Coping with Relationship Changes
Your relationship with your spouse is bound to change. This is because you are no longer just the two of you. You now have a baby that is taking up most of her time. Feelings of loneliness will often creep in and you may be left feeling as though your child has become more important than you. You can deal with these feelings in the following ways;
- Being hands on with the care of the baby
- Make time to talk to your spouse
- Listen and try to understand your spouse’s perspective
- Avoid criticism or blame when tensions are high.
- Make time to review plans and change with things as you adjust to life with your new baby.
- Be patient with the changes that come with your sex life. Try to understand the state of mind that your wife is in if she doesn’t quite feel up to it. Be supportive and freely talk about your frustrations and feelings when it comes to your new sex life.
Getting More Involved in Your New Family
Getting involved is probably the best way to deal with stresses that come along with a new baby. This often avoids the feelings of being left out in your home: You can get more involved by:
- Take turns caring for your baby-Take turns feeding and changing your baby. If your partner is breast feeding sometimes volunteer to bottle feed expressed milk to your baby.
- Play with your baby-Your wife will often provide low tone physical stimulus to your baby but your involvement which often include noisy and physically involving play will help with further development of your baby and bonding.
- Be affectionate-Be more affectionate with your partner. Offer hugs and kisses if she is up to it. Readily comfort each other during hard days. This will bridge any gaps that would have caused friction in your relationship.
- Ask for help-Consider joining a group of new dads that could offer insights into the changes that you experience when you have a new baby and how to best deal with them.
With this change of status from being just a man to a dad it is important for you to familiarize yourself with your new rule for the benefit of your family and your baby.
Disclaimer:
Please note that development differs from one child to another. Content intended for educational purposes only, and not a substitute for medical advice from your doctor.
Be careful when using any products mentioned on this website. We hold no regulations for such products or their providers.
Last reviewed April 2019
Sources: raisingchildren, webmd, mayoclinic, babycentre
