When is the last time you saw a movie in the theater?

There are countless changes to your life when you become a mother. Some are expected, others come as a complete surprise. The one thing I wasn’t prepared for was the new inability to be out doing things. These days everything my 6 month old daughter and I do must be well thought-out. Restaurants need highchairs. Stores need elevators if we are bringing our stroller, and in bathrooms the first thing we seek out is a changing table. Going to the movies? Out of the question. Or so I thought.

Being a stay at home mom makes getting out and about all the more important. When I found out about Mom and Baby movie days I was so excited. Going to the movies is one of the many things that is not baby friendly. The volume is too loud, it’s dark and no one wants their movie to be interrupted by a baby. But thanks to some thoughtful theaters, moms don’t have to wait for video anymore.  There are several theaters in the Boston area that offer Mom and Baby movies. Editor’s note: Starting March 18th, “Baby Pictures” will be showing at Showcase Cinema De Lux at Legacy Place in Dedham every third Thursday of the month. See below for a chance to win tickets to a Mom and Baby movie at Legacy Place!

We heard about Mom and Baby movies from our Great Beginnings class instructor Cindy M. When Cora was 4 months old, I was finally able to get us out to see a movie. It was just the two of us. Cora and I were so excited for our first movie date. I tend to arrive at things a bit early because you never know what is going to happen when you are out with your child! Most theaters can’t have a bunch of strollers blocking the aisles due to fire codes, so we came in our carrier. That was a great idea for a sleeping baby anyway, my arms didn’t have to bear the weight.

We did a diaper change before the movie–the bathrooms are equipped with changing tables. Everyone at the theatre was very nice, clearly happy to have some cute faces in the theatre for a matinee. The movie theatre turns the lights up a bit, so it’s not too dark to see your baby and baby won’t get frightened, which is great. The sound is lowered but still loud enough to hear over a crying baby. I brought several quiet toy options for my daughter to play with during the movie. Bringing more than one toy was important because if Cora tossed her toy on the floor, I could switch it out with something fresh and clean. (It is still a  movie theatre and even the cleanest of them have dirty floors!)

Babies are going to fuss sometimes but this is one time where no one is going to glare at you because of it. The other moms are used to it, all babies cry. When my daughter got fussy I was able to just stand up and walk the aisle with her so she was calm. I don’t think patrons at a regular movie would have cared for that! I was able to nurse Coraline right in the theatre while the movie was on, a very neat experience.  My daughter slept most of the time, so it was a nice break for me!

All in all going to the movies with my daughter is a fantastic afternoon outing. Some popcorn for me, some breast milk for her, a neat new adventure for the both of us together.

Kim Shipley, Isis mom to 6-month-old Coraline

Kim is a first time mom of a 6-month-old daughter.  She is originally from Pittsburgh, and currently resides in Somerville with one husband, one dog and one cat. When she’s not doing laundry or having dance parties with her daughter she writes a blog called The Girl Is A Mom. 

Giveaway Alert!

Isis is giving away 10 pairs of Free Passes to a Baby Pictures movie at Showcase Cinema De Lux at Legacy Place in Dedham! That’s two passes per winner, so you can bring a friend or go twice! To enter, post a comment on this blog telling us why you need to get out and about with your baby.

Passes are valid for admission to Baby Pictures films only and expire at the end of 2011.

This giveaway is for US residents only. Sorry, Isis employees and their immediate families are not eligible to win. Limit one entry per family. Please include a valid email address so we can contact you if you win. Your email will not be published and will not be used for any other purpose. 

If your comment doesn’t appear right away, don’t worry. We monitor our comments for spam so there is a slight delay between the time you submit your comment and when it appears below.

Bianca and her son Liam, 22 months.

The art and science of bag packing has been something I worried a lot about even before having children. I’ve always been the lady carrying the huge bag with the sewing kit, first aid kit, and pretty much any other just-in-case supplies in fear of not being prepared for some unlikely emergency. When I became a mom I realized more was not always better – and smart, compact packing was an essential back saver, since a bag is not the only thing one carries around anymore.

It all starts with the right bag. My favorite type of bag is one that has built in stroller clips, plenty of room for everything, tons of pockets to keep it all organized, and it doesn’t scream “diaper bag”. An extra bonus is a bag that comes with a detachable clutch, in which I can store my essentials (money, cell phone, chapstick, keys, etc). Then I can remove the clutch and carry it by itself if I’m running out on a quick errand without the baby, or drop it into my regular purse when I am going to work.

