Making time for one another

You’ve had five hours sleep, your baby wants to nurse (again), you have an appointment with the pediatrician in an hour and neither of you are dressed – it’s hardly surprising that among all this chaos you can’t remember the last time you spent some quality time together with your partner.

Men often end up feeling a little left out as women often become very focused on the baby (and usually extremely tired when the baby is asleep!). However hard it might seem, it’s important to make time for each other in order to keep your relationship happy and healthy.

The first thing to establish is effective communication. Resentments can build up if grievances aren’t aired – for example, if you feel like you don’t have the energy to spend quality adult time with your partner (or stay awake past 9pm!) because you know that you’ll be up twice during the night and then for the day at dawn, it’s important you let him know. Asking for some help does not make you a bad mom – just human!

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.