Preparing Your Relationship for Parenthood
No one really tells you that some of the hardest parts of new parenthood aren’t the sleepless nights or the endless diaper changes. It’s the quiet moments where you and your partner feel like ships passing in the night. The unspoken tensions. The resentment that builds because neither of you knows how to ask for a break without guilt. When I was pregnant, I was deep in stroller research and baby registry checklists. It never occurred to me that I should also be baby-proofing my relationship.
That’s why I created the Let's Talk Before Baby podcast. This space is to giving you the questions, conversations, and tools most parents wish they had before the welcoming baby whirlwind begins.
The Silent Challenges of New Parenthood
We tend to assume that our relationship will naturally adjust to parenting. Love will carry us through! But the truth is, becoming parents introduces tiny, invisible shifts that add up FAST. Who gets up in the middle of the night? Who schedules and keeps track of pediatrician appointments? Who gets to go out with friends while the other stays home?
They aren’t even usually fights. Sometimes, they’re just the quiet erosion of connection. A sense of imbalance. A creeping loneliness. And most of us don’t realize we needed to talk about these things until we’re already in the thick of it.
The Importance of Open Conversations
I want to be crystal clear, talking now won’t make the hard parts disappear. But it does give you something to hold onto. A shared language. A sense of "we've got this" when everything feels new and unpredictable.
Open conversations build trust and clarity. They help you understand each other’s expectations, hopes, and fears before you’re both running on fumes.
Real Conversations to Have Before Baby
Some of the most powerful conversations are the ones that seem small but mean everything. Here are a few I recommend starting with:
What does rest look like for each of us? How will we ask for it and enjoy it without feeling guilt?
What boundaries do we want with family and visitors? Who do we feel comfortable supporting us most those first weeks?
What are we most excited about becoming parents? What scares us?
These conversations don’t have to be formal. They can happen on a walk, over takeout, or while folding laundry. The goal isn’t to plan every detail—it’s to feel seen and heard. You're definitely not going to figure out all the secrets to the perfect life of a parent, but having these conversations now will make re-engaging in the conversations later easier.
Tools and Prompts for Building Connection
Each episode of the Let's Talk Before Baby podcast will include simple prompts you can use to spark these conversations. This week's prompt?
"Can we each name one thing we’re looking forward to, and one thing we’re unsure about as we become parents?"
It’s a gentle place to begin. And beginning is the hardest but most important part.
To Sum It Up
Your relationship deserves the same care and preparation as your nursery. Investing in your connection now won’t guarantee an easy road, but it will mean you have a map, a flashlight, and your partner walking beside you.
You don’t have to figure it all out today. In fact, you won't. But one conversation, one check-in, one shared laugh at a time you'll feel the energy shift towards the energy of the parents you're becoming.
If this resonates, I hope you’ll subscribe to the Let's Talk Before Baby podcast. There’s so much more to come—real talk, reflective prompts, and updates on the upcoming Partner Prep Course, where we’ll go deeper together.
You and your partner deserve a strong, connected start. I’m cheering you on!
