1. Keep on living!
Life does not stop once the baby comes. You can slow down for a few weeks, but by no means stop completely. When a man and woman become a mother and father, they do not stop being a daughter or a son, a brother or a sister, or someone’s friend. The various social roles that were significant to you before the baby was born should continue to be significant. It is worth continuing to maintain these relationships and nurture them. Be welcoming and invite young grandparents and friends over as soon as you can after things settle down.
2. Go out on dates with your spouse
If you went out every week before the baby was born, continue to do so after the birth. If you haven’t done it before, then now is the time to start. You don’t have to go out, to too expensive restaurants or late-night hangouts, but keeping your relationship fresh will go a long way in maintaining the emotional health of the whole family.
3. Preserve the sweet gestures of love you have made to each other before
If you made any kind gestures towards each other before the baby was born, continue with them. If Daddy bought a toy for the baby, why not buy a flower for Mommy? The idea here is simple. The kind gestures of love that made your marital bond special before the baby was born should be maintained afterward.
4. Make time for the two of you
At the end of each weekday, set aside at least 15 minutes for a spousal talk with your partner about what happened during the day. This simple gesture gives children a tangible sense of their parents’ union and satisfies one of their greatest emotional needs – the need to be secure in Mom and Dad’s mutual love. When children sense harmony in the marital relationship, the entire home overflows with love and stability.
5. Clarify what your expectations are of each other before the baby comes
For new parents, the first few days after the baby comes home is the most difficult simply because it is new and has not been played with. Every couple has found their own formula for dividing family responsibilities before the baby, but what happens after that? If this is your first child, you need to understand how the different sounds the baby makes will affect you, or how his crying will affect your postpartum emotions. Add these factors to the feeding and sleeping challenges and you’ll quickly discover how stressful the first few weeks can be. To minimize the stress that a baby’s arrival can cause in a normal home, it’s a good idea for parents to take time before the birth to figure out what their expectations are of each other. Everyone should know which household activity they are responsible for. Who will take care of the laundry, cooking, shopping, running the vacuum, and dusting, and who will get up to take the baby for the night feed? Making a list of chores is a nice convenience.
