Nourishing and Nurturing Your Marriage After Kids

A Happy, Healthy Marriage After Kids is The Greatest Gift You Can Give Your Children.

Nourishing your marriage after kids are essential to the health of your relationship and family. As a couples counselor and parenting coach, I wish more couples spent time on their relationship preparing for the health of their marriage AFTER baby arrives. It is wonderful that expecting parents put so much time, energy, and resources into preparing for childbirth by taking childbirth classes and new-baby care classes. Making sure that a baby’s entry into the world is as peaceful and joyful as possible is important. Learning how to care for a baby properly is the responsible, loving thing to do.

Aaaannnnd, as a marriage counselor, I so wish that more couples would put even a fraction of the same thoughtfulness into learning how to keep their relationship healthy after they have a child. Because, in my opinion, the greatest gift you can give your children is a strong, stable family with parents that love and respect each other. And while that is absolutely possible after babies arrive, it requires intentional effort to make it happen.

Babies Don’t Have to Change Everything Here’s How to Nurture Your Marriage After Kids 

It is true that having a fun, enjoyable relationship feels naturally easier before babies. Date nights happen on a whim, weekend music festivals or snowboarding trips are not out of the question, meaningful conversations are not interrupted by howling, and sex is, well, sexier without a bassinet in the room.

It is also true that after babies arrive, amazing, hilarious, and joyful experiences are still possible for your relationship — PLUS you now have a shared sense of meaning and purpose that was unimaginable before you looked at your precious child’s face together for the first time. 

However, parenthood requires you to take your teamwork and communication to a whole new level, while also providing each other with unconditional emotional support as you navigate a new chapter of your lives.

Upping your game as a couple is not easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Throw in some baby blues, new-mom / dad anxiety, sleep deprivation, and a “Holy-Crap-I-Have-a-Kid” existential crisis, and interactions can get intense. 

Nurturing and nourishing your marriage as you journey into parenthood together requires intention, thoughtfulness, and some practical strategies. And regrettably, your local hospital or birth center does not offer this as a class like “Daddy Bootcamp” or “Breastfeeding 101.”

Your Marriage After Kids: Talking Relationships with Real Food Mamas

So, of course, I was absolutely thrilled when internationally recognized Nutritionist and Dietician (and Healthy Living Guru) Aglaée Jacob of Radicata Nutrition invited me to talk about this subject on her podcast, Real Food Mamas. If you’re not yet familiar with their show, it’s all about “natural pregnancy, undisturbed birth, and healthy living for the whole family” that emphasizes an organic, holistic lifestyle founded on whole foods nutrition.

We talked about how to nurture your marriage after kids and keep relationship bonds strong and healthy for the long haul. I specifically addressed:

• Common (and avoidable!) pitfalls that new parents face
• Practical strategies couples can use to stay connected after baby comes
• How to improve your ability to work together, even under stress
• How to recognize when more serious problems may be brewing in your marriage
• And more!

Click here to listen or find the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher!

Lisa Marie Bobby, PhD, LMFT, BCC( PhD, LP, LMFT, BCC )

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is the founder and clinical director of Growing Self. She is a licensed psychologist, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and a board-certified coach, as well as the author of “Exaholics: Breaking Your Addiction to Your Ex Love,” and the host of The Love, Happiness & Success Podcast.

Learn more about Dr. Lisa