And Baby Makes Three

Relationship experts who studied couples for years in the Love Lab in Seattle, the Gottmans understand that bringing a baby into the orbit of a couple nearly inevitably strains even the best relationship. They discovered that 2/3rds of couples experienced a significant decline in relationship satisfaction after having a baby. Their six-step plan helps expectant couples prepare for this huge transition by showing them ways to create an environment that nurtures intimacy, appreciation, and self- and couple-care. 

Learning from the Gottmans that 67% of couples report a decline in relationship satisfaction in the first three years of parenthood sparked a new generation of counselors and therapists who wanted to make a difference for expecting and new parent couples, including me! This seminal book focuses mainly on communication skills and conflict management with examples from distressed couples, and is less inclusive of LGBTQ parents and partners, but remains relevant and helpful for those in more traditional relationships.

Best for: couples to manage conflict and relationship therapists working in the perinatal field.

The addition of a child to the family can test even the most ardent of love relationships. In turn, children synchronize to the stress level of their parents, which is why nurturing couple relationships in shared parenting families is so important. In this book Dr. John Gottman, psychologist and couple’s counselor, offers research-based, practical tools, to strengthen and restore couple relationships. Taking care of your child begins with taking care of YOU.