Expecting a child is one of the biggest relationship milestones because it significantly affects the relationship dynamics and draws attention towards the child. During pregnancy and the first year, partners are faced with powerful emotions and fatigue, which can take a toll on their relationship. It is crucial that both of them re-evaluate their relationship and lay a new foundation to reinforce the bond between the two of them. On the other hand, the first child also contributes to a deeper connection between partners and helps discover new positive emotions.
The master’s thesis focuses on female participants expecting a child and how the new family member changes the partner relationship. We acquired the necessary information about the impressions of our female participants, during their pregnancy and the first year, with the help of semi-structured interviews and the phenomenological approach (a form of qualitative research). The research was based on 5 female participants that met the necessary conditions. The study showed that the women are generally satisfied with the relationship they have with their partner even after the child was born but we also registered a few negative changes, which did not prevail. The research indicated that the key to a healthy relationship is a caring relationship in front of your child, good communication and conflict resolution. The female participants also highlighted that they noticed positive changes in sharing housework, in the quality time spent together, child care and intimacy. An important factor was planning for pregnancy, which allowed the couples to, at least in part, sort out their finances, education and accommodation before the baby comes. It is worth noting that the expectations, which are considered unavoidable during pregnancy, are very important in establishing a new system. The first changes did not affect our female participants in the same way, because the environment and circumstances played an important role as well. The women did not have any special preparations for the child and did not pay a lot of attention to the occurring changes. The female participants are satisfied with their partner and with the help, which has a very positive impact on their partner relationship.
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