I am seeing a lot of couples with children, especially small children, coming through my doors these days. Connie, our Office Manager and I’ve been happy to welcome some infants along with their parents. It’s pretty fun to encounter a baby during your day! Even if you haven’t entered, or are out of, a “parenting” or “baby” stage in your life, I encourage you to keep reading as you might have a family member or friend who could benefit from the information below.
This brings me to the topic of the Bringing Baby Home workshop (BBH) for which I am now an Educator. Specifically targeted at expectant and new parents, the research behind this workshop is pretty stunning: 2/3 of couples experience a decline in relationship satisfaction after the birth of their first baby.
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By participating in the Bringing Baby Home workshop, Dr. Gottman and his team found that in two days, you can reverse 77% of the declines in relationship satisfaction!
Pretty amazing!
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Essentially, couples/new parents are taught about the Gottman’s Sound Relationship House and the associated skill set, they also get a boxed set of resources for use throughout the weekend and beyond (See my BBH page), plus the opportunity to practice the skills one-on-one with their partner in a supportive educational environment with other couples. Couples with babies seven months or younger (babes in arms) are welcome to bring their babies to the workshop with them. Or, you might decide to give yourselves a little getaway and let someone else enjoy your little one while you work on your relationship.
One phenomenon that frequently comes up when we start talking about new parents is postpartum depression. We’ll touch on this within the BBH workshop; However, I’d also like to recommend some therapists in the Kansas City area who are true experts with this challenge. Check out: Maureen Francois, LCSW, Jessica Mostaffa, LPC, and Stevie Spiegel, LCSW at wildhopekansascity.com . These experienced and caring professionals can assist you in addressing mood and lifestyle changes during pregnancy and after.
Happy October!