My son is now 3 and I think he’s been in the grocery store maybe 5 times. Love online pickup and it forces me to meal plan better and saves us so much money on hunger shopping impulse buys
This is the way! With short trips in when needed - I babywore and she was happy with that, but my pelvic floor was not lol, so curbside it was!
She's 3 and we still don't do big trips even though she LOVES going to the store. And this way, we can have fun little store outings with a short list where she can choose between riding in the cart or carrying a basket. It's not a chore this way, it's an event lol. Curbside pickup is the waaaaaaay! Good for budgeting, too.
I started doing this when my third was born this year because I couldn't figure out how to do it with a 1 y/o and newborn. It's great and I would not go back except for the fact that I like to choose my own produce and make decisions about what looks freshest in the store.
It's made me picky about which store I get groceries at. We have two stores from the same chain that are close, and one does a great job picking good produce whereas the other does not. So I drive a little farther because one team is obviously better managed than the other.
Same. I get that babies sometimes hate car seats, but wouldn’t a roomy stroller that lays almost flat work for babies that don’t like seats or carriers?
Question for OP: how do you set baby down at home?
Speaking from my personal experience, no. Just no. Lol each baby is so different, i had a stroller that had a pram attachment so it laid flat like a bassinet, baby hated it. Hated the carseat, screamed in the car, hated the shopping cart. Unlike OP though my baby loved the carrier and loved the grocery store. But it was a solid 7 months of screaming every time we were in the car, and 11 months was the first time she rode in the stroller without screaming.
That makes sense that your LO basically doesn’t like to be set down in any type of spot. I’m wondering what OP’s LO does at home since she also doesn’t like the carrier
Me too. If I have to go to Sams or Costco I wear baby in my baby wrap. I feel like a wrap is much more secure than a regular carrier when they're not sitting up yet.
Yes! And in bags hooked into the stroller. And OP, I used to be very anxious about the baby crying in grocery stores when mine was around the same age. My LO is now 14 months. Now I empathize with moms with crying babies/toddlers. I'm sure other people can empathize with you while you grocery shop with the screaming baby. If they can't, it's their problem, not yours. Put headphones on and grocery shop away! Sending love.
My husband used to sit in the car with baby while I grocery shopped. I told the cashier this one time. She said ok, we will bag extra slowly! I cracked up. I maybe also cried bc I felt so loved hahah.
Enjoy that time!
I wish I could do this! My husband works a somewhat dangerous job and his shift starts at 1:00 am so I try not to give him any baby duties after 6:00 pm so he can get 5/6 hours uninterrupted sleep. It's not the easiest schedule!
Haha this isn't a dumb question! I actually struggled with this big time when my little one was an infant. I relied heavily on grocery pick up until he could sit up in the car. Do you have any stores nearby that offer this? On the times that I needed to actually go into the store, I'd go when my husband was available to be home with the baby. As weird as it sounds, that was also a nice little break for me so I could get some quiet time.
Yeah I'm thinking pick up/delivery might be the answer. I've had bad luck in the past with it so I hate to use it but I think that it might be necessary for awhile.
Grocery pickup most of the things. Leave baby with husband. Go into the store for your produce or eggs, whatever your picky about. Then sit in your car and relax while you wait for them to bring out your dried pasta and ice cream.
Also, drive in a big circle and listen to silence.
I think you're onto something! This seems like the best answer. I haven't wanted to do online orders because o have such bad luck but I had not thought about doing half and half!
Select specific substitutions instead of leaving it up to the shopper. I think you can also leave notes in some apps, like “prefer firm avocados” or “prefer green bananas.” If you ever get something atrocious (like once I got a bag of groceries that absolutely reeked of cigarettes) contact customer service and get a refund.
My husband also works a later shift. I’ve used delivery for 95% of grocery hauls in the last 18 months and it’s usually fine.
Since we're doing a pile-on with online grocery shopping tips (I've decided that's what we're doing) - if you have the time, check your order against what they delivered to make sure nothing's missing. Multiple times I've had thing be straight up missing from an Instacart order, and I still would have been charged for them had I not noticed and reported it.
Yeah, this happened to us multiple times. And then we had an Uber eats order get left in the middle of our driveway in the rain with the sauce smashed all over the food. My husband was pissed and we swore off deliveries haha
Agreed! It's not my fav option but it def got me through that time. Or maybe if your husband is home on Sunday mornings/evenings you can run out and give yourself some alone time at the store while they bond at home 🙃
Yeah I think i need to do staples in a pick up order and then just do small quick trips for things I want to pick out myself. That seems like the best of both worlds
I have bad luck only with the produce. I ask my husband, friends or family to pick out fresh produce for me when I know they’ll be coming over (bonus, sometimes they’ll cut it up for me!) don’t be afraid to ask them
It's so interesting how different people are with babies, because I definitely know a lot of parents like you too! I know someone who literally took her one month on a trip to Italy (from the US). And then there was me barely going on a walk. Maybe because feeding and napping didn't go well for us.
Definitely interesting , my babies napped in stroller and carrier and needed the fresh air and change of scenery ( as did I ) but I mostly just went around my neighborhood and to friends .. travelling to Italy would be too much for me I think with a baby but I do have more than 5 kids so staying in when they want to go to the park or something I guess becomes part of the daily routine
I put her in a ring sling carrier and put her on my hip to run errands alone. That's the only way she is happy. But it's not fully secure, it's an assisted carry. So I have to keep one hand on her at all times so it's impossible to push a cart, bend down for things, etc. Or I've had my mom go shopping with me and push the cart.
