Relational Processes as Predictors of Relationship Satisfaction Trajectories Across the Transition to Parenthood

• Published date: 01 October 2021
• Author: Hagar ter Kuile,Tanja der Lippe,Esther S. Kluwer
• Date: 01 October 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12546

H  K  T   L Utrecht University

E S. K Utrecht University and Radboud University

Relational Processes as Predictors of Relationship

Satisfaction Trajectories Across the Transition

to Parenthood

Objective: Toidentify subgroups of parents with

distinct patterns of change in relationship satis-

faction across the transition to parenthood and

predict subgroup membership from prenatal lev-

els of relational processes.

Background: The average decline in relation-

ship satisfaction that is generally found across

the transition to parenthood masks the existence

of subgroups of parents who show distinct pat-

terns of change across the transition to parent-

hood.

Method: Latent class growth analysis (LCGA)

was conducted using four waves of data from

a Dutch sample of 440 rst-time parents (210

couples; pregnancy to 1 year postpartum). Sub-

groups subsequently were examined to explore

differences in prenatal relational processes.

Results: More than half of parents reported

no change in relationship satisfaction after

Department of Social, Health & Organizational Psychology,

Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The

Netherlands (e.s.kluwer@uu.nl).

© 2021 The Authors. Family Relations published by Wiley

Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Council on Family

Relations.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative

Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License,

which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided

the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial

and no modications or adaptations are made.

Key Words: latent class growth analysis, relational pro-

cesses, relationship satisfaction, transition to parenthood.

childbirth, and only small subgroups of new

parents experienced strong declines. Levels

of one’s own and one’s partner’s relationship

maintenance behavior, perceived responsive-

ness, and accommodation during pregnancy

predicted subgroup membership.

Conclusion: The results underscore the impor-

tance of examining heterogeneity in relationship

change across the transition to parenthood, and

prenatal levels of relational processes are asso-

ciated with differential relationship satisfaction

trajectories.

Implications: The results imply that targeting

the group of parents that are most at risk for

relationship satisfaction decline after childbirth

and starting relationship interventions during

pregnancy may contribute to the effectiveness of

interventions.

Although most parents experience rst child-

birth as a joyous and highly desired event,

the stress of caring for an infant and dealing

with new roles and responsibilities can take

its toll on the couple’s relationship. One of the

best documented changes is that, on average,

relationship satisfaction declines across the

transition to parenthood (Mitnick et al., 2009;

Twenge et al., 2003; see for reviews Doss &

Rhoades, 2017; Kluwer, 2010). However, an

average decline in relationship satisfaction does

not mean that every parent experiences the same

decline or even any decline at all. Indeed, studies

1238 Family Relations 70 (October 2021): 1238–1252

DOI:10.1111/fare.12546