Bringing Baby Home: Strengthening Your Relationship as You Grow Your Family
Welcoming a new baby into your life is one of the most profound experiences a couple can share. It’s a time of joy, love, and transformation—but it can also be a time of stress, exhaustion, and unexpected strain on your relationship. Research shows that 67% of couples experience a decline in relationship satisfaction after the birth of a child. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Drs. John and Julie Gottman, renowned relationship experts, developed the Bringing Baby Home (BBH) program to help couples navigate this transition successfully. Their research, spanning over four decades, highlights what makes relationships thrive—and those same principles apply when partners shift into parenting roles.
At our practice, Teresa Prince, a Certified Gottman Therapist (CGT), provides expert guidance for couples going through this life transition. Through the Bringing Baby Home program, she helps expecting and new parents safeguard their relationship, improve communication, and build a shared family vision that strengthens their bond and fosters a healthy home environment.
The Challenges of Becoming Parents
Even the strongest relationships can be tested with the arrival of a baby. Some common struggles couples face include:
Increased Conflict: Sleep deprivation, new responsibilities, and changing routines can heighten tension and miscommunication.
Emotional Distance: Couples may feel disconnected as they focus on their baby’s needs, leaving little time for their own relationship.
Differences in Parenting Styles: Disagreements over feeding, discipline, and caregiving can create friction.
Decline in Intimacy: Physical and emotional intimacy often take a backseat as exhaustion and stress build.
Role Adjustments: One partner may feel overwhelmed with the demands of caregiving, while the other feels left out or unsure of how to help.
Without intentional effort, these stressors can lead to resentment and isolation. Bringing Baby Home helps couples stay connected, manage stress, and create a nurturing environment for their child—while also strengthening their relationship.
The Gottman Approach to Parenthood
The Bringing Baby Home program is based on The Sound Relationship House Theory, a model created by the Gottmans that outlines what makes relationships last. The BBH program applies these principles to new parenthood, focusing on:
1. Building a Strong Friendship
Friendship is the foundation of a healthy marriage. BBH teaches couples how to maintain their emotional connection by engaging in small daily moments of appreciation and affection—even when sleep-deprived and overwhelmed.
2. Managing Conflict with Care
Conflict is inevitable, but how you handle it matters. The program teaches couples gentle ways to bring up concerns, how to listen without defensiveness, and how to repair arguments quickly before they escalate.
3. Emotional and Physical Intimacy
A baby changes the rhythm of a relationship. BBH helps couples communicate about intimacy, rekindle emotional closeness, and support each other’s needs even amidst busy schedules.
4. Creating a Shared Meaning of Parenthood
A major part of BBH is helping couples define their parenting values together—from discipline strategies to cultural traditions, to how they want to show love in their home. When both partners feel aligned, they experience greater teamwork and less conflict.
5. Supporting Each Other as Parents
Research shows that when a partner feels emotionally supported in parenting, they are more engaged and confident in their role. BBH teaches skills for expressing gratitude, validating each other’s efforts, and working as a team.
The Impact of Bringing Baby Home
Couples who participate in BBH show higher relationship satisfaction, less conflict, and healthier emotional development in their children compared to those who don’t. The program equips parents with tools to prevent resentment and stay connected, creating a foundation for a strong, resilient family.
Work with a Certified Gottman Therapist
If you and your partner are expecting a child or recently became parents, Bringing Baby Home can help you navigate this transition with love and intention. You don’t have to let stress and exhaustion pull you apart—you can learn to grow together through parenthood.
Teresa Prince, CGT, is a Certified Gottman Therapist with specialized training in Bringing Baby Home. She is passionate about helping couples protect their bond while stepping into their new role as parents.
We offer Bringing Baby Home workshops and counseling based on Gottman’s research. If you’d like to strengthen your relationship and create a shared family vision, schedule a session with us today.