A baby puts stress on a relationship. How well a couple weathers that stress is important both for the health of that relationship and on the longer term happiness and well being of the baby. The effects are both direct and indirect: stress can lead directly to distress in everyone in the family, and it can also lead to eventual divorce and the negative consequences of that.

This book takes a practical and concrete approach to helping couples handle the changes that a new baby brings. Unlike much of the advice on the topic, this isn't just things like "appreciate each other" or "divide chores evenly". This book is filled with detailed exercises which, if you go through them with your partner, will help you figure out what areas are likely to be troublesome for you and help you deal with them.

One thing to note about this book: most of it isn't specific to parents. Although I haven't read all of Gottman's books, of the three I have read (this one, [b:Why Marriages Succeed or Fail|56692|Why Marriages Succeed or Fail And How You Can Make Yours Last|John M. Gottman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395628761l/56692._SY75_.jpg|55249], and [b:The Science of Trust|10650879|The Science of Trust Emotional Attunement for Couples|John M. Gottman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348431457l/10650879._SY75_.jpg|15559902]), this one is by far the best presentation of practical exercises to help a couple improve their communication. My husband and I found the exercises valuable as we went through them, even ignoring the upcoming baby. So even if you aren't parents, this book may be worth taking a look at. ( )

The nuts and bolts of how to address the joyful exhausted chaos of trying to have a relationship and be a parent at the same time. The premise is that all relationships have perpetual issues, things that will never be "solved", but you can adjust the way you talk about them and they way you compromise. Useful, down to earth ideas.

How to keep your relationship thriving once the baby arrives. Awesome book, I'd recommed it to anyone about to have kids. Its almost all about communication with lots of exercises. ( )