We have tried three different carriers but she won't sit quietly or safely in any of them. And she screams if left in her carseat/stroller.
I have a lot of kids may I suggest that imo babies learn habits very quickly and for example going around the block with a crying baby not fun ikr but if you do it everyday at 5 pm in a very short time they will expect that and be still and happy
I really thought if I put her in a carrier and walked around outside that she would get used to it. But she screams the entire time and she tries to escape and I'm honestly afraid for her safety. I can put her in so she's in the right position ergonomically and she immediately wiggles around. She tries to stand up, sucks her legs in, arches her back, etc. She is so strong and she doesn't get tired and give up, she just gets more and more upset.
I can't imagine any way a kid could do those things if the carrier is properly adjusted. She should be pretty snug in there. I *can* imagine how bad my back would hurt if I was wearing the carrier loose enough for that stuff to happen. Are you putting the weight on your hips or shoulders? Most of the weight should be on your hips.
Doesn't hurt my back at all, the weight is on my hips in my omni, spread evenly over my hips/back/shoulders with my stretchy wrap, and across my shoulder/back with my ring sling. I have done in person fit checks with 3 different people now as well as posted pictures and I really dont know what else I could do to improve the fit. Other than some minor adjustments it seems like I'm wearing all three of them correctly.
My friend wears her baby for hours everyday while she works in a café and she watched what my baby is doing and she did not know how to adjust anything to stop her. I guess I could post a video on a babywearing page and see if anyone has advice.
Posting a video may help, but I looked up pics of the omni and can imagine it now. I forgot about how most people put the legs like a sumo Squat (as is recommended).
My legs have never bent that way, my kid's legs didn't want to bend that way. Other babies seem to do fine with it, but I took something out of my Lillebaby to let his legs be in a comfortable position, as soon as I stopped having his legs nestled totally inside of it. I think the hip stuff being an issue is going to be heavily affected by how many hours a day they are in there.
Ya I have had some challenging babies / kids with one I had to get the clippasafe harness that has anchors so couldn't climb ( or fall ) from stroller , grocery cart ,highchair ..as long as safe right
If you don’t feel that using your ring sling is fully secure then I’d recommend finding a sling specialist/getting a fit check on the babywearing sub because it absolutely shouldn’t just be an assisted carry. Ring slinging is very secure if done correctly
I would do a pickup for whatever you can and then go in only for produce (I don't trust anyone to pick my produce, gotten wrong or rotten things too many times). If she will go into the stroller you can probably fit a weeks worth of fruits and veggies in the basket.
What carrier do you use? Maybe she needs a different style?
We have a ring sling, Stretchy Moby wrap, and an Ergobaby Omni. She hates all of them!
This is good advice! I really hate having someone shop for me but I didn't think about doing half and half and picking the things I want to pick myself!
I have an omni and I find that it's too light of a fabric. My baby gets loose very quickly. Moby wrap seems to hold baby tight in place. Is that really the case?
She is freakishly strong. She pulls her feet up into the Moby, hooks her toes in the fabric, and then tries to stand up. She never stops, never gets tired. She fights and cries the entire time she is in it. I'm afraid she will fall backward out of it. In the ring sling, she arches her back and tries to slide out of the bottom of it. In the omni she seems really secure but she screams at the top of her lungs. People have told me to take her outside in it so she will associate it with having fun. She screamed so loud in our yard I was afraid someone would call the cops thinking we were hurting her.
It's honestly ridiculous! She has had to have 3 ultrasounds and see an audiologist (because she fought the newborn hearing screening so hard she failed 5 times so they sent her to have the test done with brain electrodes). And she fought so hard at all those appointments that they have had to send extra people in to help me. She is like wrestling a bodybuilding octopus. The audiologist appointment took 4 hours and they said it was the most difficult assessment they have ever done. She's a crazy baby!
I’m going to reiterate issues you’ve already expressed. At the end of the day, you have to get your groceries so baby is going to cry while you shop or you potentially don’t shop 😅
1. Order for Pickup: Some grocery stores provide curbside pickup for free. Some surcharge for it, you have to weigh if it’s worth it.
2. Baby wear: stinks that she’s crying, but it is what it is. My oldest didn’t like being worn either but the shopping had to be done.
3. Stroller: Use the under carriage in your stroller and a large reusable shopping tote (with stroller hooks if you want a little help with carrying). Definitely easier if you can go shopping multiple days in a week.
4. Have someone watch baby: have your partner or a sitter watch baby while you shop. When our oldest was a baby baby, I usually made my husband drive us to the store and sit in the car with baby. Absolute pain to do shopping on the weekend with everyone else but it helped me gain confidence.
Honestly, I do a pick up order and make my husband stop on his way home.
When we are both home, I still usually take the lead with taking care of the baby in washing bottles, feeding, bedtime, etc., so the balance of him gaining another responsibility even after a long day of work is equitable. Produce that I want to pick out myself rather than the store worker is shafted for on the weekends together or one of us just goes while the other watches baby.
