Relationship Behaviors across the Transition to Parenthood

Abstract

The transition to parenthood (TTP) often is associated with declines in couple relationship satisfaction. The current study evaluated changes in three relationship behaviors, namely communication, dyadic coping and relationship self-regulation, across the TTP and the association of those behaviors with relationship satisfaction. One hundred and three couples completed questionnaires twice before and three times after the birth of their first child. Prenatally, all behaviors were stable, except negative communication that declined. Postnatally, positive relationship behaviors decreased in both genders, and negative communication increased in men. Negative behaviors were associated with relationship satisfaction throughout the TTP. Furthermore, relationship self-regulation strategies and males’ negative dyadic coping prospectively predicted male relationship satisfaction, while men’s supportive dyadic coping predicted female relationship satisfaction. Enhancing positive relationship behaviors through relationship education programs might help couples successfully adjust to parenthood.

The Role of Dyadic Coping for the Individual and Relational Well-Being of Couples During the Transition to Parenthood

“…Common dyadic coping was associated with better perceived couple adjustment among women (Donato et al, 2009; Molgora et al, 2018). Furthermore, the effect of men’s antenatal common dyadic coping on women’s postpartum couple adjustment (partner effect) confirms the study of Rauch-Anderegg et al (2019), which has already found a significant association between male behaviors and women’s well-being. This finding is coherent with other studies that reported gender variations in the relational influence of dyads, with women more sensible to their partners (Martins et al, 2014).…”

“…These studies underscore the crucial role of common dyadic coping for couple adjustment for the perinatal period, confirming findings of numerous previous studies on couples facing other stressors. Only one contribution (Rauch-Anderegg et al, 2019) investigated dyadic coping across the transition to parenthood: the longitudinal study by Rauch-Anderegg et al found that positive relationship behaviors decreased in both mothers and fathers during the postpartum. The study also illustrated patterns of influence among new parents, with males’ negative dyadic coping predicting their own relationship satisfaction, and their supportive dyadic coping behaviors being associated with new mothers’ relationship satisfaction.…”

“…Because of the relevance of common dyadic coping, we hypothesized that higher scores on this subscale during pregnancy will be associated with higher individual and couple adjustment in the postpartum for both partners. Additionally, based on the study of Rauch-Anderegg et al (2019), we expected that males’ common dyadic coping to being associated with higher couple adjustment.…”

Transition to Parenthood and Marital Satisfaction: A Meta-Analysis

“…Birth, confinement, breastfeeding, job suspension, diminishing independence and reduced personal freedom make women more sensitive to their partner’s characteristics. A supportive partner’s approach helps them get over these changes more easily ( Rauch-Anderegg et al, 2020 ), while a stressed, unsupportive, depressed or an anxious spouse impacts the individual’s marital satisfaction ( Don and Mickelson, 2014 ) and makes the transition more difficult. Although some data shows that the mother’s behavior had no impact on the father’s marital satisfaction ( Rauch-Anderegg et al, 2020 ), it seems that some latent variables of the mothers have a substantial impact.…”

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

“…However, contrary to our prediction, mothers’ and partners’ CDC were not linked to the other parent’s sexual distress. There is robust evidence for the association between one’s own perceived CDC and both one’s own and a partner's relational outcomes (Austin & Falconier, 2013; Falconier, 2013; Zemp, Milek, Cummings, & Bodenmann, 2017), including new parents’ marital adjustment (Molgora, Acquati, et al., 2019; Rauch‐Anderegg, Kuhn, Milek, Halford, & Bodenmann, 2020). However, our findings are in line with the limited past research that has found an association between one’s own perceived dyadic coping and one’s own sexual satisfaction, but not a partner’s sexual adjustment (Van Schoors et al., 2019).…”