{"id":2942,"date":"2026-10-11T17:12:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T06:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ootw.au\/becomingus\/?p=2942"},"modified":"2026-10-11T17:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T06:30:08","slug":"the-stresses-of-parenthood-and-how-you-can-help-expecting-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ootw.au\/becomingus\/the-stresses-of-parenthood-and-how-you-can-help-expecting-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stresses of Parenthood and How You Can Help Expecting Parents"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You know the movie scene where the baby is born and both parents cuddle the baby together and the baby fixes everything in their relationship? And then the three of them live happily ever after, \u201cThe End\u201d. In reality that\u2019s all it is – a scene from a movie. A moment in time. And it\u2019s not the end – it\u2019s just the beginning.<\/p>\n

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And the notion that having a baby brings Happy Ever After is no more real than a superhero saving the day.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Because the truth is the stresses of parenthood – becoming a parent – brings stresses and babies don\u2019t fix relationships, they challenge them. Some couples get a puppy and expect this has prepared them for parenthood. They care for the puppy like it\u2019s a newborn and for a short while the puppy\u2019s survival is dependent on them absolutely. But soon enough they can leave the puppy home all day, and return to work – and their old way of life. The puppy will eventually fit in. Babies don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Having a baby is next level<\/em>. It affects new parents entire life AND it happens overnight. In the space of 12 hours parents now have broken sleep, no routine, reduced capacity to earn an income, have to figure out a tiny baby\u2019s intense needs and wants (non-verbally!!!). Plus there\u2019s a whole host of expectations (their own expectations plus those of family, friends and even strangers\/society) to deal with.<\/p>\n

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Lives – and often relationships – need to be reconstructed.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Add to that the extra challenges for mothers: body changes, breastfeeding, trying to get everything done, often with not enough support – it can be off-the-scale stressful.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s something you can do to help expecting parents prepare for all this. There\u2019s a wonderful thing called the Orchid Hypothesis, which teaches us that we all have a system in our brain (called the cholinergic system), that\u2019s responsible for new learning. And this little puppy is particularly relevant for new parents, because:<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s all about expectations. And as you know, expectations are HUGE in the perinatal period.<\/strong> In fact, in one Australian survey, 60% of women said their postpartum depression was due to unrealistic expectations of parenthood.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Here’s what researchers have discovered:<\/p>\n