From Partners to Parents:
A Workshop Preparing Couples for Early Parenthood
Studies show that a connected parental unit is one of the most important predictors of wellbeing for children, and yet our current society is not properly equipped to prepare parents for this massive life change.
During pregnancy, we often spend a lot of time preparing for the big event that is birth and not a lot of time on what happens after. If anything, we focus on the baby, and not on the people caring for the baby. Studies show the transition into parenthood is one of the biggest stressors in a relationship, and can lead to dissatisfaction. The stress of dual careers, the distraction of our online lives and social media, and the significant demands of parenthood, all contribute.
This workshop will set you, your partner, and your relationship up for success in the early stages of parenthood and beyond. It will include both education on what to expect and exercises to workshop your agreements and strategies for this big life change, including providing tools for conflict resolution. With this foundation, couples can confidently feel like they’re on the same team, no matter what challenges occur during this big life change.
build your foundation
What to expect
Session 1:
What to expect in early parenthood
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Preparing for birth & the newborn stage as a couple
How can your partner support you during birth
PMADs education including prevention and warning signs
Resources for support
Early infant attachment
Boundaries and support from family
Childcare & returning to work and real life
What is your support system like for childcare?
Nanny vs daycare
Finding childcare resources
What will you do when childcare is unavailable (kid sick, nanny sick)?
Parental burnout
The mental load
Strategies to prevent burnout and find time for yourself
Finding balance between parenthood and life
Parenting Styles
Overview of common parenting styles
Review how you and your partner were raised and goals for your family
Tools for emotional regulation for fussy infants and toddler tantrums
Session 2:
How to stay connected and navigate this life change
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Your Team: What makes a successful parenting partnership
What makes a successful relationship
Relationship check up
Managing Conflict in your Relationship
Common sources of conflict in early parenthood
Preparing for the unexpected
Fighting fair
Sex & Intimacy
Changes in intimacy in early parenthood
Strategies to stay connected
Forming Your Family
Create a family mantra
Solidify connection rituals as a couple
Know your own individual red flags that mean you need a relationship check up
Two opportunities to join.
Virtual
Sundays
July 27 and August 1
9am-12pm PST
In Person
Sundays
September 14 and 21
10am-1pm PST
Meet Your Practitioner
Lexi Berard is a Life After Birth® trained psychotherapist who specializes in working with couples and individuals exploring their relational patterns or going through life transitions, especially the entry into parenthood. She holds a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Los Angeles and has specialized training in depth psychology, emotionally-focused therapy, trauma-informed modalities, sex therapy, addiction treatment, and LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapies.
She works with couples and women navigating the world-altering transition into parenthood, an identity shift affecting not only the mother but the relationship between parents. This phase of life can come with a decrease in sexual intimacy and stress about childcare and finances.
Lexi helps parents in individual therapy cope with this life change themselves and supports couples in working through this transition together. She provides actionable strategies to help make your day-to-day life feel easier and less overwhelming and helps increase connection and communication, working through issues such as lack of intimacy and feeling misunderstood by your partner. She helps break the cycle of conflict between couples and develop new, healthy patterns for this important new stage of your lives and relationship.
Prior to becoming a therapist, Lexi worked in the business world and spent over a decade in the highly demanding advertising industry. She’s also a registered yoga teacher and often incorporates breathwork and mindfulness practices in her therapeutic work with clients. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and corgi.