30 Weeks Pregnant

A New Baby: A Gift for the Whole Family
Families rarely talk about the impact a new baby has on an extended family. Especially when Baby will be the first child to enter the fold, the change can be quite dramatic. Your and your partner's parents will suddenly have new roles: Grandparents. This new position in the family is often anticipated with unrivaled joy. Grandparents have the luxury of being free from the baggage most parents carry, and for this reason find themselves feeling more excited, relaxed, and comfortable with the changes to come.

This is a great opportunity for families because the new grandparents want to help and most new parents need some. When a grandchild comes into the world, the focus of the family shifts from parents to the new baby; schedules work around the baby, and everyone wants to know how they can help out. This is a great opportunity for you to build a better relationship with parents and in-laws. It is also a good time to learn how to ask for help.

Many grandparents-to-be will offer to help out, while others want to help, but don't want to intrude on your new parenting time. Feel free to get the message out to the expecting grandparents that if they can baby sit one or two nights a month (or how ever many you want) so you and your partner can get some much needed time together, it would be a huge assistance. Remember you and your partner are the core of your growing family, the very foundation; and the healthier you two are doing together, as a team, the better your child will do, too.