When Partners Become Parents

What it is about

When Partners Become Parents is the Cowans’ study of the transition to parenthood and the common drop in couple satisfaction after a baby arrives. It is the research book behind later guides such as And Baby Makes Three, documenting how roles, sleep, and support reshape the pair bond. The findings are patterns across families in their studies, not a prediction that every new parent’s marriage will fail. The book is developmental research on love under the strain of a new child, not a newborn-care manual and not obstetric advice.

Questions it can answer

• What happens to couple satisfaction in the Cowans’ study of the transition to parenthood?
• How do roles, sleep, and support reshape the pair bond after a baby arrives?
• How does this research book sit behind later guides such as And Baby Makes Three?

What you will not find

• Week-by-week infant care or feeding schedules
• A personal prediction for one named couple
• Medical prenatal or delivery instructions