One of the hardest adjustments as a new mom is re-learning how to shop with a baby in tow. Even women who love to shop find that adding a baby into the mix can drastically complicate what used to be a simple trip to the grocery store. There are countless things to consider and a myriad of scenarios to try to prepare for.
Here’s the good news – it can be done! With a few simple tricks and tools, combined with research from medical professionals, shopping can be transformed from a burden to an adventure.
Tips for Shopping with a Baby
Shop from Home
The least stressful way to shop with a newborn or baby is to shop from the comfort of your home.
Many providers, like Amazon, offer monthly subscriptions to popular items, including grocery staples, diapers, wipes, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. Many grocery stores are also transitioning to online ordering portals with the option to deliver or pick-up at the store. In these scenarios, the baby never even has to leave their car seat while mom stocks up on what she needs.
While there is typically an added expense for these benefits, many moms have commented that it is worth every penny. Especially in the unpredictable newborn phase where eating and sleeping is hard to plan around, a mobile shopping option might be the perfect solution.
Pediatricians note that babies are typically ready to begin a flexible sleep routine after about 2 months, making it much easier for moms to plan ahead for shopping trips. So, even if it a temporary solution, online shopping could relieve a lot of stress for moms transitioning to a new normal.
Plan in Advance
Planning ahead is one of the most crucial aspects of a successful shopping trip with your baby.
As experienced moms and doctors alike will tell you, the best time to try anything with your baby is right after they have eaten. Especially in the early months, this means that from the time a baby is done eating, mom only has 1.5-2 hours before it will be time to feed the baby again. That includes getting out the door, driving to and from the store, and shopping. In short, it doesn’t leave a lot of time for anything.
Here are a few things you can do to maximize the time you do have:
- Be dressed and ready to go before you begin feeding
- Have the diaper bag, shopping list, purse, and car seat sitting by the door
- Change the baby’s diaper before beginning feeding
- Don’t forget to allow your baby time to burp before buckling them in
An alternative that can add extra shopping time is planning to feed the baby in the car before driving home. Some moms don’t mind doing this and use nursing covers or prepare bottles before leaving the house. There is nothing wrong with this plan as long as you feel comfortable feeding in the car. It would also be wise to make sure you don’t buy any perishable items in this scenario, to avoid food going bad or making a mess in the car if the feeding goes long.
Make Short Shopping Lists
As mentioned earlier, if a mom isn’t racing the clock to make it home for the next feeding, she is probably rushing to make it out of the store before her young one gets overstimulated and upset.
Moms can do themselves a huge favor by planning smaller trips whenever possible. Keeping a shopping list small and achievable not only gives mom a boost of accomplishment, but it also can help to avoid over-stimulating the baby with all the lights, sights, and sounds of a busy store.
For example, moms who prefer to shop for a whole month at once may want to consider shopping for 1-2 weeks at a time. Some moms may choose to limit themselves to 20 essential items and ask a family member to pick up other loose ends. In any case, smaller lists are ideal when shopping with a baby.
Choose the Best Carrier or Keep Them Buckled
One of the biggest concerns for moms going out into public settings is keeping their babies safe from germs.
Despite their best efforts, moms everywhere struggle with the fact that complete strangers think it is “ok” to breach personal boundaries when babies are involved. Overwhelmed by their cuteness, fellow shoppers often reach out to touch and breathe on the little ones, often without asking for permission and usually without washing their hands. While their sentiment is appreciated, no mom really appreciates all those invisible germs being shared with their baby and, according to sources like Johns Hopkins Medicine, avoiding infection for newborns should be a high priority.
Something as simple as the style of your baby carrier can make a huge difference in the number of these interactions.
For starters, picking an inward-facing baby carrier is a game-changer. Strangers are less likely to try and touch your baby’s face if it is facing inward towards mom’s chest. If your newborn opts to fall asleep during your shopping trip, most of these carriers also have a shade that can be pulled over the baby’s eyes to encourage rest instead of unwanted stimulation.
