A Longitudinal Examination of Common Dyadic Coping and Sexual Distress in New Parent Couples during the Transition to Parenthood

Abstract

New parents experience significant disruption to their sexual relationships such as lower desire and sexual frequency relative to prepregnancy. Little is known about the sexual distress new parents feel related to these changes, how sexual distress evolves over time, or how coping with stress relates to this distress. New parent couples who engage in more adaptive, joint coping with mutual stressors—common dyadic coping (CDC)—may be better able to manage distress related to their sexuality and thus, experience less sexual distress at 3‐months postpartum and experience more marked improvement over time. In 99 first‐time parent couples, we examined the link between CDC measured at 3‐months postpartum and trajectories of sexual distress across 3‐, 6‐, and 12‐months postpartum. Analyses used dyadic latent growth curve modeling informed by the actor–partner interdependence model. Mothers’ sexual distress at 3‐months postpartum was clinically elevated and higher than their partner’s. Mothers’ sexual distress declined significantly over time, whereas partners’ sexual distress remained low and stable. An individual’s higher perceptions of CDC was significantly associated with their own (but not their partner’s) lower sexual distress at 3‐months postpartum. No significant associations were found between CDC and change in sexual distress over time. How new parents jointly cope with stressors early in the postpartum period may lessen the distress they have about their sexuality at a time when most couples have just resumed sexual activity. Results identify CDC as a possible novel target for interventions aimed at helping couples manage sexual distress during the transition to parenthood.

Daily dyadic coping: Associations with postpartum sexual desire and sexual and relationship satisfaction

“…Only one study to our knowledge has specifically examined dyadic coping and sexuality in new parent couples. In the study, greater common dyadic coping was associated with an individual’s own lower sexual distress—negative feelings associated with one’s sexual relationship (Derogatis et al, 2008)—at 3-months postpartum, but was not associated with how their sexual distress changed over time (Tutelman et al, 2021). These results suggest that how new parents cope together is important for managing sexual distress at a time when most couples have just resumed sexual activity and are experiencing significantly low sexual desire and satisfaction (Lurie et al, 2013; Rosen et al, 2020).…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, with the exception of the aforementioned studies (i.e., Bodenmann et al, 2010; Rosen et al, 2017; Tutelman et al, 2021), previous cross-sectional and daily experience research has focused primarily on how couples’ dyadic coping relates to their relationship satisfaction, neglecting sexual outcomes. The only study that explored dyadic coping and sexuality in the transition to parenthood (i.e., Tutelman et al, 2021) focused on sexual distress over months, not days, and ignored positive aspects of sexual well-being (e.g., sexual desire, satisfaction) despite their importance for couple and family well-being (Brezsnyak & Whisman, 2004; Joel et al, 2020). Thus, we aimed to establish associations between dyadic coping and sexual outcomes as a first step in elucidating these relationships.…”

Dyadic coping and sexual well‐being in couples seeking assisted reproductive technology

“…Indeed, greater dyadic coping has been associated with higher sexual satisfaction and more frequent orgasms in a sample of female students (Bodenmann et al, 2010, 2019). Two recent studies have also revealed associations between lower levels of positive and higher levels of negative dyadic coping and sexual dissatisfaction in a community sample of men and women (Wawrziczny et al, 2021) and between higher perceptions of common dyadic coping and lower sexual distress in new parent couples (Tutelman et al, 2022).…”

Longitudinal associations between relational and sexual well‐being in couples transitioning to parenthood

“…Studies following couples from pregnancy to up to one‐year postpartum have confirmed that, on average, new mothers' and partners' sexual satisfaction significantly declines. Also, mothers' sexual distress significantly increases during pregnancy and then declines at postpartum, whereas partners' sexual distress is stable over time (Rosen et al, 2020; Tutelman et al, 2021). Notably, a positive sexual relationship with one's partner might pose important benefits across this period.…”