Why Having a Baby Can Lower Marital Satisfaction: What Couples Can Do
A couple can spend years dreaming about becoming parents. They prepare a nursery, choose a name, discuss schools, buy tiny clothes, and imagine the happiness their child will bring. Then the baby arrives. Suddenly, conversations revolve around feeding schedules, sleep, medical appointments, household responsibilities, and who will get up during the night. Somewhere between the sleepless nights and endless responsibilities, something unexpected happens. The couple who once made time for long conversations may struggle to finish a simple discussion. Small disagreements become arguments. Affection becomes less spontaneous. Both partners may feel that they are doing everything they can, yet neither feels sufficiently supported. This experience is more common than many new parents expect. Having a baby can bring extraordinary meaning to a relationship, but it can also place considerable pressure on the partnership that existed before the child arrived. The important question is not wh...