Pregnancy & Relationship Support
Pregnancy is a time of anticipation, change, and vulnerability, often all at once. Even in healthy, supportive relationships, this season can bring heightened emotions, shifting roles, increased anxiety, and new patterns of communication that feel unfamiliar or hard to navigate. Many expecting couples are surprised by how much pregnancy alone can impact their connection, long before a baby arrives.
Perinatal counseling offers intentional support during pregnancy, helping couples slow down, make sense of what’s coming up, and strengthen their relationship as they prepare for parenthood. I work with couples across Virginia to build emotional awareness, improve communication, and develop practical tools that support both partners through the transition into family life, before patterns of disconnection take hold.
Change is part of the transition.
Pregnancy reshapes more than routines. It reshapes identities, expectations, and how partners lean on each other. Even strong relationships can feel stretched during this season, not because something is wrong, but because something meaningful is changing.
Proactive support makes a difference.
Taking time to care for your relationship during pregnancy is thoughtful, not dramatic. Strengthening your connection now can help early parenthood feel steadier and more manageable together.
Pregnancy Support for Couples Can Help You:
Talk through expectations around parenthood, roles, and responsibility
Navigate emotional changes during pregnancy without growing apart
Practice asking for support and responding in ways that feel helpful
Explore how your own family experiences are shaping your parenting hopes
Improve communication before stress increases postpartum
Feel more connected and aligned as a team
Many expecting couples don’t seek counseling because something is “wrong.” They come because they know this season will stretch their relationship and want support figuring things out together. Pregnancy can be a powerful time to strengthen your partnership before sleep deprivation, stress, and added responsibilities take center stage.
From ‘Me’ to ‘We’:
Preparing for Parenthood Together
Pregnancy isn’t just preparation for a baby. It’s preparation for a new version of your relationship. Counseling during pregnancy gives couples space to shift from individual stress and uncertainty into shared understanding and teamwork.
By working together before your baby arrives, you can talk through expectations, support needs, communication patterns, and how you want to handle stress as a unit. This foundation matters. Once your baby is here, energy is limited, emotions run high, and small misunderstandings can feel much bigger.
Pregnancy-focused couples counseling helps you build a shared approach to parenthood, so when life feels chaotic, your relationship feels steady.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
Baby Proof Your Relationship
A Pregnancy Preparation Program for Couples
Many couples feel excited and hopeful during pregnancy, but would still like support to thoughtfully prepare for this next phase of life.
This program is ideal for couples who want a proactive, structured approach to relationship preparation- similar to childbirth or parenting classes- without ongoing couples therapy.
Baby Proof Your Relationship is an eight-session, education-based program for couples who want to strengthen communication, plan for shared responsibilities, and protect their connection before their baby arrives. Offered privately with one couple at a time, this curriculum blends practical tools with guided conversation to help you move into parenthood feeling aligned and supported.
Topics include communication, navigating conflict, dividing the mental and practical load, clarifying needs, and planning for support and outsourcing.
A brief consultation can help you decide whether this program or couples counseling is the best fit.
Expecting to Empowered
LEARNING & CONNECTION SERIES
Small Group Education & Connection for Pregnant Women
Pregnancy can bring a great deal of hope along side some concern. Even when things feel “on track,” many pregnant women want space to reflect, learn practical skills, and connect with others navigating the same transition.
Expecting to Empowered is a small, supportive educational group for pregnant women, usually offered in the second or early third trimester. Over six weekly sessions, participants:
Learn to express needs and set boundaries
Explore strategies for prioritizing and outsourcing responsibilities
Build confidence in managing postpartum changes
Understand and recognize common postpartum mood changes
Connect with a small community of peers experiencing similar challenges
This program is designed to normalize the experience of pregnancy, build confidence, and provide practical skills so you feel ready and supported as you move toward parenthood.
