Love should not hurt. Domestic violence is a real problem. It is not acceptable under any circumstances for your child to witness someone beating you or cursing at you. Kids deserve better childhood memories. If untreated, those children are then at increased risk of repeating the cycle themselves. Their real family dramas can last a lifetime in their child's mind. Kids who experience this negative, violent world can believe they are worthless adults and repeat the same cycle of negative life experiences. In my job as a psychiatrist, I often see patients who are locked in their past with painfully horrible childhood memories. This daily pain can be magnified by untreated emotional illness which allows them to develop a higher tolerance for painful life situations. My favorite example to tell patients is that it takes them longer to tell someone to stop when their bare feet are being stepped on.

So if you are planning to get pregnant and you have painful issues that impact your daily life, get treatment first. Children thrive in loving and nurturing emotional environment.