Baby On Board:Can Your Relationship Survive a Baby? Things to Consider Before You Get Pregnant!

3. Chores

Once you have a little person in the house, it’ll get more difficult to find time to do little things around the house that need to be tended to like cooking, dishes, laundry, etc. This is where the division of chores becomes critical so that you don’t live in a dump and one person gets angry at the other because they’re not cleaning the bathroom while the other is feeding the baby. A woman may feel like she doesn’t need to do ANYTHING other than taking care of the baby, especially if she’s breastfeeding. If the partner doesn’t help with dirty diapers, feedings or anything else that has to do with nurturing the baby, then a woman might expect that he take care of the house. But if your partner has never taken care of the house before, he’s going to be completely lost. This is where the conflict comes in, so it’s best to discuss who will do what in the event that you have a baby. If he doesn’t cook, ask friends to make meals that you can freeze until you feel up to cooking or you can cook while he feeds the baby. As for cleaning the house, consider getting a cleaning service or housekeeper to come in a couple of times a week or a month to help tidy up a bit. Discuss with him the type of help you’d like to have. Instead of saying, “I’m going to need your help,” consider saying “I want you to wash clothes, dishes and the bathroom while I feed the baby, cook and feed the cats.” Pick specific days of the week to do chores and write them down on a board or on the fridge where you both can see them and remember who does what. This way there is nothing to argue about – everyone already knows their role.