Personal Relationships, (2011). Printed in the United States of America. Copyright © 2011 IARR; DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01335.x Worries in expectant parents: Its relation with perinatal well-being and relationship satisfaction SUSANNE N. BIEHLE AND KRISTIN D. MICKELSON Kent State University Abstract Although much has been written about the impact of pregnancy on expectant parents, less is known about the worries couples experience during pregnancy. Sex differences in worries and the link between self and coparent worries on perinatal well-being and relationship satisfaction in 104 primiparous couples were examined. It was found not only do expectant mothers and fathers worry about different things, but also type of worry is related to different outcomes. Moreover, using structural equation modeling, childbirth worries and worry frequency indirectly predict lower relationship satisfaction through worse well-being. However, coparent’s worries did not significantly relate to their partner’s perinatal well-being or relationship satisfaction. This study suggests the importance of examining perinatal worries in parents, as well as the dyadic interaction between coparents. Couples expecting their first child are typi- cally filled with excitement and anticipation about the impending arrival of their baby (e.g., Feldman & Nash, 1984). Yet, because of the all the unknowns surrounding preg- nancy (especially with a first child), it can also be a stress-provoking time for both expec- tant mothers and fathers (e.g., Harville, Savitz, Dole, Herring, & Thorp, 2009; Hobbs & Cole, 1976). Expectant parents often worry about various aspects of the transition and pregnancy from baby’s health, the child- birth process, money, and/or their copar- ent relationship (e.g., ¨ Ohman, Grunewald, & Waldenstr¨ om, 2003; Petersen, Paulitsch, Guethlin, Gensichen, & Jahn, 2009). Although research has examined what expectant moth- ers (and to a lesser degree expectant fathers) worry about, it is less clear how worry dur- ing pregnancy impacts them individually and Susanne N. Biehle and Kristin D. Mickelson, Department of Psychology, Kent State University. This study was supported by a grant to K.D.M. from the Ohio Board of Regents. Correspondence should be addressed to Susanne N. Biehle, Department of Psychology, Kent State Univer- sity, P.O. Box 5190, Kent, OH 44242-0001, e-mail: sbiehle@kent.edu. how their worries are related to their coparent and coparent relationship. Moreover, despite the wealth of knowledge that has been gath- ered about the transition to parenthood in the last few decades, relatively few studies have systematically examined the combined per- spectives of the expectant mother, father, and couple. In addition, no prior research exists on the impact of a coparent’s worries on their partner’s well-being. This study proposes to examine sex differences in the worries of expectant parent, as well as the differential impact of these worries on their well-being and relationship satisfaction. In addition, this study examines whether what one parent wor- ries about, as well as how much they worry, will be related to well-being and relationship satisfaction in their coparent. Sex differences in worries Worry is considered a normal aspect of daily life associated with real-life triggers occurring presently or expected to occur in the near future (Tallis, Davey, & Capuzzo, 1994). Worry has alternately been defined in the liter- ature as the emotional distress or arousal con- nected with an actual or perceived situation 1