Bringing Baby Home | A Relationship Workshop for Couples
Research shows that 2/3 of couples report increased conflict and disappointment in their partner relationship within one year after the birth of their baby. Sleep deprivation, depression and anxiety can lead to emotional distance and even hostility among couples. The good news is, the lasting damage this does to a couple’s relationship and their baby’s health and well-being CAN be avoided!
The Bringing Baby Home program is a research-based workshop designed to help new and expectant parents develop skills and techniques that will help ease the transition of bringing baby home.
Designed by Drs John and Julie Gottman of The Gottman Institute, this workshop is proven to help you adjust to parenthood with greater satisfaction.
Learn more about The Gottman Institute.
The Bringing Baby Home program is a research-based workshop designed to help new and expectant parents develop skills and techniques that will help ease the transition of bringing baby home.
Designed by Drs John and Julie Gottman of The Gottman Institute, this workshop is proven to help you adjust to parenthood with greater satisfaction.
Learn more about The Gottman Institute.
So how does our relationship affect our baby?
- Stress and anxiety have adverse effects on the fetus and child.
- Satisfying relationships have proven to reduce maternal stress and anxiety and provide an optimal environment for your baby’s mental and physical development.
- Early relationships set the thermostat for your child’s ability to learn healthy responses to stress both internally and externally.
- Brain development depends on both genes and experiences.
- Rapid brain development takes place in the first year of life. Just because a baby cannot understand harsh words does not mean they will not be affected by them.
- Early interactions directly affect the way the brain is wired.
Is there hope for us?
Yes! 67% of couples who attend a Bringing Baby Home workshop report a significant increase in relationship satisfaction!
Workshop Objectives:
At the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
- Understand what to expect during the transition to parenthood
- Describe child development in the first year
- Create strategies to co-parent with your partner
- Learn ways to improve communication
- Demonstrate how to strengthen friendship, intimacy and conflict regulation skills
- Recognize the signs of postpartum mood, anxiety, and adjustment disorders and be aware of support or treatment options
Workshop Goals:
Class outline:
- Learn how to maintain relationship satisfaction after having a baby
- Reduce relationship hostility and increase affection
- Promote positive parent-baby interactions
- Promote quality involvement for both parents
- Reduce the incidence or severity of postpartum mood disorders
Class outline:
- Moving through time together: the transition to parenthood
- Building love maps: knowing each other
- Share fondness and admiration
- Turn towards: build an emotional bank account
- Maintain the positive perspective
- Ritualize the daily stress reducing conversation
- Flooding, self-soothing and taking breaks
- Recognize the four warning signs of relationship meltdown
- Practice the four steps of constructive problem solving
- Honor mothers and fathers
- Recognize the importance of fathers
- Understand the baby blues, postpartum mood disorders, and other mental health issues
- Connect with your children
- Preserve intimacy and romance
- Create shared meaning and values
Your Workshop Facilitator
Rebecca Blankinship is passionate about helping couples feel prepared for birth and parenting. As a trained Gottman Educator Rebecca brings couples research-based tools to not only survive the addition of a baby to their family, but thrive! Rebecca adds her unique perspective as a childbirth educator, birth and postpartum doula and conscious parenting coach to the Bringing Baby Home workshop.
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Upcoming Course Dates:
Bring a BRINGING BABY HOME workshop to your organization or non-profit. Contact Me to learn more.