Health & Baby

10 Rules for Baby-Proofing Your Marriage

10 Rules for Baby-proofing Your Marriage continued...

No. 8: Make deals. "It's OK to trade two nights of dishes for one night out," she says.

No. 9: Rein in the in-laws. "Establish a pecking order where your nuclear family comes first before your extended family," she says. "Everybody wants to get their hands on the baby, which is a normal thing, but it can create tension if you don't put your spouse before other family members."

No. 10: Remember that this, too, shall pass. "Recognize that this time is unique," she says. "As children get older, these issues diminish and if you recognize that it is uniquely stressful, but will come to an end, you can keep a long-term view of it," Stone says.

"Couples need to continue to make their own relationship a priority, because in 18 years, this brand new child will be out of the house and on his own, but you will still be with each other and you have another 30 years together, so you just can't put your relationship on back burner," Haltzman says.