*3.10. The Blessing and Curses of Partners*

Experiences with partners was also discussed by many participants as a result of changing work habits and family circumstances, as exemplified by one participant's comment, "since COVID-19 occurred, my husband has been working from home. While I continue to be on my maternity leave, balancing his work at home has been a little bit of an adjustment". Experiences with partners were often viewed by many participants as both blessings and curses. This was reflected in the words of one participant, "my husband is home constantly which is positive and negative". The blessing of partners included more support and help with the daily activities of their homes, including cooking and cleaning, as well as baby duties, such as changing diapers and holding. As another participant clarified this sentiment, saying, "he is available to help with diaper changes and to hold the baby when I need a quick break, but it isn't what I pictured for my maternity leave". The curse side of having partners home often took the form of more chores and mess relating to them being constantly at home. As another participant discussed, "my husband has been more supportive as he's home more but there is also more to do since there are more meals to cook and more messes to clean and more activities to plan". More chores, more messes, and more planning of activities were created for many participants as a result of their partners always being home during the pandemic. It was noted by several participants that the constant nearness of partners sometimes created certain tensions in their relationship. For example, one participant noted that "although having my husband home allowed him to spend more time with the kids, it increased stress between us we argued more". This quote emphasized the experiences of participants who believed that the pandemic heightened stress and created strains within their personal relationships. Social and medical discourses often position family togetherness as critical during this time [6].
