The transition to parenthood: impact on couples’ romantic relationships

• For the average couple, relationship functioning declines after the birth.
• Over time, parents’ and non-parents’ relationship functioning converge.
• Same-sex and opposite-sex couples experiences similar changes after birth.
• Characteristics of the individual, relationship, and baby moderate declines.
• Effective interventions are available to help buffer couples from declines.

The birth of the first baby — often referred to as the transition to parenthood (TTP) — is both a time of great joy and great stress for new parents. Although the literature is mixed, the preponderance of evidence suggests that the TTP has a negative effect on relationship functioning for most couples. However, as children age, the relationship functioning of parents and non-parents converge. Notably, there are important moderators of this average trajectory; couples with higher levels of pre-birth relationship problems, insecurely attached parents, temperamentally difficult infants, and TTP following biological birth rather than adoption are associated with larger post-birth declines. Fortunately, several effective couple-focused interventions are available to help buffer the negative effects of the TTP.