DS, 8mo fell from trolley yesterday and fractured his skull :(

[rosieposey]

Just wanted to post this to save anyone else going through what we did yesterday.

I never shop at Morrisons (basically because we have lots of other supermarkets to choose from and im pretty loyal to S/burys usually) but yesterday I was nearest to that store so popped in with DS who is nearly 9 months old.

I got a trolley but noticed that it didn't have any belts on it to tie him in. Every other supermarket that i have ever shopped in has a strap and i have always used it. Anyway DS and i were at the checkout and i took my attention off him for about 30 seconds as i began to pack the bags and the next thing i knew he had hit their concrete floor... I didn't see what happened from the time he was happily sitting up in the trolley to when he hit the floor it was all over so fast.

I was obviously in shock and picked him up (he was screaming btw) they took me to the managers office to wait for an ambulance but my DH was working from home and we decided it would be faster to drive to A&E. I asked the manager before i left why they didn't have any straps on their trolleys (the sitting up kind not the baby seat kind) to hold babies and toddlers in and he told me that you had to ask at customer services for them as their trolleys aren't fitted with them due to the straps getting wet and dirty and that is company policy. He also told me that on the handle of the trolley (where you put your hands to push the damn thing) there is a "small sign" - his words- (there is, its the size of a text message) to say to go to customer services if you require a strap.

I have had their area manager on the phone this morning and have explained that as a first time customer i didnt see the two inch notice on their bars to push the trolleys as i had my son in the trolley and i was pushing him?

I feel terrible and responsible for even putting him in a trolley without straps - it could have been a whole lot worse as the doctor said last night that he could have been brain damaged or killed. Whilst i have been in supermarkets i have often seen babies and children in trolleys without straps and thought to myself how irresponsible those parents must be, i myself yesterday was one of them too - i am so at Morrisons for not providing seat belts as a matter of course the way other supermarkets to in their trolleys (or at least the ones that i shop at) but just wanted to say that after all this please dont use a trolley without a strap, its just not worth it, i will never take the chance again and will also be letting Morrisons head office know that next time a child falls out of one of their trolleys because they have no straps fitted to them that it might not be the same outcome.

DS is fine btw, the top of his head is very red and swollen today though. He was admitted at lunchtime yesterday after his xray showed a fracture but by 8 pm the peadiatrician said he could go home as he was his usual bubbly self - needless to say i will be wrapping him up in cotton wool for the foreseeable future and just keeping a very close eye on him for bumps and bruises But just wanted to say IMO Morrisons company policy for having to ask for a strap (when there are no obvious signs saying you need to do that) is Shit.

Littlemiss my reply was to another poster not the OP.

To OP contacting Morrison's head office, media and your local agencies is the best route rather than the litigious approach you mentioned early in your postings.

MollieO i said i was considering taking legal advice. Considering being the operative word because i would be interested to see if due to some publicity retailers might consider putting straps on all their trollies, the only way things change and laws get put into place is by raising concerns brought about by incidents like these. We are going to use the routes that you have mentioned in your post because we would like for everybody to benefit from having the option of using straps when taking their child shopping.

I'm horrified at this story and am going to put my (never-used) toddler reins in my bag right now - I'm always a bit at the effectiveness of straps in trolley seats, because they don't go over shoulders. DS can certainly do up the belt fastening (in fact, he insists on doing it himself ) but that means he can probably undo it too.

Yes, of course as a parent it's your ultimate responsibility to judge a potentially risky situation and decide whether you want to proceed, but I think Morrisons are being irresponsible in not providing straps as a matter of course. Virtually every other supermarket does. People are happy to do the safer thing if the choice is offered and readily available, but I'd argue that by not providing the straps on the trolley in the first place, you're not flagging up the possibility that trolleys are potentially dangerous places to put your child, so it might not occur to someone to ask for some. Who reads small print on a supermarket trolley, ffs? I think Morrisons need to rethink their stance on this.

Hope your DS recovers fast, OP, and that you can stop beating yourself up about this. These heartstopping moments happen to all of us sooner or later.

I know Mamagoblin and thanks for your well wishes, thats all im trying to say in the long run - culpability is mine somewhat yes but I just feel in not putting straps on the trolley (and not making the information available) Morrisons should share some of the responsibility too as i didnt really have much choice as i would have ordinarily put them on him.

Everybody makes mistake, as do shops and nothing will change unless situations like this are brought to public attention. People have said that they are really going to think about using reins in future in trollies as in the past haven't - thats great and i think when it comes to child safety you should just tell everybody that you can because one day it might just save another babies/toddlers life.

