Communication Guidelines for Parents-to-Be

• Don't keep your concerns to yourself: Share your thoughts with each other.

• Talk about what it will be like to be a parent. Discuss your expectations, values and beliefs.

• Work on communicating clearly with each other; paraphrase your partner's statements back to him or her. You won't always arrive at agreement, but each of you will know your concerns have been heard.

• Talk about how each of you deals with anger and conflict, as learned in your family of origin. Learn to use the timeout technique.

• When giving either criticism or praise, try to be specific. Tell your spouse specifically what bothers you, and what pleases you.