A study of the transition to parenthood: new parents’ perspectives on their sexual intimacy during the perinatal period

Abstract

The transition to parenthood (TtoP) is a major life event that brings about significant changes in the sexuality of individuals and couples. This qualitative study documents, from the perspective of new parents, the repercussions on sexual intimacy and the changes that it undergoes in the perinatal period. Data were collected from March 2017 to February 2018 in the Greater Montreal Area, Canada. In all, 23 first-time parent couples with a child aged from 6 to 12 months participated in semi-directed dyadic interviews followed by individual interviews. The results show three closely interrelated conceptual categories: (1) the presence of the child limits occasions for sexual intimacy; (2) the sexual satisfaction of the partners seems to be largely unaffected by the changes brought by the TtoP; and (3) the TtoP leads the couple to redefine their sexual intimacy, which becomes more global and less focused on penetration. This study allows qualifying certain currently accepted findings on sexual life after the first childbirth, and calls for further studies to better inform parents, professionals, and other care providers during the perinatal period.