During pregnancy, your body undergoes significant physical changes, from surging hormones to swollen feet. However, it’s not just your body that changes – pregnancy can have a substantial impact on your relationship with your partner, for better or for worse. Here are three ways pregnancy can impact your relationship
Your Emotions
Pregnancy hormones can impact your emotions significantly, especially during the first trimester. During this time, you might be more prone to an anxiety disorder, which could affect your relationship.
Anxiety can lead to excessive worry, anger, or irritability. Constantly seeking reassurance from your partner can be stressful for both of you and might contribute to arguments.
Luckily, this emotional intensity usually decreases as the pregnancy progresses. During this time, it is essential to be open with your partner and tell them how you feel. Let them know when you feel vulnerable and need a little extra love!
Feeling Left Out
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for partners to feel left out during the pregnancy. It is important to remember that pregnancy is not just about the person carrying the baby.
Although you might be going through many physical and emotional changes, there is a lot of planning and preparation that needs to be done, both for you and your partner.
Work together to plan the nursery and ensure your partner is involved in prenatal care visits. You can even sign up for parenting classes and read parenting books together. Involving your partner in the pregnancy process is extremely important.
The Same Page
It is not uncommon for pregnancy and impending parenthood to generate many different and conflicting feelings in people. You might often find that you and your partner are not on the same page regarding these feelings.
It is essential to know that some pregnant women might begin to feel connected to their baby as soon as they realize they are pregnant. But this might not be the case for many non-pregnant partners, and that is okay! Hormonal changes will influence a pregnant woman’s perspective, which can sometimes lead to arguments.
Feeling in love while pregnant can be confusing, especially if you and your partner are not having the same pregnancy experience. It doesn’t mean your partner isn’t excited about becoming a parent, but those feelings might only hit them later.
Open Communication
Having a child isn’t easy, but with open communication, you and your partner can navigate these challenges together, and in time, you might grow together.
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