All that makes for a messy transition to this new phase of life. Between hormones, physical discomfort after birth, and a complete upheaval of your daily routine, it's perfectly normal to feel resentful of a partner who gets to walk about pain-free without breastmilk-stained shirts or a child clinging to his body.
Postpartum rage can be a symptom of postpartum depression and both are considered perinatal mood disorders. Women with post-birth anger issues and irritability may also be suffering from postpartum anxiety, which is an exaggerated fear or extreme worry that something is wrong.
You may even wind up feeling resentment or anger at your partner after giving birth. As it turns out, this is actually pretty normal, and experts agree there are ways to cope with these feelings as your relationship — and everything else in your life — adjusts to all of the newness of parenthood.
Lack of personal time, intimacy, communication, and many other factors can explain why some relationships fail after having a baby. None of these issues are impossible to overcome, but addressing any problems that have emerged is essential to strengthening the connection with your partner.
Sociologists theorise that in heterosexual relationships mothers are more unhappy with their marriages after they have children, because they tend to take on more "second shift" work like child care and housework, and can't shake the feeling of their relationship no longer feeling "fair".
New research shows that a fifth of couples break up in the first year after the baby is born and the most common reason is a diminishing sex life, constant arguing and lack of communication.
A staggering 67% of couples in the study reported a decline in relationship satisfaction after the arrival of the first baby. The decline typically shows up between six months (for women) and nine months (for men) after the baby comes home.
Some couples drift apart due to factors that keep them from being together. These can include being physically apart for long periods of time, working long hours or different hours than your spouse, working multiple jobs, and frequent travel.
Why It's Happening. A perfect storm of hormones, sleep deprivation, and the mental stress of caring for a new baby can bring on postpartum depression and anxiety, which can cause you to withdraw from your partner and exacerbate the feelings of disconnect.
Postpartum rage is when you feel anger, frustration or lose your temper easily after having a baby. Changes in hormone levels is one of the main causes. Lifestyle changes, changes to your body and other emotions play a role. Certain medications and counseling can treat it.
The results indicated that common regrets about parenthood included: Timing: Wishing you had children earlier or later on in life. Number: Wishing you had more or fewer children. Sacrifice: Having to give up certain things, like time, money, work, or educational opportunities because of parenthood.
'Research bears out the fact that most men still find their partners attractive after they've had a baby — sexual chemistry is bound up in so much more than looks — but they will also be aware that their partners are exhausted and they'll tend not to be pushy about wanting sex. '
Also referred to as the "neglected wife syndrome" and "sudden divorce syndrome," walkaway wife syndrome is "nothing more than a term used to characterize a person who has decided they cannot stay in the marriage any longer," says Joshua Klapow, Ph. D., licensed clinical psychologist and creator of Mental Drive.
What does it mean to stonewall someone? In simple terms, stonewalling is when someone completely shuts down in a conversation or is refusing to communicate with another person.
Signs of Emotional Neglect
Your partner shuts down when you want to talk. You're not sure what your partner wants from you. You don't engage in social activities as a couple. Your go-to person is a friend, not your partner.
Besides no longer getting excited to spend time together, you may find yourself flat-out avoiding your partner. You may stay late at work, see movies or eat dinner by yourself, or even take the long way home to avoid being with your partner for a moment longer than you have to.
A new study published in the Cerebral Cortex journal has found that men experience extensive remodeling to their brain after the arrival of their baby—shrinking the visual network and growing the default mode network responsible for empathy.