Postpartum Role Satisfaction in Couples: Associations With Individual and Relationship Well-Being

Abstract

Although the postpartum period is typically considered a joyful time for new parents, this period calls for a reprioritization of daily responsibilities and tasks which may not necessarily align with the egalitarian split many couples envision. Dissatisfaction in this new role may negatively affect individual and couple well-being. This study examined the association between role satisfaction and postpartum distress symptoms or relationship adjustment from 73 opposite-sex couples 4- to 12-week postpartum. Both women and men reported a desire that men be more involved in household, child care, and family decision-making tasks. Actor–partner interdependence models examined the within-individual and cross-partner associations between role satisfaction and individual or couple well-being. As hypothesized, women’s role satisfaction positively predicted both partners’ relationship adjustment. These findings shed light on women’s role satisfaction as a potentially important factor underlying couple’s well-being postpartum.