Most of us expect that having a child will bring us closer to our partner, but in reality, the opposite can be true. Research by Drs. John and Julie Gottman has shown that about two thirds of all couples experience a significant decline in their relationship satisfaction during the first three years of their child’s life.
Some of the challenges that new parents face include feeling unappreciated by their partner, having more frequent and intense conflict, a decrease in physical and emotional intimacy, changes to their identity as they try to reconcile their pre- and post-baby selves, and shifting values and goals. Many parents also report feeling isolated, including fathers, who are often overlooked by some of the new parent support systems that are typically available to mothers. Click here to read and article that Dr. Sarah wrote about this topic for The National newspaper.
Have you shifted from partners to parents?
The good news is that there are small changes that we can make to come back together. At Thrive, we offer individual therapy and couples therapy to help new parents reconnect with one another - and themselves - after they have their baby. We have four psychologists who can support you shift back to partners - Dr. Sarah Rasmi, Dr. Kate Prozeller, Dr. Vassiliki Simoglou, and Pashmi Khare (M.Sc.)
Call us now for more information about how we can help you repair and reconnect with your partner.
We are here to support you and your family.
