While having a kid is frequently depicted as a "happily ever after" situation in many romance novels, the reality of becoming parents may place a significant strain on a relationship. According to new study, one-fifth of couples divorce within the first year of having a child. While parenting can be very rewarding, it's also difficult and stressful. Pregnancy and childbirth can be hazardous to your physical health and cause emotional distress too. If you're not prepared for these changes in your life, it could affect your marriage or other relationships in negative ways. Becoming a parent can change any relationship, but it particularly affects marriages by putting more pressure on partners to be equally responsible and giving them less time together as a couple. Pregnancy can also cause women to feel unappreciated by their husbands or boyfriends. Men may feel uncomfortable about wanting freedom or time alone now that they've made someone else's life better by doing household chores or taking care of business issues before their wife or girlfriend became pregnant. Many couples experience problems when one partner wants to have a baby right away while the other doesn't. If you and your spouse disagree about whether or not to have children, consider discussing your differences early on in your relationship so you can both be on the same page when you do decide to have kids. The decision to have a child should not be taken lightly because it has eternal consequences.