To forget I have a baby for five (ten max) minutes in Sainsbury's

[Oscalito]

I was racing around Sainsbury's with my buggy, got to checkout, unloaded basket, raced off and got a few more things to reach £30 so I could use a money-off voucher they'd sent me, when I looked down and realised I'd somehow misplaced my buggy.

Sprinted around shop fearing the worst and was confronted in fruit and veg by a woman employee who told me very loudly they were just about to call social services and the police (and still might) and 'I should be very ?'

... at which point I interrupted and said 'I haven't slept in five months'. Slight exaggeration but definitely didn't get much sleep last night and DH has been around so have gotten used to having someone else looking out for baby over the last few days.

She said 'Don't speak to me like that madame' and I said 'I already feel bad enough' and left (this time with baby, obviously). A small crowd had gathered at this point. It could have turned quite nasty - she was ferocious - but I got out of there ASAP.

Was this a bit of an overreaction on her part? Or am I just too blase? I was panicking and fearing the worst as I ran around the shop, but when I saw the baby was OK I was just relieved. I am usually really careful, just slipped up once (won't do it again). Surely I'm not the first....?

My mother in law moved house many years ago, and left my sil (then a small baby) in an upstairs bedroom. They realised en route to the new house, and luckily went back for her...

I wouldn't harumph! I've forgotten my baby once or twice - luckily not for long enough to get home, but definitely wandered off in the supermarket and then jumped and rushed back when I remembered - and I can often been seen haring around John Lewis/garden centres/museums screeching my naughty runaway DS's name

I have also found people's lost children twice - in a supermarket and in a shopping mall - and gathered them up to "hand in". When I encountered the panicked parent I wouldn't have dreamed of tutting at them. It is an awful, awful feeling and it can happen to anyone.

this is the problem with women that "want it all" . juggling all these things, something gives and the babies end up being abandoned / neglected. if you managed and organised your time properly, these kinds of lapses should just not happen, babies wouldnt be dragged around supermarkets.

Theinet was going to respond but VinegarTits put it so beautifully...

Mumofalump that sounds like the sort of thing I would do too. It's that moment when you come to your senses and realise what you've done that's so shocking!

Snort.

Okay. Whatever. Yes, most things are the fault of those nasty bad women who want it all.

Don't engage the troll.

Oh yes. Help with more sleep. Maybe SW's should spend a morning each week letting new mums have a lie in so they don't do anything silly in a foggy haze of sleeplessness.

Oh wait... that won't work, they are already overstretched dealing with real neglect cases

I think it is a very common occurrence.

My mum once left me outside Boots in my pram. She was halfway home on the bus before she realised there was a reason she had walked to the shops... and that reason was missing.

I was apparently still fast asleep, and nobody had noticed my abandoned state.

I think theinet might be winding us up... surely sleep deprivation and attendant mistakes can come to anyone who has a baby, no matter how well-organised they are. And when they're older, any child can do a runner if they're determined enough. Unless you think we should all have staff to get up in the night for us, theinet?

sleep-deprived

theinet since when is going food shopping "wanting it all"...???? WTF?

I would complain to the shop. Stroppy cow - she obviously has no kids!

I forgot to add, my mother also once set off one morning to take me to school, and was almost there before she realised something was wrong.

I wasnt there.

I was still sat in the house, coat on, all ready to go.

Another one here: my DS didn't like the covered market (too many people) so I left him outside holding on to the pram with sister sat on pram seat and new baby in pram! (You can tell this was many years ago can't you: imagine deliberately leaving a pram outside a shop nowadays!).

Anyway, - did market shopping went on to baker and had a little window shop around the area before setting off home and then "had THAT moment": what had I forgotten? Only three children - when I got back DS was still standing holding the pram - DS was app 3,DD1 was app 15 months and baby 3 months.

Have never forgotten the panic AND the relief!

i just can't see why there is any need to drag babies and children around supermarkets and into other inappropriate environments.

Mumofaflump that really made me laugh!

I held my friends newborn a few weeks back and she started rooting, I had a moment of adjusting myself ready for feeding then stopped, I have BF DD since November 2009! My friend fell about laughing thankfully.

Creepy me [cshock]

My DH picked me up post birth from the hospital . Carried the baby (in her car seat) out to the car and promptly put her in the boot !

lancelottie at women totally ignoring the fact that your DH was there!

It's sad that nowadays more people don't just keep an eye on the baby for the few minutes that it takes for a stressed mother to come rushing back!

My aunt also forgot her baby outside a shop. Not surprising really when you take into account sleep deprivation and the fact that often in shops you go onto autopilot and forget the new addition to your life!

theinet - so if I need to go to the supermarket and my DH is working late what do I do with my DS?? Take him or leave him home alone.........

Take your blinkers off and chuck away your halo!

"theinet"
What a lucky lady you are!

theinet are you for real???? No one takes a baby shopping because they want to, you utter twat

The op needed groceries and has a baby. Should have left the baby at home instead? And wtf is inappropriate with Sainsbury's? Had it been Asda you might have a point

if these people can't look after their children properly they shouldn't have had them at all. some people make out as if having the kids is such a nightmare - they seem to forget that it was their choice. if they can't manage, the childrent should be placed with someone who can. the critisim of the OP was completely in order in the supermarket in my opinion, she was totally at fault by leaving her baby unattended in such busy place. who was to know that the child had not been abandoned? the strangers were well meaning and concerned.

FFS - she made a mistake oh perfect one!!!

I have done a similar thing years ago by losing GS momentarily in a shoe shop............just coz we are mums doesnt mean we are infallible superhumans - we all make mistakes esp when we dont get any sleep.

Get off your cloud and into the real world...jeez, you seem bitter about something thats for sure!

theinet errrrm maybe because we all need to eat?!! Sometimes you don't have a choice to have the 'luxury' of supermarket shopping alone......
In my grans generation everyone left their prams and babes outside the national dairy and popped into town to do the shopping - the ladies from the dairy kept an eye on them....!

In what way could a supermarket possibly be considered an inappropriate place to take a baby? 3 Mitchelin starred restaurant, yes; Sainsbury's, not so much.

theinet - what is inappropriate about a supermarket? Are you sure you are on the right forum here?