Mindfulness and individual, relational, and parental outcomes during the transition to parenthood

Abstract

With more than one million couples transitioning to parenthood each year, finding ways to enable healthier transitions is salient. Trait mindful awareness and sexual mindfulness were examined in an Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) framework using 169 mixed-sex, married couples to evaluate their association with individual, relational, and parental outcomes. For couples who have transitioned to parenthood, mothers’ trait mindfulness was associated with their own higher mental health and fathers; trait mindfulness was associated with their own higher quality mental health; mothers’ and fathers’ sexually mindful nonjudgment, an ability to remain mindful during sex, was associated with fathers’ higher quality mental health and mothers’ sexually mindful nonjudgment was associated with their own higher quality mental health. Mothers’ trait mindfulness was also associated with their report of lower pregnancy and delivery stress. Higher reports of sexual nonjudgement by both mothers and father were also associated with higher parenting satisfaction for fathers. Thus, mindfulness and sexual mindfulness may be particularly important skills to support new parents’ mental health, relational satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and parenting satisfaction. Transition to parenthood scholars and practitioners have long been invested in understanding risk and protective factors for new parents and are commonly seeking important points of education and/or intervention to support this transition. Our study suggests mindfulness may both reduce risk and promote healthy behaviors that support mothers, fathers, and their relationship.