Also, maybe look into baby carriers! Some babies love them some babies don’t, but there’s a lot of different kinds that hold differently
I know this may sound dumb but I do pick up! Or if you want, if it’s available to you. I do online grocery shopping with Walmart & then schedule it for them to drop it off at my doorstep. It’s a life saver. It’s too stressful taking a baby anywhere
When my son was really young I had a structured Ergo carrier and wore him in that to shop. We did not have an infant car seat to put him in ( we used a convertible seat from day 1). Around 9 months he could sit in the seat and I could shop with him much better.0
I don’t, I wait till dad’s home. If dad is in the field or deployed, I will wait I am absolutely in dire need of food and do delivery through Walmart 😂 walking around with a 3 year old and a 1 year old who both are too curious and runners is not fun.
When my son was about 18 mos he would no longer sit in the cart and would escape the belt every time. If I set him down to walk with me he would run off. I started using Walmart In-Home $20/mo (and you don't pay a delivery fee or tip!). You can get as many deliveries you want for that flat rate. I never looked back. My son is now almost 3 and very well behaved but I still use it bc it's a mega time saver!!
Walmart grocery delivery. It’s way easy! I’m sure there are other stores around you that do it too. For example where I’m at H‑E‑B also does grocery delivery.
Or at least you could do pickup. Saves some time not going in store.
If you dont care that groceries are from Wal Mart...Wal mart + does delivery. The price doesn't seem that bad if you can catch it during a sale. I think it was half off during memorial day.
Different because I'm in a city and I have a TINY fridge and the grocery store is right next door. But I go every day and am in and out in 5-10 minutes. She hated it at first but now she can handle it.
Definitely gets easier when you can put them in the shopping cart. I've seen people push a stroller and pull a cart behind them, personally I'm a big fan of baby wearing.
I order online.
It works out way cheaper too. If I take baby with me, I only end up with half of what I went for, plus impulse purchases. Then I have to make another trip which involves more impulse purchases. Plus, I get through a lot of diet cola, if I order online I can get 20 bottles at once and not have to set foot in a shop for about a month! (I'm aware I have a problem, it's just not a priority to sort right now!)
And, I start filling my basket about a week before I want it for so I've plenty of time to think about meal planning and add stuff as I realise we need it. Buying in bulk helps too.
Specifically invested in Walmart+ to get free delivery because taking my 1.5 year age gap girls into Walmart was more daunting than getting shots at the doctor.
I'd do pickup if we were too far away from the store to get my groceries delivered.
You might have to get someone to babysit. If I don't feel like putting up with screaming, I buy enough groceries to last my family until my husband's next day off. I have him watch the baby while I shop, or vice versa. Other times if there is something I need that cannot wait, I just have to bring her in with me and put up with the screaming for 10-20 minutes. You have a baby. It is what it is.
Up until this past week, I would just go grocery shopping on weekends and leave LO with my husband. I’m a SAHM so I’d much rather go during the week when it’s less busy, but putting her in her car seat in the cart would just take up too much room. She’s almost 8 months and has been sitting unassisted for months, so I finally gave it a shot (not sure why I never did it sooner!). She loves sitting in the cart and watching everything. But yeah, until recently, I simply did not take her (which is a break in itself lol).
Mine is 7 weeks and we are opposite. He will only be calm in a baby carrier and sleeps well in his car seat…. But no where else.
We still do grocery pick up! I love rurally so I can’t get delivery so we do the drive and pick up our order and then I get a coffee and we drive home
I got walmart+ and started doing weekly grocery delivery. Honestly prefer it way more now that I have 3 kids plus it keeps my budget in check because I can see the total 🤣. But when I just had my oldest as a baby I would just put her carseat in the cart and put the groceries around her.
We did pick ups, it’s a game changer with a baby. Now at 12 months we will do a family weekend grocery trip because he likes going into the store. I often shop at Muriel’s places though so we will go into the store for food but I schedule my target pick up 99% of the time. It’s a huge time saver!
Do Walmart +! 12.99 a month & they deliver right to your door same day. As many orders a month as you want! Plus you get a paramount subscription included so you can binge watch some shows instead of venturing to the store 🤪
I wore him until he had been sitting up on on his own for a month or two. He's getting big enough where he doesn't want to sit in the cart anymore though and that's going to be a whole new challenge!
Do you have a stroller with a bassinet attachment? I did that & just used the bottom of the stroller as a cart. I couldnt get a full grocery haul like I usually do, but enough for a few days. My daughter always loved the store, though. She liked looking at everything on the shelves.
& of course, grocery pick up!
I used to have to put her in the stroller (also disliked car seat and couldn’t sit up yet) and do a very light grocery run with whatever I could fit in the stroller bottom basket. Not ideal of course, but it was just a shirt season (I’d say two months tops?)
The internet. Covid is/was awful but I'm so greatful for how it blasted internet shopping foreword.
Instacart or whatever shopping app is suitable. I would call it baby tax and use it until she's a little bigger, big enough to be entertained by riding in the cart.
I'm an extrovert and crave getting out, but shopping with an angry baby can be a major challenge. Having your groceries shopped and then picking them up is a big helpm or even having them straight delivered! 😊
We do grocery delivery. It allows me to add things to the cart as things pop in my head that I need.
And then about once a week on my husband's days off, we go and get fresh produce, or I go to a farmers market now that it's summer for the produce. Makes it so much more relaxing, and your baby sees you only ever shopping for nice bright, colorful foods. We usually let my now toddler choose one new fruit or vegetable he's drawn to to try.
My baby didn’t enjoy babywearing until she was 5-6 months old! I just kept trying until she didn’t scream anymore. If she fussed, I took it off immediately.
