New Parent Difficulties: A Case Study

When it comes to celebrity couples, Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling are one pair of Hollywood A-listers who have managed to keep the details of their relationship relatively private. Maintaining this level of confidentiality is no small feat given the celebrity status of the two.  After all, it's hard enough for us common folk to keep our private lives private. 

Nonetheless, when you're as famous as Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling are, there will always be prying eyes and lenses whenever you go out and public. As a result, there are some things that you just can't keep secret for long, and recent photos of the couple together clearly show that Mendes is expecting the couple's second child. 

Perhaps one of the reasons the couple is so reticent when it comes to the press is that it hasn't always been smooth sailing for the two of them. It was only last year that the rumor mill was churning out stories claiming that Gosling and Mendes were splitsville, even though they had just had their first daughter. The actor known for his roles in "The Notebook" and "Drive", and the actress known for her roles in "Training Day" and "2 Fast 2 Furious" had only been together since 2011 when they met on the set of the movie "The Place Beyond The Pines".

Of course having a new baby can put an enormous strain on even the most stable relationship. This is especially true if it's the first child for both mother and father, as was the case for both Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes. The uncharted territory of parenting has both parties second guessing whether or not they can or should stay together for the long haul. 

Here Are A Few Things You Can Do To Help With The Postpartum Relationship Stresses

  1. Date Night at Warren Theatre in Broken Arrow, OK is a great option for parents with small children because they have a cry room in the theatre!

  2. Baby wearing is popular and we have found it helpful for keeping young ones calm so you can talk or go out together...check out this facebook group

  3. If you don’t have family around to baby sit consider hiring a nanny or babysitter at care.com.

  4. Consider a postpartum doula as they can help with house chores and give tired parents a break.

  5. Decide to work from home if you can and cut yourself some slack…know that you will not be as productive…consider delegating tasks you don’t find appealing.

  6. Take up a hobby or exercise as a family (Brad and I have talked about playing tennis together).

  7. Go to a kids movie with your baby…everyone expects loud kids at a kids movie.

  8. Go for walks in the neighborhood.

  9. Get out of the house and find friends in similar situations….maybe take turns babysitting.

  10. Obviously, couples therapy is amazing ;-)

Research shows that most couples experience decreased intimacy after the birth of a child. However, with proper couples counseling, it is possible to get over this post-partum hump; a new child ought never to be cause for separation.  

To further complicate matters for Gosling and Mendes, at the time there were even rumors of infidelity. To be specific, it was being suggested that Gosling was romantically involved with actress Emma Stone. Gosling and Stone had starred together in the films "Crazy, Stupid, Love", "Gangster Squad", and in 2015 they were on set together filming an onscreen romantically involved couple in the Damien Chazelle comedy "La La Land". 

It wouldn't have been the first time that Gosling had had a real life relationship with one of his onscreen love interests; he and his "The Notebook" co-star Rachel McAdams dated for years until 2011, right around the time that Gosling met Eva Mendes...on the set of a movie!

At any rate, if the few photos of the two out in public looking more than friendly with each other (and Mendes' obvious baby bump) are any indication the couple were able to get past their obstacles. Perhaps they had some marriage counseling. It appears that they are more unified than ever before and expecting a new addition to their family.