How to grocery shop with a baby

Imagine this scenario:

You are a first time mom with a newborn.

You discovered you don’t have diapers anymore for the baby

You also found out that you need to pick up some groceries for the family

Your partner is not at home and there is no one to help you.

What will you do?

This is the time you need to get up and go to the grocery shop to buy all you need.

How?

There are different ways to do grocery shopping with your newborn with ease. But before we move on, most first time moms always ask these questions:

Can I take my newborn to the grocery store?

Pediatricians advise you wait till your baby is 6-8 weeks old before going out with them. But, I have heard of moms going to the grocery store with their 1 – 2 weeks old baby. I will say it depends on you and the baby. If you and the baby are healthy, why not? Most people don’t like to go out with their babies because of germs in public places. But, it is the world we live in. If you need to go out and buy the necessary things for the baby, why not?

Can you take strollers into stores?

Yes, you can take strollers into big stores like Walmart, Target, K Mart, etc. However, there are local stores that don’t allow them. This is because most of them have small aisles. But bigger stores like Walmart have a wider aisle that can accommodate strollers.

What to do before you grocery shop with a baby

1.     Make a list

The first thing you need to do before you set out for the grocery store is to make a list. You may think you will remember all you need at the grocery store, but you may miss one or two things out. To forestall that, make a list.

Write all you need to buy at the grocery store. You can do this on a piece of paper or use the note app on your phone. Making a list will determine the number of items you will pick out at the grocery store. This will also tell you how long you will stay there. With this, you will know how to pack your diaper bag. This is the next thing to do.

2. Pack a diaper bag for the baby

Since you will not be spending the whole day at the grocery store, you don’t need to pack too much of the baby stuff. You will need:

1. Diaper backpack
2. Diapers
3. Wipes
4. Burp cloths
5. Change of clothes
6. Pacifier
7. Stroller shopping cart toys (for the baby to play with while you shop)

Now that you are ready with the baby essentials for the grocery shop, you need to know the time to go.

3.   Choose the right time to grocery shop with a baby

The first thing you need to consider is the rush hour. You don’t want to be in the grocery shop when many people are there. It can sometimes be inconveniencing. So, choose the time you know it will not be too busy.

Second, when you are grocery shopping with a newborn, you need to choose the naptime for shopping. It is better because it will give you more time to shop in peace.

Third, you can go to the grocery shop after feeding your baby. A hungry baby is an angry baby. They will cry until you feed them and that may not be too convenient for you at the grocery store. Sure, you would want to avoid it. So, to prevent this from happening, you will want to feed them at home before going for shopping.

Now that you are ready to go, you need to do this…

4.   Park close to a cart return or use the parent’s parking

To make it convenient for you at the grocery shop, you need to part close to a cart return. This will help you settle your baby in the car and then quickly return the cart without having to walk far. The second option is to park in the parent’s parking. It is bigger and wider so it will be easy to get your baby in and out of your car. Most parent parking is also close to the door.

Below are ways you can carry your baby at the grocery shop

How to carry a baby while shopping

1.    Wear the baby and push the cart

The first way you can carry the baby while shopping is by wearing the baby with a baby wrap or carrier and push the cart. With this method, you have your hands free to push the cart while you shop. Wearing your baby will make them close to you and it will be easy for them to fall asleep. It will also keep them away from germs and bugs. No one will have access to touch your baby while shopping. So, it is safe.  There are different baby wraps and carriers you can use for this purpose.

2.     Use the shopping cart

There are two ways you can use the shopping cart both to shop and also carry your baby.

How to put a baby in a shopping cart

The first option is to put the baby’s car seat in the cart and shop. Put the baby in the car seat in the shopping cart and not on top of the cart. It is risky to put it on top because it will not hook onto the cart. It can easily fall off that way. Use the extra spaces around the seat to store your things.

The second option is to use a shopping cart hammock or cart cover.

You can use a shopping cart hammock for your baby at the grocery store. All you need is to put the baby in the cart hammock with shopping cart toys to play with and you can do your shopping easily. Make sure you get the best for your baby.

3.    Use a stroller for grocery shopping with a baby

Many moms prefer to use a stroller while shopping with a baby. This is convenient for most moms. There are two ways you can use a stroller for shopping with a baby.

a.    Push the stroller with the baby in it and use the bottom basket to place items

The first option you have is to convert your baby stroller into a shopping basket. Most strollers today come with a big storage space at the bottom. You can use the space to store your items and bring them out when you get to the checkout point. But if you have a stroller that doesn’t have a big storage space at the bottom, there is one thing you can do.

b.   Hook a reusable stroller shopping bag to the stroller

The second option is to hook a reusable stroller shopping bag to the stroller with stroller hooks. Put your items in the bag or basket as you shop with the baby in the stroller.

Shopping strollers include Uppababy Vista, Uppababy Cruz, and baby jogger city select.

If you don’t want to go shopping for one reason or another you can shop online.

Online shopping

The world has advanced and there are online shops where you can get grocery items to purchase. The truth is, it may be easy to shop with a child or two, but when you have three to four children, it will be a great challenge to shop with them. You can buy online and go pick it up or have them deliver it to your house. It is much more convenient.

It is time to grocery shop with a baby

Now, you don’t have to worry about how to grocery shop with a baby. You can wear them and push the cart while you shop, you can use a stroller and a stroller shopping bag, you can convert a baby stroller to a shopping cart, etc. So many options for you to do shopping.

Choose the best option suitable for you.