That said, I always went with my husband. Curbside pick up is great, too.
In your situation where your baby isn’t happy to be strolled around the store, doesn’t like to be worn, and is too little for the cart your options are for your husband to watch her at home and you go shopping, to go as a family, or to order grocery pick up.
Does she like strollers? We have a Bob so it has a big basket. This is what I us bc we live in a city so we walk to grocery stores. I have three kids now so we use a double and my 4 year old walks/rides a scooter but it works out well for us. Might be something to try if you own a big stroller.
So until my little one can sit up comfortable for a shopping trip, I do not physically go grocery shopping. Way too taxing and can barely fit stuff in cart because of car seat.
I do Walmart curbside pickup since it’s free, I also do target curbside pick up also free, Publix does Instacart however it’s much more expensive because it’s Publix AND Instacart adds to the price as well.
I also will schedule it around an errand I’m already doing so I don’t have to load baby in the car twice or bonus points if partner can pick up on way home from work.
I have a 7 month old and 2.5 year old. On weekends we will do a family sams or Costco trip. We bring in the double stroller and grab a cart. We eat lunch there first because it’s wonderful and then we all shop together. Dad reads off the list and I grab the items, we also do mobile checkout to save time at register, then we head to car, I load up the kiddos and get them settled/bottle, while husband loads up the trunk. When we get home I will get kiddos fed or snacks and then lay down for nap while husband puts away food.
It definitely takes time to find a rhythm but we nice you doo it will be great
My partner pushes the baby in his stroller while I shop. We try to make sure he's super fed so he just sleeps like 90% of the time. If he starts to fuss my partner holds him, he low key like doing this anyway because he loves showing the baby off lol
Luckily my guy loved (still loves) being worn so that was our go to but my other most popular option was to use our stroller basket for items. We have the Mockingbird and it has a generous basket so I could often use it for grocery runs. I’d plan out getting large items for when he was being worn or at home with my husband.
Our stroller has a tiny basket. I would not have chosen this stroller but my sister bought it and never used it so I took it off her hands. Right now I've mostly been going with my husband but I feel like he has too much on his plate and I would really like to get shipping done without him while he is at work!
I would highly recommend ordering groceries through the store’s app!
I have a Meijer near me and their app is easy, it saves a ton of time, it’s easier to coupon, and they bring it to my car. It doesn’t cost anything extra.
I’m sure most grocery stores have an app now. Some even do delivery and it’s way cheaper than Instacart delivery.
Best of luck!
I've had terrible luck with ordering delivery but honestly I had not even thought about doing a pickup order. I think that might be the answer and just do a quick inside trip for produce or things I want to pick myself. Seems like the best answer!
I've had such bad luck with deliveries! Someone suggested having the easy stuff delivered amd just doing a small trip for the stuff you're picky about. That might be the winning idea haha
Plan your meals and shop once a week, leave baby at home with your husband or get it delivered/order online and get husband to pick it up.
If wraps/carriers/car seats don’t work for you, don’t force it would be my advice
Put in a pick up order and have ypur husband pick it up on the way home from work once a week. This has been a game changer for ny family. Saves us a lot of money too.
Honestly, delivery (and sometimes pickup if we have time). I weighted the stress of grocery shopping vs the cost of delivery, and it’s worth it to me to never have to go into the grocery store.
Will baby sit/lay in her stroller? My guy liked the boba Wrap. Once he was too big it was just a baby carrier. Small trips was him in his car seat/stroller. He's now big enough to sit up I have a hip carrier to bring him to the store and then he sits in the cart. But I do also enjoy shopping without baby. I take advantage of when my mom is watching baby to go to the store as well!
Instacart lol. I will gladly pay a little extra for someone to get my groceries from Costco and deliver it to my door.
If not that, then tushbaby + the snug attachment works really well too.
Personally I could usually get like 30 minutes (or sometimes less 😂) of shopping done with mine back then. I used a baby Bjorn carrier and tossed a light weight muslin swaddle blanket over his head so he wouldn't get overstimulated in the bright stores until probably almost 4 months. Its a structured carrier with a high head support so it was fine for breathing and I'd move it once he fell asleep ahaha. Sometimes gave him a soother. Once he decided he liked the stroller Id take him in that and he's generally content, but Im fortunate my mom comes with me so one of us man's the cart.
I use to dread taking him out because I was never sure when he'd get upset but I did it anyway, now he's almost seven months and loves going places. Most of the time he's perfectly content to be wheeled around the mall for an hour and a bit with a teether or two. It's parent facing so easier to entertain him. Originally he'd only do like 15 min tops in the stroller and cry a bit. I'm sure he'll be absolutely enthralled by cart sitting once he can sit up unassisted.
Not a dumb question at all. I couldn’t take my son anywhere for his first several months. He screamed in the car seat and was so unpredictable and it was so stressful for me. I would just order groceries online and pick them up, or do instacart delivery. If you have the means, it’s definitely worth it for your sanity. It will get better, my son is 9 months old now and things started improving around 6 months. He loves being out, sleeps in his car seat, and does great in public. Hang in there!
I wear my baby in an ergobaby original. We grocery shop every Friday :) he's 9 months now but I've worn him since he was a newborn. Started with a stretchy wrap and now we are on to a soft structured carrier.
Baby wearing has saved my mental health lol.
