Relationship Experts Explain 7 Ways A Baby Changes Your Relationship
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Having a baby together is a sure sign that your relationship has come a long way, even though it feels like only yesterday when you were making googly eyes at each other. As thrilling and fulfilling as starting your own family can be, it has the power to change the dynamics of your relationship as a couple. It can even bring forth a certain amount of stress into your partnership!
Eager to know what kind of changes you might have to face if you become parents? Well, relationship experts reveal 7 relationship changes that you can expect as a couple!
1. You Have To Shoulder A Truckload Of Extra Responsibilities
The newborn in your arms is going to be super demanding! Which means you will have to add a long list of new duties in your pre-existing one and somehow cram it all in the short 24 hours that you get. After all, being completely responsible for a whole another person is no easy task!
Don’t panic though! Experts are of the opinion that raising a child together can bring parents closer and strengthen their relationship. However, the challenging bit is getting the mommy to allow the daddy a share in the workload. So, mommies, loosen up and let daddy to the dirty work too!
2. You’ll End Up Hating Each Other At Times
When you have so many responsibilities to take care of, exhaustion is bound to follow. And since parenting is a 24×7 job for both the mother and father, you can expect the fatigue to lead to some bitter conflicts.
Instead of getting upset though, try to understand that as new parents, all this bickering is only rational and inevitable. In fact, you can avoid most of the possible conflicts by dividing baby care responsibilities equally and having prior knowledge of how to take care of an infant. Also, be understanding of the fact that as new parents, you might make some mistakes, which is okay.
3. Forget About ‘Alone Time’
Take the phrase ‘alone time’ and throw it out of your dictionary if you’ve just become parents. In fact, count yourself lucky if you manage to get enough time to sleep at all! During the first 6 to 8 months of your infant’s life, your little tyke is going to keep waking up at the ungodliest of hours and demand all of your attention. And it gets worse as babies mostly sleep during the day when you already have so much to do! So, forget about getting private time as a couple. It’s not happening.
4. Date Nights Will Be Almost Non-Existent
Although it’s enjoyable to spend countless hours in fascination of all the cute little antics of your little one, you know that sooner or later, you will have to get out of the house. And that’s when it’ll hit you. Gone are the days when you could make random plans and do anything you want. That’s when you’ll realize that your date nights are now over.
But there’s a way out. Getting a babysitter or a nanny can solve most of your troubles. Yes, it’s hard to trust someone else with your kid and it is expensive. But the payoff will be worth it!
5. Lovemaking Will Be Off The Table
It’s quite natural for lovemaking to be the last thing on your mind and there are several reasons for it. First up is that feeling of exhaustion. It’s constant and unending. Besides that, there’s the lack of time and those ruined moments when you finally get in the mood but your baby bawls!
Even though your better half becomes secondary at this point, you can still bring intimacy and excitement into your life without engaging in some under-the-sheets fun. Hugging, caressing, and kissing are great ways to get close. Also, dads need to realize that moms may take more than a couple of months to get in the mood.
6. Money Becomes An Issue
Your savings will take a severe hit when you have a child. It takes about Rs. 67.4 lakhs to raise a child from the moment they’re born till they’re 21 years old in our country, which is a whopping amount (1)! If you don’t want money issues to crop up and cause conflicts between the two of you, having a budget for your child from beforehand will be wiser.
7. But Extreme Happiness Prevails
Despite all the financial hardships or the changes in your relationship, you still won’t be able to control that immense sense of happiness you get at having a tiny tot playing in your lap. All the joys of having a child far outweigh the drawbacks in the end!
Parenting can be tough on your relationship. But as long as you divide the responsibilities together, you’ll turn into seasoned pros at parenting as well as managing your personal relationship!
