It’s not us, it’s parenthood: Comparing sexual well-being in new parents with community couples
By Grace Schwenck This blog is a summary of our published article: Schwenck, G. C., Dawson, S. J., Muise, A., & Rosen, N. O. (2020). A comparison of the sexual well-being of new parents with community couples. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 17(11), 2156-2167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.08.011 Becoming a parent for the first time is one of the […]
Feeling down, but not to get down: Is Postpartum Depression linked with New Parents’ Sexual Function and Distress?
By Priyam Joshi This blog is a summary of our published article: Dawson, S. J., Leonhardt, N. D., Impett, E. A., & Rosen, N. O. (2021). Associations Between Postpartum Depressive Symptoms and Couples’ Sexual Function and Sexual Distress Trajectories Across the Transition to Parenthood. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. Becoming a parent for the first time […]
Is it all downhill from here? Changes to new mothers’ sexual function in the year following childbirth
By Samantha Dawson, PhD This blog is a summary of our published article: Dawson, S. J., Vaillancourt-Morel, M-P., Pierce, M., & Rosen, N. O. (in press). Biopsychosocial predictors of trajectories of postpartum sexual function in first-time mothers. Health Psychology. doi: 10.1037/hea0000861 Sexual function, which includes things like desire, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction, is a core component […]
Myth Busting: Sex After Baby
By Erin T. Fitzpatrick There are many commonly held beliefs about what sex will (or won’t) look like after the transition to parenthood. In this blog post, we will debunk of a few of these myths! MYTH: Everyone will be ready to have sex 6-weeks after giving birth. FACT: Your doctor may suggest that you […]
Pain and Pregnancy and Sex, Oh My!
by Meghan Rossi This blog is a summary of our published article: Rossi, M. A., Mooney, K. M., Binik, Y. M., & Rosen, N. O. (2019). A Descriptive and Longitudinal Analysis of Pain During Intercourse in Pregnancy. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.09.011 When women experience pain during intercourse, both they and their partners report lower […]
Are new parents less stressed when they’re more sexually satisfied?
By Inês Tavares This blog is a summary of our published article: Tavares, I. M., Nobre, P. J., Schlagentweit, H., & Rosen, N. O. (2019). Sexual well-being and perceived stress in couples transitioning to parenthood: A dyadic analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology. doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2019.07.004 After the birth of their first baby, new parents usually have a lot […]
Returning to Sex: Women’s Experiences with Their Postpartum Sexuality
by Heather Oliveira Have you or your partner recently had a baby? Are you or your partner pregnant? Are you curious about how becoming a parent will change your sex life? Postpartum sex is something that many women have difficulty with; studies show that self-esteem, confidence, and exhaustion make returning to sex challenging (2,3). A […]
Becoming Four (Or More!): Consensual Non-Monogamy and Parenthood
By Meghan Rossi One of the main research programs in the Couples and Sexual Health Laboratory is exploring how new parents manage changes to their romantic and sexual relationship when they first become parents. We know that this period is full of both excitement and challenges for couples (see blog posts 1, 2,3, 4). However, […]
Navigating Pain and Intimacy in the Postpartum Period
By Meghan Rossi Welcoming a new baby into your family is both an exciting and challenging time. For many parents it is a time of joy; however, some couples can experience unanticipated difficulties that are hard to navigate, both individually and as a couple. Pain during sexual activity is one challenge that couples may experience. […]
#PostBabyHankyPanky: Sharing our Knowledge about Sexuality During the Transition to Parenthood
By Megan Muise, Research Co-ordinator Welcoming a new baby into the family is often a time filled with joy and excitement for couples. During this time couples are also faced with many new challenges, including strain on their romantic and sexual relationship. Research has shown that parents experience sharper declines in relationship satisfaction […]
Is it me or you? Attributions for postpartum sexual concerns during the transition to motherhood
By Kaitlyn Adare This post is a summary of our paper: Vannier S. A., Adare K., & Rosen N. (2018). Is it me or you? First-time mothers’ attributions for postpartum sexual concerns are associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction in the transition to parenthood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 35, 577-599. Having a baby […]
Sexual Desire Discrepancy and Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction among New Parents
By Emily Cote This post is a summary of our paper: Rosen, N. O., Bailey, K., & Muise, A. (2017). Degree and Direction of Sexual Desire Discrepancy are Linked to Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction in Couples Transitioning to Parenthood. The Journal of Sex Research, 1-12. The transition to parenthood is a unique and often challenging time […]
The Prevalence of Dyspareunia and Genito-Pelvic Pain in Pregnancy
By Meghan Rossi Women experience a number of changes throughout pregnancy. One of these changes can include pain, specifically: Genito-Pelvic Pain Spontaneous or provoked pain in areas including the pelvis, vulva, perineum, vaginal opening, and inside the vagina and/or Dyspareunia Pain during intercourse There is limited research on the prevalence of these different pain types […]
Fear-Based Reasons For Not Engaging in Sexual Activity During Pregnancy
By Jaimie Beveridge This blog summarizes our recently published paper: Beveridge, J. K., Vannier, S. A., & Rosen, N. O. (2017). Fear-based reasons for not engaging in sexual activity during pregnancy: Associations with sexual and relationship well-being. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology. doi: 10.1080/0167482X.2017.1312334. TV shows and movies love to joke about having sex […]
Sexual Distress and Sexual Problems during Pregnancy
This is a summary of our recently published paper: Vannier, S.A., & Rosen, N. O. (2017). Sexual Distress and Sexual Problems during Pregnancy: Associations with Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction. Journal of Sexual Medicine. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.12.239 By Sarah Vannier This study was part of our research program aimed at identifying ways to improve women’s and couples’ sexual […]
New Parents: How empathy for your partner can be beneficial for your relationship post-baby
This is a summary of our recently published paper: Rosen, Mooney, & Muise, (2016). Dyadic Empathy Predicts Sexual and Relationship Well-Being in Couples Transitioning to Parenthood. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2016.1208698 By Kayla Mooney Having a baby is often an exciting time for a couple; however, the transition to parenthood can also bring […]
A New Baby in the Bedroom: Frequency and Severity of Postpartum Sexual Concerns and Their Associations With Relationship Satisfaction in New Parent Couples
By Hera Schlagintweit *Note: This is a summary of our recently published paper: Schlagintweit, H. E., Bailey, K., & Rosen, N. O. (2016). A New Baby in the Bedroom: Frequency and Severity of Postpartum Sexual Concerns and Their Associations With Relationship Satisfaction in New Parent Couples. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Online First. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.08.006 Access the […]
How does sexuality before pregnancy affect sexuality during and after pregnancy?
By Jaimie Beveridge Perhaps unsurprisingly, research has found that many women experience changes to their sexuality and sexual relationship during pregnancy and the postpartum period [1]. These changes can include: decreases in how often women desire and engage in sex, decreases in their ability to get aroused and wet and orgasm during sex, decreases in […]
Research Spotlight: Sexual Functioning during Pregnancy
* Our research spotlight series highlights recent and interesting peer-reviewed articles Written by: Sarah Vannier Pregnancy can be an exciting time when expectant parents are looking forward to meeting their new child. However, pregnancy can bring about a lot of changes to women’s sex lives. For example, many pregnant women experience a decrease in sexual […]
Research Spotlight: Division of Labour and Sexual Satisfaction in First-Time Parents
* Our research spotlight series highlights recent and interesting peer-reviewed articles Written by: Michelle Flynn Researchers at Pennsylvania State University recently published a study on sexual satisfaction in first-time parents. Parents who took part in this study were asked about co-parenting, parenting stress, role overload (feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities), number of hours worked per week, […]
