Is it ‘correcting’ my husband or ‘sharing insight’ with him?
My husband is still a bit disconnected from our newborn, but I appreciate that it’s normal for some men. He’s there for me, and while he doesn’t enjoy spending tons of time with her he will take her when I ask. He also takes her for a couple of hours every night so that I can get dedicated rest no matter how she’s doing that night. I think he has a bit of postpartum and he’s seeing a counsellor regularly so I know he has good support there too.
Here’s the issue: when I see him with her, she’s usually crying, which of course contributes to why he feels disconnected with her. However, I can see why she’s crying - he’s holding her in a way that will make her reflux flare up, for example, or he’s turned all the lights on and is watching tv and turned the white noise off - of course she woke up! I try to make occasional comments but I also don’t want to tell him how to be a parent and make him feel even more out of the loop. He’s not doing anything harmful - I would have no problem correcting him if he was. It’s that it’s inefficient or reflects that he hasn’t spent time with her like I have. As a result, I get her back after my nap and she’s all hot and wound up from crying or fussing.
Should I address this or let him parent his own way? What’s the balance of sharing what I’ve learned with letting him discover it like I did? Anyone else had a similar situation with your partner?
Let’s Glow
Glow is here for you on your path to pregnancy
Glow helps you navigate your fertility journey with smart tools, personalized insights, and guidance from medical experts who understand what matters most.
25+ million
Users
4.8 stars
200k+ app ratings
20+
Medical advisors