A baby is a jolt of change to any relationship。 It is sudden shifts in priorities， less time， less money， sleep-deprivation （sleep loss is used as a form of torture because it works）， body changes， and a slow transition to a new normal with baby。 tPerinatal expert Kleiman came out with Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts in 2019 to explain and normalize perinatal mood disorders （PMADs）。 It was short， in graphic novel form， with addition resources for new parents。 It was easy to pick up and put down。 A baby is a jolt of change to any relationship。 It is sudden shifts in priorities， less time， less money， sleep-deprivation （sleep loss is used as a form of torture because it works）， body changes， and a slow transition to a new normal with baby。 tPerinatal expert Kleiman came out with Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts in 2019 to explain and normalize perinatal mood disorders （PMADs）。 It was short， in graphic novel form， with addition resources for new parents。 It was easy to pick up and put down。 tWhat About Us？ is the same format with illustrator Molly McIntyre joining Kleiman again but this time centered on the relationship that preceded baby。 Just as having a PMAD does not equate with being an “unfit” parent， so does having relationship struggles after welcoming a child absolutely not mean your relationship is doomed， bad， or unfit to welcome a child。 Struggles post-baby just means your relationship needs lots of TLC on the path to stretching for the new normal with children。 There’s a lot of road bumps to becoming a family with children， but being aware is the first step to talking together and figuring it out as a team。 tKleiman shows couples what the new normal is， the panicked thoughts racing through moms and dads’ minds， physical shifts and recoveries from birth along with the meaning of the 6 week check up for both parents （you want to put that where now？ and the seeking of connection）， struggles unique to moms and dads， navigating chores and other responsibilities， infertility， pregnancy after loss， and navigating extended friends and extended family’s well-meaning but possibly unwelcome behaviors。tThe book represents many people with same-sex， BIPOC， and interracial cartoon couples in addition to same-race heterosexual couples with conversation and thought bubbles that illustrate how the dynamics generally play out with couples。 Not only does Kleiman describe these topics， she also shares how to talk vulnerably with one another about them and resist plummeting into gridlock and emotional distance over them。 Some spaces for notes are present as well。 tA comprehensive resource list is also provided showing readers where to locate therapists who specialize in providing perinatal support， other books about the perinatal period and PMADs， books for couples on relationships in general， and even medication apps。 Reference notes are also provided for each chapter so you can access Kleiman’s sources beyond her own expertise。tA beautiful book both in presentation and how it educates couples in this both joyful and stressful transition to parenthood。*** For more relationship resources， please visit my website， www。thecouplessyllabus。com *** 。。。more