How shocking for you - you must be a wreck after all that.

I don't see why their trolley straps would get wet and dirty when they are generally either in the shop or under the protected trolley bays. If they did, then surely it can't be beyond a company like that to have detachable ones they can take off and wash every few weeks.

so so sorry you must be feeling dreadful sending you massive massive hugs.Be kind to yourself hun the people who are not being kind are in the minority which shows that most people understand compassion and empathy.

I think it is quite clear that the point of this thread is to warn other people. It took guts for it to be written and admit that Rosieposey took made a mistake (shock horror) to some of the judgmental perfect mothers that sometimes crop up on here. It is not necessary for it to be pointed out that "you shouldn't have done it" Well she fucking knows that!

I have always been very cautious of shopping trolleys and never liked the look of them so use the sling instead, urgghh this sends shivers what a horrible experience for you and thanks for sharing. If it has made people think more about safety specifically or generally then job well done.

Rosieposie, hope your ds is ok!

i'm sure this may have been mentioned in the thread already but, mums and dads, even when you do strap in the nippers, don't rely on the straps! I was in tescos with my 10m old ds and when i was gettinf some frozen peas turned ropund and saw him just starting to lurch over the side of the trolley to the frzen peas after he had kneeled up on to his seat! children are like eels whenever you try to strap them in! I have resorted to always wearing a belt when i am out mainly because i have had to resort to using is to fasten in ds to trolleys etc when the straps aren't able to be used! The things you learn as a mum

yousaidit i have said that straps aren't a 100% but also that in the case of my DS it would have been useful to have at least known that they were available as i have always used them and he has never wriggled out of them (as yet).

littlesez thanks It seems you are able to master the point of this thread more than others and at least understand that in warning other mums and getting Morrisons and hopefully others to put permanent straps on their trolleys this might not happen again, or at least a lot less than i suspect it does.

Must add Rosie that I when I went to Tescos this week I made extra certain I fastened the strap on DS2.

When I had lifted him out to go home, and put him in the car it struck me that I had not unfastened the belt. I wondered if DS2 had undone it but no! It was still done up. I had checked it was tight enough, but it obviously wasn't. I expect it was tight round his coat but not underneath. Oh dear . . . some of us [me] still have to try harder I think.

Rosie just read Postal's messages . Postal - might be an idea to learn to read properly before you start wading in and getting the wrong the the stick (repeatedly!).

Thank you Rosie for re-living your nightmare by writing all this to increase our awareness.

Give it a rest Postal, as rosey says, you've made your point.

She's got a little boy with a fractured skull at home and she wants to make sure no other babies end up in the same condition, or worse.

Surely not that hard to understand.

(Rosie, I put reins on my DD in a trolley with no straps on yesterday because I remembered your post).

only just read this and sending huge hugs Rosie.
Am amazed at some of the nasty comments made by some posters. Total agree with the last two posts. Really no need to rub it in and make Rosie feel worse.
I bet certain posters never give their children quavers or fruit shoots either

Thanks for highlighting this danger Rosie. Where I live none of the supermarket trolleys have straps and I used to use a scarf to tie DS into the trolley. Have stopped using it over recent months but will make sure I take my reins next time I go shopping.
Hope M is much better now Rosie xxx

Rosie, I just wanted to say thank you so much for posting this, I have a dd the same age and my Mum was constantly going on about how dd would love to sit up in the trolley when she takes her to the supermarket. I felt very uncertain about the safety of this, but my Mum insisted that she used to do it with me, I loved it etc etc. I have shown her this thread and it has nipped that idea in the bud. Completely. Phew!

Hope that your ds has made a full recovery and that you're not still beating yourself up.

Really glad to see what a positive impact this has had on some posters and the use of straps on shopping trolleys.

DS is doing really well just over a week after his ordeal and is going to be just fine. It is nice that some of you have also said there but for the grace of god ... ect ect and thats how i feel too, some people are lucky and some people arent, i consider us very lucky indeed and am so glad that i had the opportunity to pass on some of our experiences so as to avoid the same thing happening to anyone elses baby or toddler. Thanks very much for your supportive posts

Sorry coming very late to this.
So sorry about your DS Rosie , hope he is a lot better by now.
And also a huge thank you for posting and raising awareness- that can only be a good thing.
At our local Tesco the security guard at the entrance stops all parents with children either standing or sitting in the main part of the trolley and refuses to let them into the store until the children or toddlers are removed . He says that it is totally unsafe if they are too big for the seat part they are too big to sit in the trolley safely due to their weight ... TBH I thought he was a bit over the top .. clearly I was wrong
thanks again .