; (2) peer-to-peer, father-to-father encouragement and support; (3) involving fathers in prenatal and postpartum care; (4) providing fathers with information about what to expect before, during, and after birth, and how a father can better understand and support their partner, as well as to help the mother and father bond together as a parenting team; and (5) educating and engaging fathers in conversations and guidance about mental health, breastfeeding practices, health care appointments, safe sleep, physical touch, and father-child bonding and early childhood development; Whereas 1 in 5 women experience a PMAD, with suicide being the leading cause of preventable maternal deaths; Whereas the added support of father engagement reduces the risks of PMADs and contributes to— (1) a lower chance of preterm birth; and (2) a healthier birth weight; Whereas the support of the father during pregnancy can help promote cessation of smoking, drinking, and drug use in the mother; Whereas father involvement during pregnancy has been linked with a 36 percent reduction in smoking in a mother; Whereas increasing outreach for fathers to join group prenatal care models and to attend prenatal and postnatal appointments will help prepare both parents and create opportunities for the parents to view pregnancy and parenting as a team effort; Whereas evidence shows that when fathers are involved during pregnancy appointments and milestones, mothers are 1.5 times more likely to receive prenatal care in the first trimester, which improves health outcomes for both the mother and baby; Whereas the participation of the father during prenatal care appointments provides the mother with additional support to recognize potential pregnancy-related complications that could lead to maternal morbidity and mortality, such as— (1) preeclampsia; (2) preterm labor; (3) PMADs; (4) pregnancy loss or miscarriage; (5) stillbirth; (6) high blood pressure; (7) cervical infections; (8) gestational diabetes; (9) placental abruption; (10) ectopic pregnancy