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.

Keywords:

• Couplehood
• parenthood
• sexual intimacy
• transition
• qualitative research

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the participants who told us their stories so openly and generously. They are also grateful to the community organizations involved in recruiting the participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 F: father; M: mother.

Additional information

Funding

This study was made possible by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [Grant Number 430-2016-00945] awarded to the first author.

Notes on contributors

Sylvie Lévesque

Sylvie Lévesque is a Sexologist and Associate Professor at the Sexology Department in the Université du Québec in Montreal. She holds a PhD in Health Promotion. Her research focuses on parenthood, reproductive health issues and violence towards women.

Véronique Bisson

Veronique Bisson graduated from the master’s program in sexology at the Université du Québec in Montreal. Her master’s thesis explored body image, use of social media and transition to parenthood among women.

Mylène Fernet

Mylène Fernet is a Full Professor at the Sexology Department in the Université du Québec in Montreal. She holds a PhD in Public Health. Her research focuses on violence towards adolescents’ girls and young women, cyberviolence, and prevention tools.

Laurence Charton

Laurence Charton is a Demographer and Associate Professor at the INRS urbanization, culture, and society center. Her research interests include parenting, contraceptive and reproductive behaviors, and family trajectories.