Relationship Problems During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time of great happiness as the parents-to-be look forward to a new addition to their family. However, this can also be a source of stress. While she is pregnant, the woman has raging hormones that are hard to deal with. She would become frustrated, sad, over-emotional, and hard to get along with, causing her husband to be clueless regarding what he can do to help her out during these times. Apart from this, since it might seem that the wife is in the limelight during pregnancy, the husband could feel left out and this could cause problems. Apart from all of this, there could be intimacy issues as well as financial burdens. These can be handled by taking a look at the problems objectively, with commitment and patience.

 

 

 

It is common for the mother-to-be to have mood swings and periods of depression. Her husband might be confused as he would not know what to do in order to handle this, and the relationship could get strained. The woman is unable to control the hormones, and the man tends to get frustrated.

 

The best way to resolve this is by having a lot of patience and to continue to have open conversations. It wouldn’t hurt for the man to pamper his wife a bit. Pre-natal depression usually subsides by the third trimester.

Jealousy and resentfulness could set into the husband, since it seems that his wife is getting all the attention. This can cause a great deal of tension between the couple, and many fathers feel left out and disconnected from the pregnancy.

 

It is important to include the father in the entire pregnancy. Take him along on a visit to the obstetrician, especially when an ultrasound is scheduled. He will be thrilled to see images of his unborn child. If there are baby-showers, he could be included. Apart from all of this, he too would need re-assurance that he is appreciated for his role in the pregnancy. After all, it takes two to make a baby (at least, in the traditional way!). 

Lack of proper communication and understanding can be either the easiest of problems that can be solved, or it can be the most difficult of all.

 

Both mates might be equivalently stressed out and would have feelings of insecurity. It is important to be honest about each other’s feelings since holding these back will make things worse. Stress is harmful to the unborn child and it is not worth risking the life of a child when conflicts can be resolved by speaking out (Speaking out does not include hurling verbal brickbats.).

 

As the belly of the mother grows bigger, she would often feel she is fat and undesirable. This would cause her to have fears that she looks undesirable and she might not want her husband to even touch her. Some men also believe that sexual intimacy will harm the baby in some way and therefore refrain from lovemaking.

 

The husband needs to reassure his wife that she is still desirable. After all, it is not just her fault that her belly is expanding. Pamper her, touch her belly and enjoy being close to her. This would help the wife to be a bit more relaxed as to her appearance. If either partner is fearful of sexual intimacy during pregnancy, it would help to speak to a doctor so as to be confident about safety measures and comfortable positions. However, a point to be kept in mind is that sexual relations during the later stages of pregnancy (quite near the due date), can induce labor.

 

Finances can at times be a source of tension since the couple might worry about how they are going to afford to look after a child when things are tough for themselves. Since a child is a huge responsibility, there are many costs associated with this new addition to the family. There is the cost of diapers, baby clothes, post-natal care, baby food, etc.

 

Throwing a baby shower is a smart way to get many gifts and things that would be needed by the baby. Until finances improve, further purchases can be done at non-branded and second-hand stores. Start a savings plan (even if all that can be put into it is a very small amount), and save up so that this will be useful for the child’s material needs as it grows older.