4 Ways Pregnancy Will Change Your Relationship With Your Partner
Does pregnancy make you more attached to your partner? Simply put, love and pregnancy can be a tricky combination.
Fact checked by Karen Cilli
Surging hormones, a wider belly, and swollen ankles, your body undergoes incredible changes during pregnancy. During this physical transformation, your relationship with your partner will likely transform as well, which may leave you wondering: Does pregnancy make you more attached to your partner?
Simply put, love and pregnancy can be a tricky combination. "At times you'll feel inexplicably close, while other moments you could feel as though your partner is living on another planet," says Cathy O'Neil, co-author of the book Babyproofing Your Marriage.
Being mindful of what's in store and learning how to manage and understand your emotions will go a long way toward helping you maintain and strengthen your bond with your partner during pregnancy.
Here's how to navigate the four most common relationship changes during pregnancy.
You Might Feel Emotionally Vulnerable
The pregnancy hormones surging through your body can have a profound impact on your emotions, which may include feelings of panic.
"Many women experience an overwhelming fear of abandonment during early pregnancy," says O'Neil. Even the most independent person may worry about their partner leaving or getting hurt in a bad accident, she says. This fear can lead to pregnant people making strange and unreasonable demands of their partners, such as wearing a helmet in the car or checking in every half hour.
Don't worry: This emotional intensity will likely recede as your pregnancy progresses. In the meantime, it's a good idea to be open with your partner about how you're feeling. It's OK to let them know if you feel vulnerable or need extra love, attention, and reassurance.
Related: Navigating the Ups and Downs of Pregnancy Emotions
You Might Not Be on the Same Page
Pregnancy and impending parenthood can provoke a lot of different and even conflicting feelings in people—and you and your partner may not feel the same way about it all.
For example, some pregnant people begin to feel a connection to their baby the minute they see a positive pregnancy test. But for many non-pregnant partners, that isn't the case. Only one of you is feeling the intensity of hormonal changes, which can influence your perspective and potentially lead to disagreements.
Pregnant love can feel confusing, especially when you and your partner can't share the same pregnancy experience. O'Neill says that it's not necessarily that your partner isn't excited about becoming a parent, but that they may not feel the same immediacy about the situation that you do
Related: Does Having a Baby Strengthen Your Relationship?
Your Partner Might Feel Left Out
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that pregnancy is all about the person carrying the baby. Not only are you going through a lot of physical and emotional changes, but there is a lot of planning and preparation that needs to happen too. With all of this change, it is not uncommon for partners to feel left out.
Here are a few ideas to help you feel more attached to your partner during your pregnancy:
Work together to plan a nursery.
Make sure your partner is invited and involved in prenatal care visits.
Sign up for parenting classes together.
Read parenting books together.
Carve out time each day to talk about things that are unrelated to pregnancy and the baby.
Be sure to set aside non-baby-related time, too. Planning special date nights and enjoying hobbies and activities that you loved to do together before pregnancy can help keep your bond tight.
Related: 14 Fun Date Ideas for Pregnant Couples
Your Sex Life May Change
Physical intimacy often gets pushed to the back burner during the first trimester when many pregnant people feel queasy and exhausted. For others, pregnancy revs up the libido, especially mid-pregnancy.
As the months tick by and your bump becomes bigger, getting busy between the sheets might seem trickier to figure out, thanks to hormonal, emotional, and physical changes. For some couples, scheduling time to be intimate can help maintain a connection.
"Keeping up that physical connection during pregnancy and talking about it with your partner strengthens your bond as a couple," says Craig Malkin, Ph.D., a psychologist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who recommends scheduling time for physical intimacy. "It may not feel spontaneous, but finding passion in the moment and reconnecting physically will bring you closer."
It is important to acknowledge that it is OK if you don't feel like being physical. Romantic intimacy comes in many forms that don't necessarily have to mean sex. Do whatever makes you and your partner feel wanted and appreciated.
Related: 7 Ways to Get in the Mood for Pregnancy Sex
Key Takeaways
Does pregnancy make you more attached to your partner? It can if you keep communication open during the major life changes that come with having a baby. Keep your relationship intimate and meaningful by being open about what you each need and want, and you might be delightfully amazed by the ways you can grow together.
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Read the original article on Parents.