Even if you're breastfeeding, you can nurse the baby, hand him to dad, and go out for a walk. You'll come back refreshed, and dad and baby will have had a chance to bond. Spend time enjoying each other's company. The early months of parenthood are probably making you feel as though you never have enough time to do anything. Even so, try as hard as you can to make time to talk to your partner regularly.
Some couples take an evening walk together while the baby sleeps in a stroller or front pack.
Other couples manage to get a sitter so they can go out alone. Talk about ways you have changed and need to keep changing. As any veteran parent can tell you, this is just the beginning of a new life. If you can keep the lines of communication open and figure out ways to work together as a team, your lives will become more manageable as the years go by. Meg Zweiback, R.N., MPH, has been working with families and children for 20 years as a nurse practitioner, family consultant and associate clinical professor at UC San Francisco.