Having a baby is a major change, and it can be a big change for your relationship with your partner as well. Learning to love each other as parents can be wonderfully rewarding, though, and working together to raise a child can bring you closer.

If this is your first child, you are undergoing a major change from being a couple to being a family. Previously, you and your partner decided things together and focused on each other. Now, suddenly, a new demanding person wants all of your time and energy. Instead of focusing on each other, you and your partner now are focusing together on your baby. After a while, you may miss the time and attention you used to be able to give each other. To keep your relationship as adults alive, plan time to spend alone together. You don't have to get a sitter and go out to a restaurant; just sitting and talking about adult things for half an hour while the baby sleeps can be enough.

Learning to parent together takes time and patience. It takes time for your parenting styles to emerge, and the most important thing to remember is that you are both learning as you go. You may not always agree about how to parent, and that's okay. You probably have parents who employed different parenting styles, and so you come to parenthood with a different set of expectations and experiences.