"Babyproof" Your Relationship

You already know how important it is to babyproof your home before your new baby arrives on the scene. What you might not realize is that it's important to "babyproof" your relationship with your partner, too. Here are some sure-fire strategies for staying connected with your partner when baby makes three.

Stockpile lots of memories before your baby arrives

Enjoy dinner out in a fancy restaurant, schedule one last pre-baby weekend getaway and have plenty of spontaneous sex. The special memories that you stockpile during the weeks leading up to your baby's birth will help the two of you to weather any relationship challenges that you may face during the months ahead.

Be prepared for a bit of a rough ride after the baby is born

While a lot of couples find that their shared excitement about the pregnancy brings them closer together during the months leading up to their baby's birth, some of that closeness can be lost during the weeks after the baby's birth. Both parents may be so preoccupied with caring for the new baby that they allow their relationship to take a back seat for the time being. It's perfectly normal for the focus to shift to the baby, but don't fall into the all-too-common trap of allowing your love for your baby to totally eclipse your love for your partner.

Make time for each other

Start thinking about ways the two of you will be able to fit "couple time" into your post-baby schedule. Plan to make spending time with your partner a priority, even if that means keeping your eyes open for an extra hour after the baby goes to bed or asking a friend or relative to stay with the baby for an hour or two so that you and your partner can have dinner out at a favorite restaurant.

Hint: If you can't bear the thought of being away from your baby quite yet, plan to have "date night" at home. Just one word of warning: you have to be prepared to roll with the punches. It's impossible to predict ahead of time whether the first hot-and-heavy kiss you've enjoyed in weeks will be preempted by the cries of a hungry baby!

Give it time to get back on track

Accept the fact that it may take time to get your sexual relationship back on track. A University of Wisconsin study of 570 new parents found that it typically takes bottle-feeding parents about seven weeks and breastfeeding parents about eight weeks to start having sexual intercourse again. Only 17 percent of couples who were surveyed reported having sex during the month after childbirth.