hope your baby is better real soon but want to share my experience with B/L machines. I have an Esante and love it. Had a Quilter's Choice before upgrading to the Esante.
I've discovered that (at least my machine) likes certain thread and not others. I like Mettler and Gutterman for everyday sewing. I also use Connecting Threads cotton thread for quilting.
My machine sometimes has problem with Gutterman thread (breakage) but never any problems with Mettler. I haven't tried any of the more expensive threads (not in the budget). My B/L dealer recommends Mettler. They use Floriani embroidery threads.
Also, keeping the bobbin area clean is "demanded" by my machine. As soon as the lint builds up a bit, it starts to act up. I typically clean out my bobbin area after every project (or every few days / hours depending on what I'm doing).
Another tip I got from my dealer -- when changing threads, don't pull the thread out from the spool. Snip the thread from the spool and pull out from the needle. This protects the tension disks (they're not meant to deal with backward motion) -- if this makes sense.
Some spools don't like to be pulled off sideways (as most B/L machines are made). I have a separate spool "pole" that I can sit my spool vertical and spool off that way which eliminates some thread problems.
These are great, reliable machines -- as with our other kids, they demand attention.
You have a great machine in B/L - just need to get used to what it wants.
Hope these tips help and your baby is better soon !!