A new-born is bound to shift the dynamics of your relationship and take you into new, often worrying, waters. Yet while a change in your relationship is completely expected, and frankly unavoidable, it doesn’t have to spell trouble. Mush, the new parenting app helping mums make fellow mum friends and maintain healthy social lives, have put together a set of top tips inspired by their own users, to help you maintain your relationship in even the most trying times.

Relationships on Female First

Relationships on Female First

Let go

You’ve had a baby; it’s the single most life changing event of your life and you’ve noticed your relationship with your partner isn’t the same as it used to be. The first step to a happy relationship after having a child is accepting that change; things are supposed to be different now - you have a new exciting, terrifying, brilliant challenge to face together. Your expectations for one another must be lowered; you have new responsibilities that extend far further now. Accept the change and you’ll find yourself much happier.

Turn off the TV

Exhaustion among new parents is hardly a secret, and flopping onto the sofa in front of the TV can often feel like the only way to get through an evening. That’s fine, and necessary but some of the time you need to switch it off and talk. Communication is key to maintaining a healthy relationship, and many struggle at it once becoming parents. Ask your partner how they are, how they are feeling, how they are dealing with the exhaustion. No matter how little energy you have, closing up will not help.

Don’t social shame yourself

Everyone knows that perfect couple on social media. Their eyes aren’t bloodshot, their clothes are clean and their house hasn’t got a hint of crayon or food smeared across its walls. Stop comparing yourself to them! Remember that people’s portrayal on social media is unlikely representative of reality. Focus on your own relationship and stop worrying about other couples – if they appear totally relaxed they’re probably lying anyway.

Date nights

Depending on your relationship, a regular date night may sound cringe inducing and clichéd or a lovely chance to reignite that spark. Either way, accept the fact that you’re probably never going to manage a weekly date night, on the same night, out on the town, every week. But at least try. Getting out of the house and letting a baby sitter take charge is essential to your relationship’s survival. If you can’t find a baby sitter, enlist your Mush parent friends, and return the favour for them next time. If you can’t get out of the house at all, cook something special at home, order takeaway, mix up a couple of your favourite cocktails, or just spend the whole night in bed.

Be nice

Doesn’t that sound simple? Well, it’s not, especially when you’re run down to the point of madness, but it is useful. Snapping at each other is easy, but a nice comment will go so much further; it might even make your day. Remember why you embarked on this challenge together, remember how it all began and even in the most stressful situations remember that there are more great times to come.

The Mush app can be downloaded at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.


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