How do you do a big shop with a baby?

[Toomanyslippers]

I lay awake pondering this one last night! As you can tell I'm pregnant and a FTM!

So I'm wanting my baby to lay flat for the first 6 months as they advise. So how do you navigate a pram & a shopping trolley?! How do you improvise?

Another one saying sling. My dc spent most of her awake time strapped to me, couldn't put her down at all. She also had horrendous reflux, so couldn't be laid flat anyway...

It's ok to go a little over the 2 hours. But lots of trolleys have seats for baby's. They don't look too comfy but blankets will sort that. And as pp said lots of trolleys you can put car seat on top of trolley.

The baby seat trolleys are flatter than a car seat so are fine. I could drive to the supermarket do a shop and be home in two hours but obviously that depends on distance, tended to use the baby trolley though.

Sling, use the trolleys that have the rack for a car seat or the infant trolleys with the built in baby seats (I always took a blanket/muslin to line those as they're usually cold/hard plastic). Or, online shopping.

I never took the DT’s to the supermarket when they were small. Either DH or I went on our own or as we do now, we did I weekly online shop. Anything to make life easier!

I stopped doing Big Shops on mat leave. I found a nice little routine which involved long walks to shops for small basket shops for that nights dinner. Did a monthly online for loo rolls/cleaning prods/nappies and wipes/ tins.

The recommendations are to keep baby no longer than 2 hours in a car seat. I haven't made it up 🙄

That's slightly different to keeping them flat for 6 months though

Just order online/go with someone else/leave baby in car seat the go for a coffee and take them out of seat before driving home/use a sling

Sling, but also remember that when you're home with the baby you're less likely to need to do one big shop as it's much more manageable to pop in more regularly. I'd often do one big shop every fortnight either online from Tesco or instore at Aldi to stick up on nappies, cleaning products and some processed food (with DH looking after the baby made it feel like practically a holiday! ) then head out every few days for fresh food and meat depending on how things were going.

@nervyuyt I do apologise for not explaining myself correctly at the beginning!!

Our pram had a massive basket under it and could fit a weekly shop in it- I used to fill it up like a trolley on the way round

I'll have a look at a sling if I can master one. I do live quite a drive away from the supermarket so might have to try online shopping

Yes you're not meant to keep them in car seat longer than 2 hours but you have another thing coming if you think you can keep baby flat for 6 months! I do online shops for big ones btw

Shopping with a baby is easy.

Shopping with a toddler is not.

The trolleys with the baby seats or put car seat in the trolley

At 6m they are sitting unaided, eating. The car seat guidance is for newborns Op :). Very young babies have floppier airways which can compress when they are left curled up a little like in a car seat (risk is low but present). 6m old are a different kettle of fish altogether, as you will find out. The car seat guidance is also about sleeping. If you have your awake baby in the car seat type seat on a shopping trolley you are completely fine.

Online

I never noticed them before I had a baby and was asking the same question, but bigger supermarkets have all sorts of trolleys with car seat type seats, or places you can attach your car seat.

But online shopping will save you!

Send your partner to the shops 😙

No need to take a pram and push a trolley at the same time OP.

Pop them in the baby seat or order online as PP have suggested.

Definitely a baby sling/carrier. Easiest way to shop with the baby. Way way easier than when they become toddlers!!!

You are right about the two hour car seat recommendation.
So if you live near a supermarket just go when it’s quiet and you should be done in two hours.
I didn’t keep ds in car seats for long periods it drives me mad when people do this regularly.
But once per week/fortnight I figured it was good for him he would just look around with interest at the supermarket and I’d be talking to him. It got me out the house on mat leave also.

Google to see if you have a local sling library, great for trying out different slings once they're born, you can hire them too, I hired one for two weeks for eight pounds, was a good way of finding out which ones I liked before I bought one

Online. Honestly it’s the easiest option. I started doing that when DC1 was born and that was 7 years ago. I can’t face a big shop with the children. Even though they are babies now. They whine a lot.

Most major supermarkets have a seat which is flatter than a car set you can put baby in whilst you shop, I always take a blanket to lie under baby incase they are cold plus they are plastic so hard. If you are concerned about germs then take some anti bacterial wipes to wipe the seat down first. With a newborn I would definately advise ordering in groceries as the last thing a new mum needs is the stress of baby crying and the typical eye rolls from the joy that is the general public. My ds loves going shopping and always has from about 8 weeks old as he loves looking at the shelves and colours. Now he is a toddler he attracts alot of older ladies with his grins the wee flirt

Online shop for all the heavy/cupboard stuff, sling for popping in for milk etc mid week. Also when you are on mat leave you have time so can do stuff like go to the local market for veg, bakers for bread etc and that can all be done walking with the pram (so you can stick the shopping in the pram basket rather than carrying it).

Or just send your husband to do it.