en خانواده و گروه درماني Family and group therapy پژوهشي Original Research Article <strong>Objective</strong>: The birth of the first child and the couple&rsquo;s transition to parenthood can significantly change individuals&rsquo; marital life. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify psychological challenges to transition to parenthood in first-time parents.<br> <strong>Methods</strong>: The study employed a qualitative approach based on the content analysis method. The research population included all first-time parents who were referred to the Amjadieh Khaghani Community Counseling Center in District 7 of Tehran City, Iran, from May to August 2020. Besides, the studied couples had a child aged <4 years old. The study participants were 17 couples (n=34 subjects) who were selected using the purposive sampling technique and based on the theoretical saturation criterion. The required data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with the research participants. The interviews were recorded, then transcribed verbatim. eventually, after the extraction, the obtained data were coded and categorized using a content analysis method in MAXQDA.<br> <strong>Results</strong>: Analyzing the obtained data revealed that the transition to parenthood can typically be considered either a positive or negative experience. The most serious challenges faced by couples in the transition to parenthood included ambiguity and changes in the spousal role; duality and conflict in the motherhood role; feeling restricted and prevented from pursuing personal goals; psychological and emotional support from the family and husband; parenting disagreements; changes in sexual relations; fear of the failure to financially support the child; dissatisfaction with the appearance and weight change, and differences in parenting practices. The core theme was the transition to parenthood; from couples to parents.&nbsp;<br> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: Transition to parenthood seems to be a vital change in the lives of couples; thus, some measures are required to prepare couples for such a transition. The insights from this study can help family counselors, midwives, and family nurses to develop and hold training and preparation programs for couples; such services should be provided to the couples before experiencing parenthood. This could prepare parents for the challenges of their new life. Psychological adjustment, Parenthood, Qualitative research 81 92 http://jpcp.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-758-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Somayeh Seyed Karimi anna_khodabakhshi@yahoo.com https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2117-4248 No Department of Psychology and Education Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Khatam University, Tehran, Iran. Anahita Khodabakhshi-Koolaee a.khodabakhshid@khatam.ac.ir 0000-0001-9466-3013 No Department of Psychology and Education Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Khatam University, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Reza Falsafinejad falsafinejad@atu.ac.ir 0000-0002-3227-102X Yes Department of Assessment and Measurement, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.