This line of Ergobaby Baby Carriers comes highly recommended and can adapt to a variety of needs as your baby grows.
Another alternative is to leave your baby in the car seat altogether. As many as 66 children a day are sent to the emergency room for accidents involving falls from a shopping cart. This includes infants who have suffered head trauma from car seats falling off of shopping carts. Despite what some car seat advertisers have stated, the safest way to leave your baby in their car seat is to put the entire car seat inside the main shopping basket of the grocery cart. This offers peace of mind for mom and, paired with a great car seat cover, discourages unwanted attention from strangers.
Here is a list of some of the best car seat covers on the market.
One more alternative to consider when shopping with your baby is the shopping cart hammock. Designed to easily fit in a diaper bag or purse, these hammocks securely attach to the sides of the shopping cart and serve one of two purposes. One, the baby can be secured with a 3 point harness into the hammock and watch mom as she shops. Or, the hammock serves as a secure base for an infant car seat, complete with a safety strap that keeps the car seat from tipping. While this may not offer as much facial protection from strangers, it is a huge help to moms with little ones that need to see mom at all times to feel comfortable and safe.
Moms should feel comfortable using whatever carrying method they prefer. However, if you wish to avoid unwanted touching or close quarters with strangers trying to see your baby, one of these options above may make your shopping that much easier.
Entertain Them
As your baby gets older and more mobile, a few extra items can be added to your diaper bag for simpler shopping trips.
For example, if your child enjoys having a pacifier, it is a good idea to make sure you have a couple with you in the store. These can be a lifesaver if your shopping trip is taking longer than expected. It’s also a good idea, however, to make sure you have a few Pacifier Clips attached to the child and an extra paci and clip in the diaper bag. Having a pacifier is not good if it accidentally falls onto the floor of a store. Keeping it on a clip can offer peace of mind for mom.
Toy clasps are also a good idea. As the baby grows and starts to enjoy rattles and teething toys, it’s a good idea to have connectible rings or toy clasps that attach these toys to parent-approved surfaces (i.e. the car seat, shopping hammock, or baby carrier). Simple tools like these can offer great entertainment for the baby while helping mom stay focused on her shopping list.
Prepare the Diaper Bag in Advance
One of the main things to avoid on a shopping trip with your baby is trying to carry too many things.
Rather than attempting to carry your purse, baby, and diaper bag into a store, perhaps you could consider simply putting your wallet and keys into your diaper bag for the shopping excursion. Or, you could choose to carry a travel-sized diaper changing pouch like this one in your purse and leave your diaper bag in the vehicle.
The less you have to carry, the more free your arms are to shop quickly and effectively.
Give Yourself Grace
Adjusting to life with a baby is a huge endeavor. Finding a new normal is a constant process of trial and error, learning and relearning what works for you and your baby. Many moms struggle with an added feeling of pressure when they venture into public settings such as stores. Not only are they trying to care for and protect their babies, but many moms also battle with an unspoken pressure to make sure their children are “quiet and well-behaved.” You don’t need to pay attention to that kind of judgment.
Make sure you are patient with yourself as you learn what works best for you as you shop with your baby. Almost every mother on the planet has a “horror” story to share about a shopping trip gone awry. You are not alone and you won’t be the first if/when something unexpected happens on a shopping trip.
Be patient. Ask other moms for advice or tips. Ask your mom or a mom-of-experience to join for your first few trips to the store as you begin to learn what works for you. Continue trying and you will find what works best for your family.
Also remember that you are only responsible for you and your baby, not what other people may or may not be thinking about you. Take a deep breath, give it your best shot, and try again.
In Summary
When you go shopping with your baby, here is a list of items you don’t want to forget:
- Feed the baby right before shopping
- A shopping list (keep it short and sweet)
- Diaper changing gear (diaper bag or portable changing pad)
- Change of clothes for baby (in diaper bag or kept in the car for blow-out emergencies)
- Baby carrier and/or shopping cart hammock
- Pacifiers with clasps
- Small toys with clasps
- Car seat cover (if needed)
- Phone, keys, and wallet
