Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O'Neill and Julia Stone are the authors of Baby Proofing Your Marriage. With humor and empathy, the 'Babyproofers' have helped tens of thousands of couples navigate the most common relationship pitfalls that occur when there are small kids in the house: the endless tit-for-tat Scorekeeping over who has it tougher, the wilted sex life, the bickering about the in-laws (and outlaws). They offer simple but effective solutions for both men and women.

They have appeared on NBC's Today Show, Fox News, The Mike and Juliet Show, iVillage Live, Babytv.com, WebMD, and over 60 radio shows across the country, including Martha Stewart Living Radio and Satellite Sisters. Overseas media appearances include the BBC, SKY News and Canada AM. Babyproofing has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Parade, New York Newsday, The New York Daily News, Parenting, Baby Talk, Fit Pregnancy and Best Life. The Babyproofers are AOL Coaches on family and child issues and post-baby relationship experts for eHarmony.com Parenting.

Guest Bloggers Stacie, Cathy, and Julia--The BabyProofers:

There’s no doubt that our children are our greatest joy and that we love being parents more than anything in the world. But parenting little ones can be pretty tough on a marriage. Are you and your spouse enduring the inevitable challenges of early parenthood? Do you see things differently now that you have kids? Are you keeping score over the division of labor? Has managing the demands of the in-laws and outlaws become a bit of a challenge? What about activity in the bedroom? Has it come to a grinding (sorry) halt?

Maybe it’s time to Babyproof Your Marriage and take some simple, but effective actions so that having children doesn’t mean sacrificing being a couple. Here’s a few top tips from Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O’Neill and Julia Stone, co-authors of the bestselling book, Babyproofing Your Marriage, to help you preserve your coupledom:

1. Realize You Are not Alone: Relationship hiccups are completely normal when you’re parenting small kids. So don’t panic. Most couples, no matter how happy and secure their relationship may be, find the early parenting years a challenge. Chances are, any arguments you’re having are the same arguments being played out in thousands of homes across America. The realization that these issues are universal, rather than personal, can change how you deal with it. “Why are you doing this to me?" becomes “What are we going to do about it?”

2. Don’t Play Midnight Chicken. Help each other get enough sleep. Resist the urge to play Midnight Chicken -- you know, the late night battle of wills where each parent pretends to be asleep and blissfully unaware of the screaming down the hall, in hopes that their other half will get up and tend to the crying baby. Split up the night (for example, Dad does feedings until midnight, Mom goes to bed early and gets up after that) so that both of you get a solid block of sleep. Occasionally, take turns doing all-night baby duty and give your partner the ultimate gift - an entire uninterrupted 8 hours of shut-eye.

3. Try a Training Weekend. Ladies, if you think you have a husband who ‘just doesn’t get it,’ try this foolproof method to get him engaged: take off for 48 hours and let him man the kid and house ropes on his own. No backup. No dialing 1-800-Grandma. You’ll catch a break and he’ll gain new respect for what it really takes to keep the household ship afloat. This technique will also allow him bond with the baby on his own terms. A lot of guys told us they feel relegated to the powerless role, like Vice President, of Assistant Mom. When you hand over the reins, your husband gets a chance to be the father he wants to be.

4. Stop the Scorekeeping. With a baby in the house the workload explodes. It’s hardly surprising that most of us start arguing with our partner over who has it tougher. “I did seven loads of laundry and you didn’t do any.” “Yeah, well I did all the cooking last week ..” You both can end up feeling resentful and unappreciated. It’s a tit for tat war that no one wins. Rip up the scorecards, hand in your Martyr Badges and Divide and Conquer. Make a list of everything that must be done, from nightly bath duty to earning a living and divvy it up.

5. Bridge the Sex Gap. Most couples with young children experience a disconnect in the bedroom. After she has a baby, a woman’s sex drive often goes MIA. Most guys, however, still want sex just as much as they always have, baby or no baby. Try to reach across the gap. Guys need to pay attention to romance and stop the Ten O’Clock Shoulder Tap. Girls should try to reacquaint themselves with the girl they used to be. Try a “dad on duty night” and relax with a bath and/or glass of wine. You’ll be a lot more receptive to the idea of sex if you’ve had a chance to get out of Mommy Mode.

6. Help Each Other Have It All: Naturally, your free time gets squeezed when you become a parent. But it’s more important than ever to do some of the things that recharge you. When we don’t have a little time to ourselves, we start to feel worn out and we can become damn difficult to live with. You don’t both have to be ON all the time. Figure out an off-leash strategy with your partner. For example, he takes the kids on Saturday morning while you go to yoga, and you do the same for him on Sunday so he can get in a jog. Give each other some Get Out of Jail Free Cards on a regular basis.

7. Make Time for Each Other. Try not to let your adult relationship be defined solely by being parents. Put a little distance between yourselves and the kids. Start with the local pizza place and work your way up to a weekend away. Your relationship is the lynchpin of the whole family. Where there’s a healthy marriage, there are happy kids.

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