The birth of a first child can have a major impact on a couple’s relationship. Here are some tips to help with your transition from partner to parent.

  • Make regular time to talk to one another about how you both feel.
  • Recognise that the woman giving birth must deal with sometimes difficult and dramatic changes to her body, relationships and lifestyle.
  • Be Patient with each other. Allah loves those who are patient.
  • Acknowledge that the woman’s partner is often faced with new and challenging emotional, physical and economic demands.
  • As with everything, make dua to Allah for help.
  • Plan ways to make one another feel appreciated and cared for, both during the pregnancy and after the baby is born.
  • Be realistic. There’s no doubt that, for a while, your relationship will have to take second place as you both make room in your relationship for the child.
  • Try to anticipate argument ‘hot spots’ after the birth - sex, money, housework, in-laws - and talk about how you’ll handle differences.
  • Talk about the change in financial balance if one of you plans to give up work and how you’ll manage your different attitudes to money.
  • If you’ve got high standards about housework, loosen up.
  • Expect that there’ll be changes in your sexual relationship - especially after the birth. Be patient with one another’s flagging libido.
  • Practise accepting help and start asking for it. You’ll find it’s the little things that friends and relatives do that can make the transition a whole lot easier.

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