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Today's the day. The doctor has signed the release form, your wife is in the wheelchair, and you've got your brand new baby in the crook of your arm. You're taking your family home. Let the fun begin.

For new parents, your baby's first year is the most earth-shattering, mind-blowing time of your lives. Where once there was only the two of you, there now exists a family of three: two adults who can fend for themselves, and a strange, pink ball that is utterly, utterly helpless without its parents. For the next 12 months you have to feed it, wash it, change it, clean it, feed it again, change it again, put it to bed, wake up with it ... you've essentially given over your life to this brand new creature. And for every beautiful, heart-achingly sweet moment, there will be 100 deliberate tests of your strength and patience.

It's an amazingly difficult life change, and many secure and strong couples have buckled under the pressure of the sudden shift. Most times this happens because of an unequal balance in the relationship. Having a child has a way of bringing out the true nature of a person's character when it comes to responsibility.

As the father, now is your time to shine. Your wife has been hoarding that baby for nine months, and now you finally have a chance to take over responsibility. While she recovers from the pregnancy (which will take at least six weeks), it's also time for you to become a supportive husband and father. Your wife's body has undergone a very traumatic event, and for the next year all of her biological cycles are going to be slowly falling back into place. This will leave her at times moody, unpredictable, elated, stressed out, tired, erratic -- essentially, all the best things about a period.

If your relationship is to survive this new, stressful period in your lives, you're going to have to learn how to be a supportive man for your wife. While there are hundreds of ways that you can show your wife support, here are some helpful places to start.

1. Get ready for Daddy Duty -- If you're the primary breadwinner, you're going to be out of the house eight hours a day. That's eight hours that your wife will be at home taking care of your baby. Don't fool yourself into thinking she's got it easy, either -- that's easily more than a full-time job. She's going to be so desperate for you to get home that you'll have the baby in your arms before you can shut the door. Do not under any circumstances complain about having to watch your child. It is unfair and self-centered to assume that you deserve time off because you bring home the paycheck. No matter what you do while you're away from the home, you should always, always share parental duties. That means you're going to be on the clock when you're home almost exclusively. Deal with it; you had a baby.
   
   
2. Don't let sleep ruin your relationship -- You have a child now, so it's best to just acknowledge the fact right now: you're never going to sleep the same way again. Relationships can easily begin to unravel, though, when one of you refuses to get out of bed when it's their turn. No matter how much you love sleeping in, don't make it a habit of sleeping more than your wife does. Going to bed together and getting up together will prevent either of you from forming resentments over unfair sleep time.
   
   
3. Make her feel sexy again -- Your wife's body has changed significantly, and lots of previously fit women have come out of the back end of a pregnancy looking a lot different than they used to. As a supportive husband, however, you have to make sure your wife continues to feel as sexy as you know she is. She just gave birth to your child; she deserves it. Don't ever hesitate to compliment her on how good she looks. If you can't say it in all honesty, pick out a feature that you love and dote upon it. Make her feel like you still want her, because one of a woman's greatest fears is that you'll stop seeing her as a beautiful woman and start seeing her as a haggard old mother.
   
   
4. Show her you appreciate her every day -- Being a mom can be a very thankless job, so it's essential that you show your wife constantly how much you appreciate her. Bringing home random gifts and thoughtful tokens for your wife is a perfect way to show her how you feel. Another good idea is to hide notes with little love messages all over the house. Let her find them on her own time. Believe me, when she finds a note in the toe of her shoe telling her how sexy she is, she'll fall apart.
   
   
5. Date night -- You cannot forget date night. You should have one scheduled date night at least every month, if not every week. Find a baby sitter, pay her whatever you need to and get your wife out of the house. You'll probably spend the entire night talking about the baby, but it'll do you both good to get out and relax, if only for an hour or two.

This is a beautiful time in you lives, but it is also a tremendously trying one. As long as you remain as supportive as you can, though, you can make sure that you and your wife are together for many years -- and many children -- to come.