Attachment insecurities interact with caregiving and sexuality to predict relationship satisfaction in first-time parents.

Few studies have examined how new parents adjust to the daily challenges of the transition to parenthood. Attachment theory posits that the combined workings of the attachment, caregiving, and sexual systems underlie relationship quality. This theory could clarify why some new parents struggle more than others in their daily efforts to navigate the transition to parenthood. This dyadic study's aim was to investigate the moderating roles of daily perceived partner support and sexual satisfaction in the associations between prenatal attachment and daily relationship satisfaction in the early postpartum period. A sample of 195 new parent couples answered online questionnaires during the second trimester of pregnancy (prenatal attachment-related anxiety and avoidance), followed by 14 daily diaries at 4 months postpartum (daily perceived partner support, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction). Actor and partner effects were examined with multilevel moderation analyses. Results revealed negative direct associations between both prenatal attachment insecurities and postpartum relationship satisfaction, whereas postpartum sexual satisfaction and partner support each showed positive direct associations with relationship satisfaction. Four moderation effects of sexual satisfaction emerged in the associations between prenatal attachment insecurities and daily relationship satisfaction. One's own higher sexual satisfaction buffered the negative role of one's attachment avoidance and anxiety, whereas one's partner sexual satisfaction did not confer this protective effect. Partner support moderated the association between attachment-related avoidance and relationship satisfaction. These results highlight the importance of exploring partners' attachment orientations and needs and of routinely monitoring perceived support and sexual satisfaction when working with couples welcoming their first child. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).