Abstract
A longitudinal study of 68 couples took place during the transition to first-time parenthood (during pregnancy, and two and three years postpartum). Four aspects of marital relations were investigated : closeness", stubbornness", patience", and calmness". Spousal "closeness" declined after the birth of a first child but there was no significant differences in closeness between couples at two and three years postpartum. This result suggested that despite an initial drop, closeness stabilized between two and three years postpartum. Wive's scores for stubbornness toward husbands increased after the birth of a first child, while husbands' patience scores were consistently higher than their wives' scores. These results suggest that husbands were often attuned to their wives' moods and tried to be patient even when they were having unpleasant feelings. Regression analysis clarified the factors contributing to the decline of closeness. For husbands, the level of wives' irritation and men's working hours contributed to a decline in feelings of closeness. In the case of wives, insufficient participation by husbands in child care and women's recognition of children's difficult temperament contributed to a decline in closeness.
