Dividing issues during pregnancy
Common dividing issues during couples during pregnancy. Most of these issues can be worked through with a skilled marriage/couples counselor. Help in Philadelphia is available.
- Pregnancy beliefs
- Expectation of role(s)
- Sexual values, including body image
- Decreased frequency of sex
- Misconceptions about the safety of sex
- Parenting beliefs
- Money
- Not wanting to grow up
- Not being the center of attention
Clearly there are many issues that pregnancy raises. Pregnancy brings about some real physiologic changes. No one can alter that. But how a couple copes with the reality of pregnancy is all influenced by the issues that we have outlined here.
Individual belief systems will significantly influence how individuals and couples cope with a pregnancy. Imagine what it would be like if one person viewed pregnancy as an illness and the other as a life stage. These conflicting views could manifest in many different ways… the wife thinks she should lay in bed and take it easy, and the husband expects her to continue all of the same tasks as before.
The expectation of role: What if one expects the other to be involved in every step of the process, or what if the man is over-involved?
Different attitudes about sex...
Money problems: When couples fight about money, there is a decrease in desire to be intimate. They are angry with one another. However, some couples may use sex as a way to make up for fights. In this case, fighting might make sex better ;)
Not wanting to grow up: One person may experience pregnancy as a loss of freedom, and/or develop/have a fear of responsibility,
Not being the center of attention: One person might feel like the child is replacing him/her. Sometimes the woman feels as if all the attention she is getting revolves around the unborn fetus and may feel jealous. Similarly, the man may feel excluded and be upset that the wife is now focusing on the unborn fetus as opposed to meeting his needs.
To deal with the dividing issues during pregnancy, and to maintain the bond between the couple as they journey into parenthood will require having the right tools and support. Again don't hesitate to call our therapists in Philadelphia. We are here to help.