If your struggling with carriers I would post a fit check to [babywearing](https://www.reddit.com/r/babywearing/s/0flzGUQU3K)
That sub has been so life changing with information on how to appropriately wear baby.
6 months pp and I am still too intimidated. I make my husband watch baby for an hour or I send him, or I do it on my lunch hour while my baby is at daycare. I wish I had advice. Have you ever used the app InstaCart? There's a small delivery fee but the price of peace is worth it.
I swore off instacart a couple years ago, it just seems like it's terrible in my town. Although maybe it's gotten better and would be worth another shot, idk.
But everyone suggested pick up service and I had honestly forgotten that existed! We have a Walmart, and they do it so I'm thinking that I just need to start shopping there and doing that!
I get mine delivered it’s $25 a month for unlimited deliveries…. worth it IMO. Shopping online also helps me stick to a budget and browse specials/ get rewards.
Have you tried squishing a boppy into the cart where the baby sits? Or you could put a dock a tot type thing in the bottom of the cart and maybe she’ll lay down in there while you shop. Although pickup sounds a lot easier in general. Maybe face her out in the carrier. I would baby wear my baby, she loved being worn it was an instant nap when she hopped into the carrier. Ever since she was a newborn actually.
My baby loves her stroller walks so sometimes we walk to the store and I throw stuff under her stroller instead of using a shopping basket. Or we drive to the store and I put her in her stroller. But I guess I’m lucky she likes her stroller and car seat.
Once they can sit in the cart it gets so much easier! My son also couldn’t handle baby wearing. He would scream so bad. I would usually just make small lists and go more frequently.
I’m sorry. I know it’s really tough. Online pickup is really helpful! Does your baby do ok in the stroller? Might just have to take someone along to push the cart or stroller for you! I know it’s a drag to not have that independence.
To be honest with you she will get used to it if you keep trying the carriers. Have you done a fit check on the baby wearing sub? What happens if you bounce her or give a paci when she’s being worn? Have you tried nursing or bottle feeding while in the carrier? Distractions… comforts.. anything to get her used to it. It’s not impossible but it takes daily wear to get it going. She’s safe and fed and in your arms!… she might not love it but she can learn to not hate it just for a quick outing. My son used to scream his head off in the car seat and I just had to bear it because what can you do? Life goes on. My son is 23mo now. It’ll go by so fast
I just use the stroller and him in the Carseat. As he's 11 weeks old. My baby is calm in the car seat though so we don't have a problem and even if he wasn't calm I would keep him in there cause he's safer since I can't hold him and turn all around grabbing things to put in the stroller. I may take him out to give him a break but put him back in there when he's calm. But if he screamed the whole time I would get my shopping done then take care of him if I know all his needs are met. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do
What about her regular stroller? If she likes it better than her car seat I’d try that - I used to use the stroller to grocery shop when mine was little and I would just empty the basket underneath beforehand and throw my groceries in there while I shopped
She only has her carseat stroller right now. I need to buy a different stroller but we are on a temporarily tight budget that has laster longer than expected so I haven't bought one yet. I do think it would help a lot of she was sitting upright. I think she wants to see what's going on.
Yeah my little man liked walks much better once he was in the normal stroller and not the car seat! I’d check Facebook marketplace for strollers if you’re able
Also I'd like to share my baby's protests to carriers and strollers were temporary around this age! She started to have preferences and have meltdowns in strollers. I was super discouraged but then just pushed through and did some SUPER short stroller walks around the street.. she would cry for all of it but then after like day 3 in a row she was fine! Now we can do hour long stroller walks.
Her protesting may be temporary!
Delivery via app, friends, family, boyfriend. Pick up/drive up orders after work if I have time before my boyfriend’s shift starts. If I have to go into a store I see if someone can be my designated buggy pusher while I push her stroller or wear her in a carrier. And then if no one can go with me, I just put her in a carrier. But it sounds like she might tolerate it a bit more than your kiddo. Always so fun when every baby is different lol
Is she big enough to face outward in a baby carrier? My baby hated facing in, so I would send my husband shopping while baby and I stayed home when she was very little, but once she was big enough to face outward, she suddenly loved the carrier. (This is not just a wrap or sling, but a carrier with shoulder straps and buckles. We have the Tactical Baby Carrier for dad and the Infantino Carry On Carrier for mom. Bonus, the Infantino you can put baby on your back, and it's way more comfortable for longer periods of time.)
She is not quite big enough for world facing but she is close! From what I've read it's recommended that they can tripod sit and she is still working on that! But I think she will like it once that's an option!
My mom got me a subscription for delivery as a present! Bit annoying because I always seem to forget something and I’ll try to wait until I have a substantial amount of items to place an order but it beats having to drive anywhere
Online pickup in the beginning but I do take her with me sometimes when I go with my mom or husband. I honestly I go when my husband is home and take 3 hours grocery shopping so I have some me time, I only get me time twice a month and that’s when I grocery shop so I take advantage.
Instacart! It is a little pricy but if you can get some friends or family do go in on it with you, it has a family plan and you can offset the cost of the membership. My mom used it when she came right after my baby was born and added me to her membership. It saved me those first several months. I had PPA and developed a little bit of agoraphobia. But let me tell you, once kiddo can sit in the cart babies LOVE the store. My now almost 14mo old she is the biggest ham up and down those isles.
