Key points

Postpartum can reveal pre-existing vulnerabilities for couples.

Changes in roles and responsibilities, lack of sleep, and barriers to coping strategies can stress a couple.

1 in 5 moms and 1 in 10 dads experience mental health disorders during the perinatal period.

While postpartum can expose vulnerabilities it can also reveal relational strengths.

In general, a stress test reveals how well a system performs under pressure. Most people likely associate a stress test with an exercise stress test, which involves assessing how well a person’s body physically performs during increased physical strain (e.g., while running on a treadmill). During the stress test, the person’s heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing are being monitored while under “stress” and, in doing so,

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