Another great accessory is a changing pad “pack” which I use in place of the changing pad that comes with the diaper bag. That way I can just reach in and grab my diaper changing essentials all at once. In this storage pack I always have 3-4 diapers, wipes, a travel size tube of diaper cream, and a ziplock bag to store a soiled diaper and clothing in case of a blowout and/or a diaper change in a place with no trash receptacle. My husband also appreciates not having to lug around the entire diaper bag if he’s the one changing the diaper while we’re out or if he’s just taking our son for a quick trip to the park.

For extended daddy-and-me outings we have a plain black “daddy” diaper bag packed with pretty much identical contents to the main diaper bag (minus the mom-specific stuff) and we usually keep it in the car. The redundant supplies have also come in handy once or twice when I’ve forgotten to replace used supplies from my regular bag. We make an effort to restock the bag as soon as possible after we get home, so we don’t find a stinky diaper in there a week later.

What to pack in a diaper bag

For the newborn stage I always carried a nursing cover, burp cloth, a spare one-piece baby outfit and a spare T-shirt for me (learned that trick after a massive diaper blowout when I was out with my in a carrier, walking through a bookstore). Additional essentials included nail file and tweezers (trust me on this one), a little bottle of hand-sanitizer, a granola bar for me, and my knitting or a small book – it’s always nice to have something to do in case if you find yourself with an unexpectedly content napping baby and a nice place to sit and relax, like a park bench on a nice day, or a comfy coffee shop chair on a cold day.

Once we moved into the solid food stage I started carrying a favorite jar, spoon, bib (love those long-sleeved bibs, lovingly called the “haz-mat suit” around our house), disposable placemats to cover potentially questionable tables at restaurants, and an additional ziplock bag for food-related messes. I also always have an empty Take N Toss sippy cup – my sons favorite, which I can fill with water from my own bottle or whatever else he’s going to drink. Throw in a couple of little toys, like stacking cups and links and we were good to go.

Now that we’re in the toddler stage we updated contents to include an emergency box of snacks (raisins and cheerios are always popular), a set of pajamas and overnight diaper in case we stay somewhere through bedtime and expect our son to fall asleep in the car on the way home, a couple of small but fun and interactive books like Pat the Bunny, antibacterial wipes for restaurant high chairs or other shared surfaces, a sunblock stick, and my son’s very own refillable water bottle.

The next frontier will be packing for two – our new baby is arriving in a month and we will have to find new solutions and tricks for one and two child outings. I will let you know how it goes!

Looking for the perfect diaper bag? Visit Isis Boston, Brookline or Needham to check out our selection of diaper bags from GoGaga, Petunia Picklebottom and Skip Hop.

"Just sitting still and quiet, I feel a deep connection to the new being coming from a mysterious place through my body and into the world."

When I signed up for my prenatal yoga teacher training, I was a bit apprehensive about attending as I had not had children of my own.  However, my fears that I wouldn’t understand the women I would be teaching were alleviated when I met other not-yet-mothers in my class.

Now, I am ten weeks pregnant with my first child, and prenatal yoga is taking on a new importance in my life.   The first two months have been filled with so many physical changes, including intense tiredness and low blood pressure, that my yoga practice has completely changed.   I thought I would make it through my first trimester practicing as I had before pregnancy, but I never realized the changes would come on so quickly. 

After teaching this to others for the past three years, my personal practice is now prenatal yoga; and I love it!  I am also discovering what postures I can adapt and include in the prenatal classes I teach.  I feel confident practicing and teaching sun salutations with pauses and modified positions, which had not been included in my training.  New doors of possibilities open every day as I explore the potential and ability of my changing body.  I strongly believe my yoga practice is keeping me feeling healthy and strong.

Most importantly, my prenatal yoga practice is a time to connect with the little life that is growing within; and not a day goes by that I am not completely amazed.  During busy days, my yoga practice is the pause during which I can reflect on this amazing experience.  Meditation is very important for this purpose.   Just sitting still and quiet, I feel a deep connection to the new being coming from a mysterious place through my body and into the world.  Off the yoga mat, I find walking in nature, taking quiet time for myself, reading positive birth stories, and eating fresh healthy food is part of a yogic lifestyle that I feel is important to my overall well-being.  

