Can we talk about how weird postpartum is for relationships?

Jan 15·1 min read

Not trying to be TMI but my wife had her 6-week checkup and got the all-clear. I was obviously excited because, you know, but she was NOT. Told me she's just not ready and honestly feels touched out by the baby. I get it but I'm frustrated because it feels like our connection totally disappeared overnight. We went from being actual partners to being coparents who don't talk about anything except the baby's schedule. Is this phase temporary or do we just... adapt?

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Comments(5)

EEvanNew DadJan 15

It's not TMI at all, man. This is the stuff nobody tells you about before kids. The physical stuff gets less weird when you realize your partner is running on 4 hours of sleep and touched out by a baby all day.

CCarl D.RegularJan 15

The 6-week mark feels arbitrary anyway. Every recovery is different and honestly my wife probably needed another month to feel actually ready even though medically she was cleared. Communication on this stuff matters.

FFrank S.New DadJan 16

We had the opposite problem. My wife got cleared and I was just dead inside from sleep deprivation. Took a few months to actually feel like myself again down there. Don't feel too bad if it takes time.

TTomNew DadJan 16

Dude, the emotional whiplash is real. You're excited, she's exhausted, you're trying to figure out if you're a monster for having those feelings. It's such a weird transition nobody really talks about.

BBlake T.New DadJan 15

Real talk: we waited until closer to 3 months before things felt actually normal again. The green light at 6 weeks is just the medical okay, not necessarily the relationship okay.