Your Baby Needs a Family

With a baby in your future, everyone seems to state the obvious: “Life

as you know it will never be the same.” Of course, the ominous inference
of this refrain is that change is not always good. But shouldn’t family life
be your joy—abounding in sweet memories and untainted by fear or
regret? Why wouldn’t you expect bliss from your sweet little blessing?
Being professionals who provide health and educational services to
families, we have counseled many parents who started with high hopes
and the best intentions to love and nurture their children, only to see their
dreams of a beautiful family reduced to a nightmare of survival. Who are
these people? They are people like you. The family next door. That
neighbor down the street with the wooden stork on her lawn announcing
the birth of Alexis. That sweet couple you met in your birthing class. You
think they are too sweet. Too kind. They all have the best of intentions. If
wishes and dreams were bright lights and lollipops, every day would be
bliss. But there’s much more to good parenting than just high hopes.
Although the primary emphasis of this book is the nurturance of a
newborn, we would be remiss in our educational efforts if we skipped the
foundations of what makes hope reality. We are committed to the belief
that if you really love your child, you will give him the gift of love,
security, and a sense of belonging—give him the assurance that as a
husband and wife, you really love each other. The husband-wife union is
not just a good first step towards child-rearing. It is a necessary one.
Too often, parents lose sight of this fact, getting lost in a parenting
wonderland of photos, footsteps, and first words. Baby becomes central to
their existence. Yet the greatest overall influence you will have on your
children will not come in your role as an individual parent, but in your