It's easy to lose the passion in a marriage even without a baby added to the mix. With the addition of a baby, the couple needs to focus even more on the most important relationship in the house - theirs. Otherwise, their lives together can start feeling like a mass of mundane tasks with the house and child.

Dates need to be set like clockwork every other week. Some of the groundrules for dates are:

1. no talking about the child/ren
2. change your clothes before going out, put on some makeup, brush your hair - remember how you primped when you dated a while back? Do some of that!
3. keep conversation light and romantic - the more awkward it feels at first, the more you needed this date

Remember the simple "I love you" as you pass in the hall and make sure the two of you laugh together. A couple who doesn't laugh typically isn't experiencing much intimacy either. On that note, sex is important - it's the mortar that holds the bricks together. Stay tuned for a quickie (pun intended) article on re-introducing sex after the baby comes.