Phase of life transition

In my practice, I work with couples who are challenged by a positive life event such as having a baby. I help my clients go through this crisis as smoothly as possible as a healthy and aligned team.

I can help you with turbulence due to the birth of a baby by resolving a relationship problem with your partner, parents, in-laws, extended family members, friends, colleagues, and community by addressing your parenthood transition.

During pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period, a couple moves from the role of spouse to the role of parent. Most people are not prepared for that change. Belsky and Kelly observed that “some marriages decline and others improve during the transition” (Transition to Parenthood, 1994, p.17). All individuals and marriages, though, change as a result of a baby.

There is hope. We know four of the most impactful sources of marital conflict in the transition to parenthood:

1. Sleep Loss
2. Social Isolation
3. Unequal Workload
4. Depression

Those factors may lead to a decrease in communication that leads to marital dissatisfaction. It is very important to understand that both parents are adapting to life with a new baby and often feel stressed, irritable and overly emotional. When the stress level is that high, it is more likely for a couple to start fighting. What can they do about it? They might continue fighting or find a way to cope with the challenges.

I advocate to help couples learn new coping skills and make conscious choices—because the baby will be happier seeing smiling faces. A happy, sustainable, fulfilling relationship is the key to raising a well-adjusted, resilient and healthy child.