Relationship Issues During Pregnancy

Many couples are simply thrilled at the prospect of being parents, so much so that they almost forget that pregnancy brings with it, its own shares of ups and downs! There are innumerable instances wherein the initial euphoria to become parents dies down when relationship issues during pregnancy start showing their ugly head. Knowledge of these marital problems before hand, helps the couple in dealing with them as and when they arise.

Lack of Understanding
According to estimates, around 20% of the pregnant women feel depressed, experience mood swings and irritability as well as constant fatigue. Hormones play havoc with the woman's mind and body during pregnancy. A man might not be able to fully understand what a woman expects from him and the woman on her part, may often taunt a man that he does not do anything to help her situation. To the man, the woman's behavior might seem very strange. On the other hand, the woman feels that he is being insensitive towards her. This lack of understanding can cause lots of relationship problems during pregnancy.
Lack of Physical Intimacy
Relationship strain during pregnancy could be attributed to the unmet sexual needs of the man and the woman. Usually what happens is that when a woman gains weight during pregnancy, she does not feel comfortable being intimate with her partner. Somehow she feels that she is not attractive enough. Also, the other pregnancy symptoms such as tiredness, body pain, nausea, etc, may further alienate her from getting close physically with her partner. The man on his part, due to lack of knowledge, starts believing that if he has sex, it might hurt the unborn baby in some way! Due to these reasons, the couple does not have sex and it further deteriorates the relationship.

Lack of Communication
One of the worst changes in your relationship during pregnancy is when both the partners fail to convey their needs to one another. The woman might feel neglected by her husband, who on his part could be working round the clock to meet the added expenses which a pregnancy and a new born can bring. This can create a rift and communication issues between the two, with the woman feeling angry that her husband is not caring enough and the man feeling overwhelmed, managing both work and his wife's hormonal outbursts!

Lack of Finances
Relationship issues during pregnancy may also arise due to finances, especially if it's only the man who is working. Pregnancy and taking care of a child costs a lot, so if the couple have not planned the finances in advance, it can trouble their relationship.

Lack of Attention
It's not just the women who feel neglected, even fathers can experience the same things. When it comes to pregnancy, it's all about the woman, although technically, it takes two to make a baby! So, if a man is not directly involved during medical check-ups or social events like baby showers, he might find himself isolated from the woman and the unborn baby, causing a lot of disconnect between them and leading to marital problem slack Of Finances.

Managing Relationship Issues During Pregnancy

If couples feel that these issues will resolve on their own, they are sadly mistaken. They have to be worked upon constantly by the man and the woman. Here, a useful relationship advice for them is to communicate their feelings of fear, insecurity, isolation, happiness, etc. with one another. If they both know what each one is going through, they will be in a better position to help one another. Also, it is the woman's responsibility to see to it that the father does not feel isolated. So, both of them should together go, whenever the woman needs to get examined by a doctor.

To improve upon their physical intimacy, a man has to constantly assure the woman that he finds her desirable, irrespective of the changes in her body. The couple may even consult a doctor and ask her to suggest some sexual positions that are safe during pregnancy. As for the finances, ideally, they should be taken care of before the couple thinks of getting pregnant. However, if they have not, buying for the baby stuff from second hand stores might cut down the costs and put finances in place.

In the end, it can be said that relationship issues during pregnancy should be dealt with immediately, before they become reasons for a relationship break-up. Also, any kind of stress or tension that a mother feels, due to these relationship issues, can be very harmful for the health of the baby. So, to avoid such scenarios, couples need to keep the communication between themselves strong and plan the pregnancy, well in advance!