Babies are little bundles of joy, but they come with a lot of responsibility which can put a strain on your relationship with your partner. Maintaining a good and healthy relationship with your partner is not only necessary to keep you two emotionally and physically connected during a time like this, but it also helps you both to parent better together. If you are looking for ways to have a better partnership with your significant other, even after you’ve had a baby, look no further, because here are 5 tips for maintaining a healthy relationship after a baby.
1. Have a good support system
The importance of having a solid support system before and after the birth of your child cannot be overemphasized. While you are expecting, it Is advised that you surround yourself with your loved ones who are willing to support you during this time. The truth is you need a break once in a while so you don’t build up any feelings of resentment towards your partner if they fall short of your expectations sometimes.
Even while giving birth, an ideal situation would involve including a support person in the form of either a hired midwife or a doula, who’ll be there with you and your partner. Doing this not only makes your birthing process easier but also ensures that you can experience the wonderful moment without having some unreal expectations dashed away. That’s what your support person is for. After the birth of your little one, continue to surround yourself with supportive loved ones who you trust to help you when you need it.
2. Get used to your new body
Your post-birth body is unlikely to look like your body before you get pregnant, and some women really struggle with coming to terms with this. Because they have a hard time dealing with their new body, they subconsciously become distant from their partner. Distance between partners after the birth of your child is one of the worst things that could happen to your relationship, which is why coming to terms with your new body is an important way to have a good relationship with your partner.
You need to give yourself enough time to get used to your new body. Don’t put unnecessary expectations on yourself to get your old body back in only a few weeks. Take your time to fall in love with what you look for a bit. You can also discuss how you feel with your partner. This way, you don’t shut them out and can always turn to them for reassurance when you need a pick me up.
3. Communicate with your partner
Effective communication is key in any relationship, but it is even more crucial in your relationship after having a baby. Raising a baby can be stressful for both parties, and it is easy to take out your frustrations on each other, but all this does is drive a wedge between both of you. In your relationship with your partner, you need to find healthy ways to communicate your stresses, grievances, joys, and emotional needs with each other.
For example, if you find that you are developing negative feelings towards your partner because they get to go to work every day while you feel stuck at home with the baby, it is important that you present your feelings to them without making it seem like an accusation because it could make them become defensive.
Remember that at least one person needs to keep working to earn money for the family. Keep these things in mind when you approach them and communicate with them in a calm and loving manner. You might even find that they constantly struggle with guilt because they’re leaving you and the baby at home. By communicating like this, you are more likely to solve a lot of your issues.
4. Be intentional in reconnecting with each other
It is very easy to have all your focus shifts to the baby while you and your partner neglect each other. The thing is, it is rarely ever intentional, but it does have damaging effects in the long term. This is why making the conscious effort to reconnect with your partner on a regular basis is important. One way you can do this is by going out on dates. For example, during the day time, you could drop your baby off at daycare and spend some time together eating lunch at a park and just talking to each other.
If you live in Michigan, you can opt for Goodrich Daycare for your child. If the daytime doesn’t work for both of you, you could opt for night time dates. Hire a baby sitter or have a trusted family member come over to watch the baby while you both go out for a change. The whole point of doing this is so you can rekindle your relationship with each other as partners instead of just as parents.
5. Share the labor Division of labor is needed because sometimes, one person feels that they are doing more work than the other, and this can result in constant arguments between you two. It could help to split your responsibilities so that each partner knows what they need to do. It could also be helpful if you both reconvene every now and again to discuss how you feel the split of responsibilities is working out for you. At this point, any negative feelings or any compliments about how they handle their part should be shared so that if a solution needs to be discussed, it can be. Remember not to come across as accusatory.
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