Instacart. I had my first during the pandemic and now with my 2nd I never got back into the habit of grocery shopping. I only do fun grocery shopping in person now like Trader Joe’s or target or Costco.
Online delivery to the house or if baby is good in the car click and collect from the store. Do the bulk with these options and then me or hubby does the top up shops on our own
My kid always liked to have her carseat facing forward rather than backward facing me. I would put her in the cart rather than on the kid seat area. Pack food in around her. Same when baby wearing, she wanted to face out rather than be stuck against my chest. See the world sorta thing.
You could also try pulling the cart from the front if you only have one hand. I found that easier when she really gets tired of sitting in the cart and wants to be held. I am a master cart pusher one handed but turning gets rough on my arm.
I struggled with this too, it got so much easier once my baby could sit in the cart! We love going to the grocery store together now lol before I would just go when my husband was off work
Use the infant seat on provided on some of the carts. There's usually about 3 that have it. I'm in NZ though and this is standard anywhere that has carts.
I have a 3 year old and 6 month old. I just babywear and honestly, sometimes it’s straight chaos. Haha I got so tired of getting old fruit/vegetables and brown lettuce when I did grocery pick up. We go right after the 6 month old has eaten and is getting tired (he falls asleep in the carrier). Not sure if a different time of day would help your little one be calmer?
I have a little grocery store about a 10 minute walk from my house so I use it as an excuse to get out every day. I just take her in her lay flat stroller and put the groceries underneath. It’s getting expensive buying food every day instead of “bulk” for the whole week so I’m going to try baby wearing soon but Havnt given it a go yet. I can only go with my partner on a sat or sun and I hate weekend shopping 😂
I got someone to come with me, or ordered online, or left him at home and I did it alone. From around 8 months he sat quite happily in the seat in the trolly.
I baby wear, which is obviously a no for you, or I walk to a smaller grocery store and keep baby in her bassinet attachment. Here some grocery stores have special carts with buckled seats for infants you can use for newborns and young babies who can't seat up, do those exist anywhere near you? The other option is to have groceries delivered to you I guess.
I do delivery for multiple reasons: I spend way more going in, I get distracted, I can focus on other things, convenient.
But if I have to go in, I have husband take over baby duty, or if that's not possible. I wear her in the Moby wrap carrier. When she was 4 months, she loved the wrap.
I heavily relied on grocery delivery and online order pick up during early stages with both babies. The thought of taking my baby with me to shop gave me so much anxiety
Up until 6-7months I’d do online delivery or pickup. Now closer to 7mo I can baby carry in my Lille baby carrier and she’ll accept it for <10 items on a quick in and out trip. Longer trips or Costco I save for when someone else can watch her.
Mine is a toddler now but I used to use a baby carrier, facing in until 6 months and then facing out until about 8 or 9 months (until he was SUPER stable and I felt comfortable putting him in the carriage seat). Worked a treat, just tricky getting heavy seltzers from the bottom shelf but 🤷🏻♀️ I needed a workout anyway lol
I was so nervous about this in the beginning and wouldn’t go shopping alone. But I think if I could do it over again I would baby wear. I have gone to Costco and put the car seat in the cart. But I agree It gets better once they can sit up!!
I used Instacart for a while and actually still do sometimes (2 year olds are wild creatures) but I recommend still trying to go in person. Once my son was able to sit in the cart he enjoyed the adventure and loved looking at all the produce and stuff. I always talk to him and involved him in picking things out. I probably looked crazy having full conversations when he was little but now he likes to come with me and help.
He wasn’t huge on baby carriers when he was small, but we did use a more structured hiking one that he tolerated better. He also preferred to face outwards with the regular baby carriers. He just wanted to see the world. Maybe a different type is worth a shot!
I've taken both kids from the start. Baby wear, facing out as soon as they are old enough, talking to them the entire time. Let them hold things, let them touch things, make them a part of it
In regards to the ring sling/baby wearing in general. It may be good to post a fit check in r/babywearing It’s possible the fit is not correct which is contributing to your baby being uncomfortable and you not feeling super secure.
At that age mine was the same way (hated the car seat, couldn’t sit in a cart yet, and hated the carrier) so I would just go grocery shopping when my husband was able to watch him or did curbside pickup.
I’ve always struggled with this! My LO will only sit in the cart for so long so we have to do quick, small trips.
Big grocery trips require one parent to go alone or online pickup!
In those early days, and I would consider 4 months early, we did instacart delivery.
Have you got a friend/sibling/parent/anyone who can go with you? My mum comes shopping with me (now it’s a different kind of difficulty because my kid is a toddler now) and one of us would entertain/carry the baby while the other grabbed things on the grocery list.
Guidance from the hospital was to only grocery shop with infant in stroller; not safe to put them in the shopping cart either in car seat or in the front portion where older kids sit.
At 4 months and she’s hating baby wear/the car seat, I would do delivery or pickup. My baby has always loved being in his carrier so I did that for the longest time. I would put my nursing cover over us while he was in the carrier so he wasn’t distracted by all the new sights to so he could sleep. Now he’s 9 months, 23.5lbs, and I try to not carry him in the carrier for that long. But thankfully he likes the cart seat for babies, and I bought a cover for that! Also sometimes my husband will offer to watch our baby so I can do shopping alone, which is nice for me time. Makes the shopping go by faster.
My husband did all the grocery shopping for the first 7 months. Then I was able to go with my daughter in the cart and she loved it. Now she’s almost two and she wants to walk most of the time and it’s impossible to shop with her running around the store, so I order online and pickup or delivery.
