Couple relationship and transition to parenthood: Does workload at home matter?

In this paper the association between the quality of couple relationships and household workload after the transition to parenthood is investigated. The sample consists of 251 men and women recruited through 21 child health-care centres in South Bohusln, Sweden. The results reveal a significant correlation between experiences of household workload and the quality of couple relationship for women when they have had both their first and their second child. The association clearly remains for first-time mothers even when other characteristics, which may affect the couple's relationship, are included, such as stress, child's temperament, and social support. Stress also appears to have a significant connection with the satisfaction with the couple relationship, specifically for men. These results indicate that in a society with a high level of equality between men and women, household work and stress appear to be indicators of relationship happiness for persons who have recently become parents.