
  2. Save the number. Put 1300 726 306 in your phone as "PANDA" today.
  3. Call when you can. Tell them you are pregnant or have a new baby, and say what's going on, in whatever words come.
  4. Talk it through. The call is confidential. They listen first, then talk about what might help.
  5. Take the next step. That might be your GP, your child health nurse, or a service PANDA points you to.

The PANDA website also has articles and real stories from parents, a section just for dads, and translated information in 40 languages. A Quick exit button on its pages closes the site fast if you need privacy.

When to call someone else

PANDA is not a crisis service.

Your child health nurse also asks how you are going at each check. You can tell them the truth.

Call PANDA on 1300 726 306

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