My Partner

Families are dynamic and diverse. Although policies and the media in the United States continue to focus on families formed by married, opposite gender, heterosexual couples, we acknowledge and honor that families come in many different shapes and sizes. There are single-parent families, families headed by same-sex couples, stepfamilies, families with adopted children, and foster families, just to name a few. Moreover, an increasing number of today’s families are formed through living together rather than marriage.

In this section, we hope to provide some resources and conversation starters while also holding up the diversity of family relationships. More people are writing about what it means to be partnered and/or co-parenting which is very important. Dani McClain, for example, speaks to the unique experience of black family parenting in her blog. If you have resources to share please do!

For many new parents, a connection to a committed romantic partner offers an anchor during the transition to parenthood. However, not all partners are available to be part of the postpartum process – for many reasons, including work-related demands or military deployment. Other partners might choose to be uninvolved. For some new mothers, a sibling, best friend, or parent may become their true parenting partner. Couples comprised of two moms or two dads may face additional challenges in this journey as well as people who are trans and non-binary. Please let us know how we can continue building the information in this section for your unique experiences.

Some partners transition into parenting pretty easily as a team, while others struggle to negotiate roles and expectations. For some partnerships, the baby brings them together, and for others, a baby can add strain to the relationship.

This is all common.

Few people talk about the work required for partners to stay connected during the 4th Trimester and beyond. Adding a baby into the mix is demanding, and patience can run thin. There are also times when mom or baby have health concerns that require longer hospital stays. This can put extra pressure on everyone. Although relationships take work, you can come through strong. Partners can show love and commitment to their baby, to each other, and to their family in many ways during their journey together.