How will my sexual well-being be affected by becoming a parent?

Couple cuddling on couch with baby.

By Quinn MacDonald This blog is a summary of our published article: Rosen, N. O., Dawson, S. J., Leonhardt, N. D., Vannier, S. A., & Impett, E. A. (2021). Trajectories of sexual well-being among couples in the transition to parenthood. Journal of Family Psychology, 35(4), 523–533. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000689 Transitioning to parenthood for the first time can […]

Did I meet your expectations? A longitudinal couples’ study on unmet and exceeded sexual expectations during the transition to parenthood.

Parents holding a baby.

By Brianna MacDonald This blog is a summary of our published article: Rosen, N. O., Vannier, S. A., Johnson, M. D., McCarthy, L., & Impett, E. A. (2022). Unmet and exceeded expectations for sexual concerns across the transition to parenthood. The Journal of Sex Research, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2022.2126814 Welcoming a new baby can be an exciting […]

Mind Over Matter: Exploring the relationship between mindfulness and body Image in first-time parents

Two people standing. One is pregnant and the other has their arms around the pregnant individual.

By Sophia Marchetti & Inês Tavares This blog is a summary of our published article: Tavares, I. M., Rosen, N. O., Heiman, J. R., & Nobre, P. J. (2023). Longitudinal associations between mindfulness and changes to body image in first-time parent couples. Body Image, 44, 187-196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.01.002 Both positive body image and mindfulness contribute to better sexual […]

Let’s talk during sex, baby: Gender/sex differences in sexual communication

Couple embracing in bed.

By Kathleen Nesbitt-Daly This blog is a summary of our published article: Merwin, K. E., Bergeron, S., Jodouin, J. F., Mackinnon, S. P., & Rosen, N. O. (2022). Few differences in sexual talk by gender/sex and dyad type: A retrospective and daily diary study with couples. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51(8), 3715-3733. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02363-y Communicating during sex is an important part […]

Are new parents less stressed when they’re more sexually satisfied?

By Inês Tavares This blog is a summary of our published article: Tavares, I. M., Nobre, P. J., Schlagentweit, H., & Rosen, N. O. (2019). Sexual well-being and perceived stress in couples transitioning to parenthood: A dyadic analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology. doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2019.07.004 After the birth of their first baby, new parents usually have a lot […]

Living with a Partner in Pain

Co-authored by Indre Baltrušaityte and Kat Merwin This post is a summary of a recently published article from the CaSH Lab: Mohammadi, S., Chambers, C. T., & Rosen, N. O. (2018). Expression of pain behaviors and perceived partner responses in individuals with chronic pain: The mediating role of partner burden and relationship quality. The Clinical Journal of Pain, […]

What is dyadic research, and why is it so important?

By Megan Muise As the name of our lab suggests, the majority of our research focuses on couples. We collect and analyze data from both members of the couple, which is often referred to as dyadic research. Dyadic research is important because it allows us to examine the influence one partner’s responses have on the […]

Let’s Talk About Sex

Dr Rosen is interviewed by CTV news for comment on the Waterloo Study that found frequency of sex is the most common concern reported by couples in long term relationships. https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1690386&binId=1.1145729&playlistPageNum=1