In addition, these simple actions of being within help me to overcome some of the anxiety and fears that creep in when I get caught up in all the fast-paced information about pregnancy and birth.  It is definitely one of the most fascinating, exciting, and sometimes scary, adventures I have ever been on.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to share this experience with my students!

Tonya Solerno, Isis Prenatal Yoga Instructor

Prenatal Yoga classes are available at all four Isis centers.

This fun and functional storage bin comes in your choice of owl, monkey, elephant or hippo.

As a parent I expected to be inundated with all things baby related.  But I was completely unprepared for what this really meant for my home.  Baby stuff everywhere!  Not just in my son’s room, but the living room, kitchen, my bedroom and even the bathroom were taken over.  I thought that as my two boys got older and more independent (I was hoping for independence at age 2) we would be able to corral everything into their room.  Boy, was I wrong! 

Now, my boys are 6 and 4 and my husband and I are still fighting the good fight to keep the chaos to a minimum.  One of the more surprising items we have is an over-abundance of stuffed animals.  Who knew that stuffed animals could take over the house?  My son James is especially fond of them, and it seems every time I turn around he has a new one.   

One day I came into Isis and saw we had new storage bins from 3 Sprouts.  In the center we used them to hold our O-Balls and other loose items.  I thought they were super cute.  However, I wasn’t convinced they were the right solution for me.  I’m a see-through bin kind of girl.  I always thought that if my kids could see where their toys went, they would be more willing to put them away.  As with most preconceived notions regarding my children, it didn’t work out that way.

One day I decided to bring home my own Brown Owl Storage Bin after seeing so many moms and kids go home with their own.  There is something about the brown wise owl with its orange accents that I couldn’t stop thinking about.  I didn’t really know what I was going to use it for.  After walking into the boys’ room and seeing James’ bed completely taken over by his stuffed friends, I had my AH-HA moment!  Owl bin = corral stuffed animals in a cute way.  So I made a deal with James.  He could keep as many of his friends as would fit in his owl storage bin.  He loved the owl and agreed right away.  We shook on it and so far I’ve been able to keep him at his word.

Green Hippo Hooded Towel

Imagine my delight, when Isis brought in a larger selection of products from 3 Sprouts!  I’m having a hard time picking a favorite from the expanded selection of bins. In addition to the Brown Owl, we have a Yellow Monkey, Pink Elephant, Blue Elephant and Purple Hippo.  I really can’t find the right word to describe why I love them… fun, graphic, whimsical, sophisticated, bright and functional.  On top of all that, they are made out of organic cotton.  Really, could 3 Sprouts make them any better?

Kristin McEachen

Want to win a storage bin of your own? We’re giving away a yellow Monkey Storage Bin and a purple Hippo Storage Bin. This contest is now closed. The two lucky winners are: Robin P. of Newton and Ester R. of Cambridge!  Congrats!

This giveaway is for US residents only. Sorry, Isis employees and their immediate families are not eligible to win. Limit one entry per family. Please include a valid email address so we can contact you if you win. Your email will not be published and will not be used for any other purpose. 

If your comment doesn’t appear right away, don’t worry. We monitor our comments for spam so there is a slight delay between the time you submit your comment and when it appears below.

text4baby is a free service.

Have you heard about the latest health application for mobile phones?  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources and Voxiva recently unveiled the free text4baby program in which expectant and new mothers receive at least 3 weekly text messages containing important maternal and newborn health information. These texts will include reminders to take prenatal vitamins, eat lots of protein, get a flu shot, set up pediatric appointments and more.   The messages are delivered throughout the pregnancy and until the baby turns one year old.  The goal of the program is to help reduce premature births and curb the United States’ embarrassingly high infant mortality rate compared to other industrialized countries–despite the fact that, in most cases, we spend much more on health care!    

According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, “Only 31 % of the population making less than $35,000 a year has broadband, but 90% of Americans have mobile phones.” It is clear that this program is a great way to reach women who may not have easy access to health care or online information and may improve negative health trends that seriously threaten the lives of mothers and newborns.  To sign up for this free service, expectant and new moms just text “baby” (or “bebe”, in Spanish) to 511411.