Parents joke with one another about how their babies inevitably wake up and scream when mom and dad start to have sex. It's as though babies are born with built in radar systems that rouse them just when things start to heat up. (Who knows? Maybe it is a natural form of birth control).

Patience is called for, and a mutual understanding that mature sexual expression is more than just the act itself. Being intimate, after all can also include a whole repertoire of gentle touch through hugging, cuddling and massage. Hint to dads: some moms have defined getting to sleep in on Saturday morning, having help with vacuuming and the pile of dirty dishes in the sink as their preferred version of foreplay.

Make Night Calls Easy on Yourself

Here are some practical tips for making baby's nighttime wakeup calls more tolerable: Keep the baby's crib in your room so you don't have to become completely aroused to meet your baby's needs. A "nursing nest" in either your bedroom or baby's that includes a rocker recliner, blanket and pillow and a side table with water to drink can make middle of the night calls easier.

If you are bottle feeding you may want to keep baby's bottle in an ice bucket or in a small, apartment size refrigerator nearby, especially if your kitchen is on a different floor. A bottle warmer with an automatic cutoff switch comes in handy too, or a wide-mouthed thermos with hot water for warming the bottle. And don't forget to equip your bedroom, the hall and baby's room with dim nightlights so you won't be aroused by glare during the night.

Surprisingly, you'll remember the quiet, gentle nighttime feedings of baby with fondness many years laterSbut by then you will have selectively forgotten how exhausted you were and how you dreaded the coming of morning during those early, sleep-deprived months. Keep your perspective. There are no records of parents dying from lack of sleep and the old adage "this too will pass" is worth remembering.