week3.html

	mama's favorite product of the week
	steppin' out.
	the witching hour
	tip for the week: minimizing tote bloat

Don’t stay home feeling like the world’s forgotten about you. Treat yourself to a cute Oi Oi diaper bag instead and venture out knowing you’re prepared to tackle anything your little one throws your way – and look stylish as you do!

Let’s face it: it’s intimidating to leave the house with your baby. You feel like you’re the only one with a screaming infant in tow, you’re not sure how best to protect her from the elements, and you just feel weighed down by all the gear you need to tote.

So here’s an idea for a low-stress outing to help you get in the swing of things: a mama and baby- friendly movie program such as Reel Moms.

Most major cities offer a special movie screening on weekday mornings for mamas and their babies. The great thing is that you’ll be in a movie theater with other mamas just like you, and no one will care if your baby is fussy or messy.

The theaters make it as easy and accommodating for you as possible by keeping the volume lower than normal and the lights dim – not off – so you can nurse or change diapers without missing a beat. Some theaters even offer a stroller check.

Time has become irrelevant for you. You’ve seen more sunrises these first couple of weeks than you have your entire life. So why not plan your day around a movie matinee? You’ve been up so long, it’s the equivalent of the 9.00PM showing for you!

You may have noticed there’s a special time of the day during which your baby becomes inconsolable. Nothing you do seems to soothe him. If you’ve ruled out hunger, dirty diapers, illness and uncomfortable clothing, the unfortunate truth is that there’s not much you can do. And because we’re all about telling you the truth, we won’t spare you the additional bad news: The crying peaks around 6 weeks, so you effectively have another 3 weeks to go during which things will get worse.

But the good news is that things will slowly improve after that, and by the time he’s 3 months old, the crying and irritability will have decreased to about an hour a day. Even better, by that time, your baby will also have begun to learn ways of soothing himself.

Obviously, we realize none of this information helps you right now, but here’s what might:

	Swaddle him
	Offer a pacifier and hold it in place so it doesn’t fall out (but don't force it on him)
	Talk to him in a soothing voice
	Put your face right in front of his – seeing you may be enough to calm him
	Try holding him in different positions until you find one that seems to work. One that often works well is to position your baby with his stomach against yours, his head cradled in the crook of one arm, and his legs cradled in the crook of your other arm. But you'll most likely have to experiment to find the hold that your baby prefers
	Rub your baby’s back or stomach
	Walk with him or rock him gently
	Experiment with white noise. You don’t need a special machine for this – a vacuum cleaner, hair dryer or a radio on static will do the trick
	If all else fails, go for a snooze cruise - pack that baby up and go for a drive in your car. It's virtually guaranteed to work!

At this age, there’s no spoiling your infant. So do whatever it takes to make it through this time together without frayed nerves or bruised mama egos. It’s yet another opportunity to remind yourself that, “This too shall pass." And although you don’t believe us just yet, we promise it really will pass.

If your baby seems inconsolable in spite of everything you've tried, ask your pediatrician about giving him a little Gripe Water or Mylicon drops.

There are essentially only 4 things you need to bring with you to venture out of the house with your little one:

	Diapers
	Wipes
	Changing pad
	Burp cloth

And you can keep them under control with the Wrapables' Organizer Pouches pictured above.

Optional items:

	A pacifier, if your baby uses one
	Blanket
	For bottle feeding mamas – a zip lock bag of formula with a scoop and a baby bottle filled with water
	For nursing mamas who are feeling modest - a scarf or an extra receiving blanket to cover up
	An extra set of baby clothes for those mishaps which tend to happen if you’ll be out for an extended period of time
	Whatever the weather requires – hat for sun, rain gear for rain, you know the routine

You can always keep a copy of this list in your diaper bag or by the door to make it quicker to get ready and give yourself the peace of mind that you have everything.

With this list of essentials, you really have no excuse to stay cooped up in the house feeling overwhelmed. Grab that baby and your bag and go, thankful in the knowledge that you don’t have to cart around any toys – yet!