"We" versus "you and me": Couples who view themselves as a team have a smoother transition to parenthood
Date
2026
Authors
English, Gracie
Woodin, Erica M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Victoria
Abstract
Background: The transition to parenthood is a period of vulnerability in which many couples experience decreases in relationship functioning. We-ness, or the degree to which couples view themselves as part of a team, may play an important role in couples' ability to adapt to the demands of parenthood. The objective of this study was to investigate if we-ness predicts couple and individual outcomes over the transition to parenthood. Method: 97 mixed gender couples completed an oral history interview and questionnaires during the third trimester of pregnancy, and questionnaires were repeated at 1, 2, and 4 years postpartum. Results: Multilevel modeling analyses demonstrated that couples' we-ness during pregnancy was associated with higher prenatal relationship satisfaction, better expectations about co-parenting cohesion, lower depression levels, and lower levels of intimate partner violence. In addition, lower levels of prenatal we-ness longitudinally predicted increases in intimate partner violence during the first four years of parenthood. Hostile attributions were not a significant mediator of wellbeing and we-ness links, however it was independently predictive of depression, satisfaction, and co-parenting over time. Stress was not a significant moderator of the we-ness and hostile attribution link but it was independently predictive of hostile attributions at pregnancy and over time. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that couples who view themselves as a team have higher levels of prenatal wellbeing and a lower risk of intimate partner violence during early parenthood, suggesting that we-ness could be a beneficial factor to target among couples experiencing the transition to parenthood.
Description
Keywords
we-ness, relationship, parenthood, stress, Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)