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Most couples, 67 percent in Gottman's research, experience a relationship decline after the baby arrives.

The couples who thrive have learned to turn toward each other instead of away or against.

Acknowledging the mental load, not fixing it perfectly, is what separates resentment from reconnection.

The rough patch of new parenthood is a result of stress. With the right tools, couples can come out closer.

It’s 3 am, and she could not be more exhausted; she can’t even remember what it's like to feel well-rested. He’s awake too, trying to help, but he can never seem to feed the baby in a way she’s happy with. Eventually, he throws up his hands and goes to bed, though they both lie awake. The anger and resentment grow, first inside each of them separately, quietly, and then between them, until the distance gets so loud neither can ignore it.

Our culture knows how to celebrate a new baby with baby showers and gender reveals. However, what often goes unmentioned........

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