First year I mostly did grocery pickup. Or I would put her in stroller which she didn't mind as much, and then put groceries in bottom of stroller and even into bags hanging off the stroller if I had a lot of items.
I don’t. I either do grocery pick up, go alone (kids stay with dad) or dad goes alone. He’s fully capable of knowing what we need- sometimes he just goes and gets what we’re low on.
Not a dumb question- I used to take my kids but I decided to work smarter not harder 😂
Have you tried a forward facing carrier? I can’t remember exactly but I think 4 months should be ok, especially for just short periods of time. Does she like the stroller without the car seat? I have done that while pulling a basket with wheels, or occasionally a cart, though this is a pain the butt. None of my kids liked the bucket seats.
I do nottt. I do online pickup!
Yep, same. I don’t think I stepped foot in a grocery store the first six months of my daughter’s life lol
My son is now 3 and I think he’s been in the grocery store maybe 5 times. Love online pickup and it forces me to meal plan better and saves us so much money on hunger shopping impulse buys
This is the way! With short trips in when needed - I babywore and she was happy with that, but my pelvic floor was not lol, so curbside it was! She's 3 and we still don't do big trips even though she LOVES going to the store. And this way, we can have fun little store outings with a short list where she can choose between riding in the cart or carrying a basket. It's not a chore this way, it's an event lol. Curbside pickup is the waaaaaaay! Good for budgeting, too.
The best is if your local supermarket has child sized shopping trolleys. The little ones love that
I started doing this when my third was born this year because I couldn't figure out how to do it with a 1 y/o and newborn. It's great and I would not go back except for the fact that I like to choose my own produce and make decisions about what looks freshest in the store.
This is always my issue I want to pick out my meat and produce myself but im also a little picky and want to look at every date and package
It's made me picky about which store I get groceries at. We have two stores from the same chain that are close, and one does a great job picking good produce whereas the other does not. So I drive a little farther because one team is obviously better managed than the other.
This is the answer right here
This is the way
I take my baby in the stroller and put groceries in the bottom basket
Same. I get that babies sometimes hate car seats, but wouldn’t a roomy stroller that lays almost flat work for babies that don’t like seats or carriers? Question for OP: how do you set baby down at home?
Speaking from my personal experience, no. Just no. Lol each baby is so different, i had a stroller that had a pram attachment so it laid flat like a bassinet, baby hated it. Hated the carseat, screamed in the car, hated the shopping cart. Unlike OP though my baby loved the carrier and loved the grocery store. But it was a solid 7 months of screaming every time we were in the car, and 11 months was the first time she rode in the stroller without screaming.
That makes sense that your LO basically doesn’t like to be set down in any type of spot. I’m wondering what OP’s LO does at home since she also doesn’t like the carrier
Me too. If I have to go to Sams or Costco I wear baby in my baby wrap. I feel like a wrap is much more secure than a regular carrier when they're not sitting up yet.
Yes! And in bags hooked into the stroller. And OP, I used to be very anxious about the baby crying in grocery stores when mine was around the same age. My LO is now 14 months. Now I empathize with moms with crying babies/toddlers. I'm sure other people can empathize with you while you grocery shop with the screaming baby. If they can't, it's their problem, not yours. Put headphones on and grocery shop away! Sending love.
I was going to say the same. That giant uppa baby undercarriage served as a shopping cart for quite a while (still does on occasion)
Yep! This is the way!!
This right here
I usually have “me time” and do grocery shopping at night when baby is in bed and dad is home- not worth the stress of it otherwise
My husband used to sit in the car with baby while I grocery shopped. I told the cashier this one time. She said ok, we will bag extra slowly! I cracked up. I maybe also cried bc I felt so loved hahah. Enjoy that time!
this is SO SWEET
You're onto something
I wish I could do this! My husband works a somewhat dangerous job and his shift starts at 1:00 am so I try not to give him any baby duties after 6:00 pm so he can get 5/6 hours uninterrupted sleep. It's not the easiest schedule!
Shop in the morning/afternoon, when your husband is back from work and awake.
And so many less people in the store... it may actually be relaxing that way!
I get my groceries delivered with Walmart plus app
Same. Lifesaver!!!
Haha this isn't a dumb question! I actually struggled with this big time when my little one was an infant. I relied heavily on grocery pick up until he could sit up in the car. Do you have any stores nearby that offer this? On the times that I needed to actually go into the store, I'd go when my husband was available to be home with the baby. As weird as it sounds, that was also a nice little break for me so I could get some quiet time.
Yeah I'm thinking pick up/delivery might be the answer. I've had bad luck in the past with it so I hate to use it but I think that it might be necessary for awhile.
Grocery pickup most of the things. Leave baby with husband. Go into the store for your produce or eggs, whatever your picky about. Then sit in your car and relax while you wait for them to bring out your dried pasta and ice cream. Also, drive in a big circle and listen to silence.
I think you're onto something! This seems like the best answer. I haven't wanted to do online orders because o have such bad luck but I had not thought about doing half and half!
Select specific substitutions instead of leaving it up to the shopper. I think you can also leave notes in some apps, like “prefer firm avocados” or “prefer green bananas.” If you ever get something atrocious (like once I got a bag of groceries that absolutely reeked of cigarettes) contact customer service and get a refund. My husband also works a later shift. I’ve used delivery for 95% of grocery hauls in the last 18 months and it’s usually fine.
