Struggling with In-Laws & Family Patterns? How to Set Boundaries & Strengthen Your Parenting Team

Struggling with In-Laws & Family Patterns? How to Set Boundaries & Strengthen Your Parenting Team

Author: Evie Mpras, MS, LMFT March 20, 2026 Duration: 28:18

Why can a family visit sometimes leave you feeling tense as a new parent? Maybe someone comments on how you care for your baby, or your communication preference gets brushed aside when you need emotional support. 

When you are already exhausted, moments like that can feel heavier than they should, especially when your emotional needs are not being seen.

Many parents find themselves navigating family dynamics that suddenly feel more intense after a baby arrives. Things that once felt manageable can start to touch deeper places connected to childhood experiences and long-standing family patterns.

In this conversation, I share a few mindset shifts that can help couples move through this stage with more clarity and connection. Becoming parents reshapes the family hierarchy, and learning to prioritize your spouse and your new family unit becomes an important part of protecting marriage during this transition.

We also explore how setting boundaries can feel uncomfortable, especially with extended family. Yet creating clear newborn boundaries often helps both partners feel supported. When couples offer each other strong spouse support, they begin to grow into a steady parenting team.

Some of this tension also comes from generational parenting differences, which can make conversations with relatives more complicated than they first appear.

When couples face these moments together, they begin to build trust and move toward stronger healthy functioning as a family. The goal is not to push extended family away. The goal is to stay connected while protecting the needs of your own household.

If you have ever felt pulled between family expectations and the wellbeing of your own home, this conversation will help you approach those moments with more calm, clarity, and care.

I'm here for you and your family, 

Evie

Connect with Evie

If you want to start a podcast or grow your existing one, visit https://julianabarbati.com/ and let them know I sent you!

This Podcast is not an alternative for mental health assistance and/or counseling with a licensed professional. For any specific medical questions about your condition and/or concerns, please contact your healthcare provider. This Podcast should not be considered mental health advice, rather for the sole purpose of information and education.


There's a quiet shift that happens after a baby arrives, where the focus understandably turns to the newborn, yet the foundation of the family-the partnership-often strains under new pressures. Bonds after Baby: Rebuild your marriage, reduce postpartum resentment & guard maternal mental health speaks directly into that space. Hosted by Evie Mpras, a licensed marriage and family therapist, this podcast is a resource for parents who find themselves navigating unexpected conflict and a sense of disconnection even as they manage all the practical preparations. It’s for those who sometimes feel resentment, isolation, or a fading spark, and who long to reclaim a sense of teamwork and intimacy. Each episode offers grounded, professional insights from Evie’s practice, focusing on actionable communication strategies, managing mental load, and fostering emotional safety. You’ll hear discussions on repairing ruptures, dividing unseen labor, and protecting maternal well-being as a cornerstone for the whole family. This isn’t about adding more to your to-do list; it’s about transforming the quality of your connection from the inside out, turning postpartum challenges into a pathway for a stronger, more resilient partnership. Tune in for honest conversations that help you guard your mental health and rebuild the bond that started it all.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 36

Bonds after Baby: Rebuild your marriage, reduce postpartum resentment & guard maternal mental health
Podcast Episodes
My Summer in Greece: What Community Does for Moms [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:32
I'm sharing my personal experiences of my 2.5 month long time in Greece with my family- and relating my personal experience to why Momming is so much easier with a solid community of people. I was literally in a village…
How It Hurts Relationships When We Don't Ask For Help [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:13
One of the most common issues I see in parents is discomfort asking for help. We can learn along the way that it's emotionally safer to cope on our own, but how does that affect us and our relationships? Especially at a…
Family Vacation: Deepen your Opportunity for Connection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:00
Family vacations are more than scheduled activities and changing scenery. What do you want you & your family to emotionally experience on your adventures? Do you want to come home feeling more connected? In this episode,…
It's OK to Have Mixed Feelings Towards Children & Loved Ones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:39
In my practice I see a lot of resistance and discomfort around having natural mixed feelings towards partners, family members, and especially children. Shoving feelings below the surface ends up causing a lot of distress…
Most Common Regrets I Hear From Parents [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:54
We have hopes of how our experience of parenthood and family life will be when children come. It's incredibly painful to look back on this special time as lost opportunities for joyfulness and connection. Today I'm shari…
Preparing for Baby Checklist: What to Discuss with Your Partner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:03
The nursery design and what brand of baby carrier is part of the fun prepping for baby- but partners often forget that the biggest impact on them and their child post-birth is family dynamics. I'm going to share 8 discus…
How Family Relationships Affect Postpartum Anxiety & Depression [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:48
Anxiety, depression, & other mood disorders are the most common complication of childbirth. If untreated, the symptoms can last years beyond birth. Even though research has consistently indicated how much relationship sa…
Identify Your Family's Strengths & Growth Areas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:32
Get an inside understanding of what family therapists and researchers know about healthy family dynamics. I'm Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Evie Mpras, and I'm here to help you and your family relationships in pre…
How Shame Spirals Hurt You & Your Relationships [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:45
Being hard on yourself and getting into shame spirals is an all-too-familiar state in Moms & parents. Not only is it harmful to us, but it's also harmful to our relationships. I'm Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Evi…