Real talk about the postpartum period and relationships | DadHQ

Real talk about the postpartum period and relationships

Nov 271 min read

Been researching what to expect after baby arrives in a few weeks. Everything I read talks about postpartum depression/anxiety in mothers but almost nothing about what happens to the relationship. Like... we don't have sex for 6 weeks minimum, everyone's sleep deprived, my wife's body is recovering. How do you maintain actual partnership through that? Or do you just accept it's a rough season and white-knuckle through it?

6 comments483 views

Comments(6)

AAndy T.Regularjust now

Something that helped us: we actually talked about this BEFORE baby came. Like specifically about what intimacy would look like early on, what we both needed, how we'd stay connected without sex. Sounds awkward but it actually made it way less weird when we were in it.

WWade G.Regular21h ago

Real talk: yes the physical part matters but honestly the bigger thing is your wife's hormones are going to be absolutely wild and she might not feel emotionally close to you even though logically she knows she loves you. That's not failure, that's biology. Keep showing up anyway.

RRuben A.New Dadjust now

The relationship research is solid but also remember that every couple is different. Some people bounce back to normal sex life in like 8 weeks, some take a year. Don't measure your experience against generic timelines.

TTerrence J.Regular19h ago

The no-sex thing is only 6 weeks but sleep deprivation lasts way longer. You're going to be frustrated and she's going to be touched out from the baby. Nobody talks about that part. Just... manage expectations and know it's temporary.

EEd P.Regular19h ago

One thing nobody told me: my wife got way more interested in physical affection (non-sexual) during that period. Like she wanted to be held or cuddled but not sex. Learning that difference saved us a lot of confusion.

WWill R.Regularjust now

You're already doing it right by thinking about this ahead of time. A lot of guys get blindsided by how distant things feel and think something's wrong. It's not—it's just the adjustment period.