How to Get Out of the House With a Baby: The No-Stress Guide

Lower every expectation. The house will be messy -- that's fine. Survival mode is valid. Focus only on: feeding baby, keeping baby safe, and keeping yourself alive with food and fluids. Everything else waits. Accept every offer of help and don't be afraid to ask for specific things.

Try different positions -- over the shoulder, sitting upright on your lap, or tummy across your lap. Gentle circular back rubbing or patting works for many babies. Some babies need to be winded mid-feed, not just at the end. If one position isn't working, try another.

Introduce a bottle around 4-6 weeks if breastfeeding (not before, to avoid nipple confusion). Try when baby is calm, not desperate-hungry. Have someone other than the primary feeder offer it. Experiment with different bottle teats. Warming the milk to body temperature helps.