By this time, you and your baby are probably tired of the rotation of bouncy seat, swing, play mat/blanket. Add a new position to the mix with a seat, even if your baby can’t yet sit up on his own.

The Bumbo seat safely supports your baby in an upright position, giving him a new perspective on the room. The seat is made of a firm yet comfortable foam and, due to its shape, it requires no straps.

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If your husband has been delegating most baby- related chores to you, it’s time to nip that in the bud. Don’t be swayed by those thinly veiled compliments like ‘you do it best’ and ‘the baby only wants you’. Don’t cave in to his seeming helplessness and stream of questions because it’s just easier and quicker to do it yourself. Your baby is only 13 weeks old. It may have been sustainable for you to do everything up to now, but this is a marathon, mama, and you haven’t even hit the 1 mile marker yet.

Time to start developing the confidence in your husband that he too can be a great caregiver. Whether you actually believe this or not, you’ll need his help or you run the risk of wearing yourself out. And that’s not going to benefit anyone.

Start off with something small and specific – maybe even something you’re tired of doing, like the middle of the night feeding. This will give your baby the chance to get accustomed to her papa, and get the papa to realize he can do it and will probably even enjoy it. As his mastery increases, slowly add to his list of responsibilities until you strike a balance that works for both of you.

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Babies start solid foods anywhere between 4 and 6 months. Consult your pediatrician about what she recommends, but also gauge your own baby’s readiness to begin. If he’s starting to show interest in what you’re eating, chances are he’s ready.

“Solid food” is a misnomer, of course, because what you’ll be feeding your baby is anything but. In fact, you’ll become increasingly creative about finding the mushiest things for your toothless joy. But before you get to that point, here’s the mama scoop on what to get ready for:

	A mess - eating and playing are the same thing for your baby right now, so expect that his hands will go exploring and the food will go exploding in all directions
	The tongue-thrust reflex (read: gag reflex) – you’ll think your cherub is choking, but he’s not. There’s a difference between choking and gagging, and the new texture of the food will set off his very honed gag reflex
	Poop that starts to really smell – so start stocking up on those Stage 2 Diaper Genie refills!
	Possible constipation – a little prune juice will go a long way. Of course, always consult your pediatrician first
	Erratic feeding patterns – don’t be surprised if he eats well one day and hardly eats the next couple of days. He’s still getting the bulk of his nutrition from milk
	Picky eating – he may like one food one day and refuse it the next. Get used to this. It will only get more intense as he goes into toddlerhood. . .

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Once your baby is eating solids, assign a meal to your husband. This will help him bond with the baby and give you the opportunity to know you have a set time of the day for yourself.

And if you're met with resistance, you can always resort to Wry Baby's Wheel of Responsibility and leave the chores to chance!

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