Relationship Coaching for Expectant and New Parents
Are you a couple expecting a baby?
Or a couple who has had a baby within the last few years?
Would you like to feel more deeply connected and aligned as a couple in the life-altering transition to becoming a family?
First of all, congratulations on embarking on this wild and wonderful journey together.
And, while we don’t want to overshadow the more positive parts of becoming a parent, sometimes this journey can feel more wild than wonderful.
If you’re expecting a baby, you may be filled with many different emotions in this transition to parenthood – from excitement to worry, overwhelm to joy, isolation to connection, and everything in between and beyond.
If you have had a baby in the last few years, you may have already experienced the many ups and downs of becoming a family. You may already know that all of these emotions are common and can sometimes even happen within the same day.
Becoming a new parent practically insists that we grow in ways we never imagined, both in caring for a new little one and in the many changes it demands in our relationships, especially in our primary relationship to our partner.
So, if you’re thinking it might be a good idea to strengthen your relationship foundation and to be as aligned as possible as a couple as you move into and through this rite of passage, you would be wise indeed.
And if you’ve had or are soon to have a baby and are already experiencing some of these relationship changes as challenging, you’re certainly not alone.
Research shows*, and experience validates, that the majority of couples (up to 2/3rds) experience a significant decline in relationship satisfaction in the transition to parenthood.
Why? Major changes to our lives arrive with a baby, such as where we need to focus our attention, our life roles, and our ability to sleep well. Many of these changes introduce new stressors into our lives and can sometimes feel overwhelming.
And these changes, these stressors, are just the tip of the iceberg.
It isn’t too surprising that most people haven’t focused on preparing their relationship for the huge changes that new parenthood brings.
It’s more common to focus on things such as doing a prenatal exercise class, having a baby shower, or taking a birth class. These are all important facets and wonderful to bring attention to, but they don’t address the couple relationship and the challenges you will likely face in the transition to parenthood.
Many couples are so focused on the baby that they might lose sight of each other, making their foundation unstable. And small things may feel like much larger things when we are feeling under-resourced.
In my own personal experience, to say transitioning from pregnancy to parenthood was shocking to our system as a couple would be an understatement. Even though we were mature, resourced, and thrilled to be parents, the learning curve in this new system was steep.
But the good news is, I believe there is a great deal you can do to make this transition from couple to family easier – more filled with contentment and competence and less with overwhelm and stress.
Pregnancy and the early years are a time of tremendous growth and learning, both for parents and their children. We know the attachment and bonding that happens in families from pregnancy through age three is especially critical for children’s health and wellbeing. And maintaining a healthy attachment between partners during this time is what helps create a healthy foundation for the whole family.
Not only have I been there myself as a parent with my partner, but I’ve helped hundreds of families and their little ones navigate their way to greater health, connection, and ease, from preconception through preschool.
My passion is helping expectant and new parents to both have an easier transition to parenthood and provide their babies with a gentler landing into the family. It is watching a family develop this solid foundation and deeply thrive, not just in the early years, but as their children grow up as well.
With a background steeped in Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health (PhD), Counseling (MA), and Education (MA), more than two decades of working with families with young children, and many years of raising my own children, I’m able to bring an unusual depth of experience and understanding to my coaching work and classes with families.
I believe in early investment in the most essential relationships we will ever have. I believe that it is easier to prevent problems to the best of our abilities than to deal with them later. And I believe that starting a family off on the right foot can pay dividends for the lifetime of every person in that family.
Every family situation is unique. Find out if my grounded, gentle approach to helping you and your partner feel more prepared for parenthood is
right for you.
Reach out for a brief consultation today at 303-519-1049 or info@preparedforparenthood.com
All coaching is sold in packages: $606 USD for three 50-minute virtual sessions (good for 3 months from purchase), or $1182 USD for six 50-minute sessions (good for 6 months from purchase). [ A payment plan for the 6-session package is available for two monthly payments of $606 and $594 USD.] Please note that international coaching may incur additional fees for money transfers.
Coaching is not psychotherapy and is not billable through health insurance.
* Bohdan, I., Turliuc, M.N., & Candel, O.S. (2022). Transition to parenthood and marital satisfaction: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1—11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.901362
* Doss, B.D., Rhoades, G.K., Stanley, S.M., & Markman, H.J. (2009). The effect of the transition to parenthood on relationship quality: An eight-year prospective study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(3), 601—619. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013969
* Lawrence, E., Cobb, R.J., Rothman, A.D., Rothman, M.T., & Bradbury, T.N. (2008). Marital satisfaction across the transition to parenthood. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(1), 41—50. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.22.1.41
*Vismara, L., Rollè, L., Agostini, F., Sechi, C., Fenaroli, V., Molgora, S., Neri, E., Prino, L.E., Odorisio, F., Trovato, A., Polizzi, C., Brustia, P., Lucarelli, L., Monti, F., Saita, E., & Tambelli, R. (2016). Perinatal parenting stress, anxiety, and depression outcomes in first-time mothers and fathers: A 3- to 6-months postpartum follow-up study. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(938). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00938