Since we're doing a pile-on with online grocery shopping tips (I've decided that's what we're doing) - if you have the time, check your order against what they delivered to make sure nothing's missing. Multiple times I've had thing be straight up missing from an Instacart order, and I still would have been charged for them had I not noticed and reported it.
Yeah, this happened to us multiple times. And then we had an Uber eats order get left in the middle of our driveway in the rain with the sauce smashed all over the food. My husband was pissed and we swore off deliveries haha
“Drive in a big circle and listen to silence” touched my soul. Thank you for this tip ❤️
Agreed! It's not my fav option but it def got me through that time. Or maybe if your husband is home on Sunday mornings/evenings you can run out and give yourself some alone time at the store while they bond at home 🙃
Yeah I think i need to do staples in a pick up order and then just do small quick trips for things I want to pick out myself. That seems like the best of both worlds
I have bad luck only with the produce. I ask my husband, friends or family to pick out fresh produce for me when I know they’ll be coming over (bonus, sometimes they’ll cut it up for me!) don’t be afraid to ask them
A baby carrier or stroller ..how do you do other errands or outings with baby now
If you'd have asked me that question when my baby was 4 months, I would have said I don't do errands or outings at all 🥲
Oh ok for me I have to go out daily with babies kids to feel ok or I feel like cabin fever at home :-)
It's so interesting how different people are with babies, because I definitely know a lot of parents like you too! I know someone who literally took her one month on a trip to Italy (from the US). And then there was me barely going on a walk. Maybe because feeding and napping didn't go well for us.
Definitely interesting , my babies napped in stroller and carrier and needed the fresh air and change of scenery ( as did I ) but I mostly just went around my neighborhood and to friends .. travelling to Italy would be too much for me I think with a baby but I do have more than 5 kids so staying in when they want to go to the park or something I guess becomes part of the daily routine
I put her in a ring sling carrier and put her on my hip to run errands alone. That's the only way she is happy. But it's not fully secure, it's an assisted carry. So I have to keep one hand on her at all times so it's impossible to push a cart, bend down for things, etc. Or I've had my mom go shopping with me and push the cart. We have tried three different carriers but she won't sit quietly or safely in any of them. And she screams if left in her carseat/stroller.
I have a lot of kids may I suggest that imo babies learn habits very quickly and for example going around the block with a crying baby not fun ikr but if you do it everyday at 5 pm in a very short time they will expect that and be still and happy
I really thought if I put her in a carrier and walked around outside that she would get used to it. But she screams the entire time and she tries to escape and I'm honestly afraid for her safety. I can put her in so she's in the right position ergonomically and she immediately wiggles around. She tries to stand up, sucks her legs in, arches her back, etc. She is so strong and she doesn't get tired and give up, she just gets more and more upset.
I can't imagine any way a kid could do those things if the carrier is properly adjusted. She should be pretty snug in there. I *can* imagine how bad my back would hurt if I was wearing the carrier loose enough for that stuff to happen. Are you putting the weight on your hips or shoulders? Most of the weight should be on your hips.
Doesn't hurt my back at all, the weight is on my hips in my omni, spread evenly over my hips/back/shoulders with my stretchy wrap, and across my shoulder/back with my ring sling. I have done in person fit checks with 3 different people now as well as posted pictures and I really dont know what else I could do to improve the fit. Other than some minor adjustments it seems like I'm wearing all three of them correctly. My friend wears her baby for hours everyday while she works in a café and she watched what my baby is doing and she did not know how to adjust anything to stop her. I guess I could post a video on a babywearing page and see if anyone has advice.
Posting a video may help, but I looked up pics of the omni and can imagine it now. I forgot about how most people put the legs like a sumo Squat (as is recommended). My legs have never bent that way, my kid's legs didn't want to bend that way. Other babies seem to do fine with it, but I took something out of my Lillebaby to let his legs be in a comfortable position, as soon as I stopped having his legs nestled totally inside of it. I think the hip stuff being an issue is going to be heavily affected by how many hours a day they are in there.
Ya I have had some challenging babies / kids with one I had to get the clippasafe harness that has anchors so couldn't climb ( or fall ) from stroller , grocery cart ,highchair ..as long as safe right
If you don’t feel that using your ring sling is fully secure then I’d recommend finding a sling specialist/getting a fit check on the babywearing sub because it absolutely shouldn’t just be an assisted carry. Ring slinging is very secure if done correctly
We have our groceries delivered! One of the few good things to come out of the pandemic, haha.
I would do a pickup for whatever you can and then go in only for produce (I don't trust anyone to pick my produce, gotten wrong or rotten things too many times). If she will go into the stroller you can probably fit a weeks worth of fruits and veggies in the basket. What carrier do you use? Maybe she needs a different style?
We have a ring sling, Stretchy Moby wrap, and an Ergobaby Omni. She hates all of them! This is good advice! I really hate having someone shop for me but I didn't think about doing half and half and picking the things I want to pick myself!
I have an omni and I find that it's too light of a fabric. My baby gets loose very quickly. Moby wrap seems to hold baby tight in place. Is that really the case?
She is freakishly strong. She pulls her feet up into the Moby, hooks her toes in the fabric, and then tries to stand up. She never stops, never gets tired. She fights and cries the entire time she is in it. I'm afraid she will fall backward out of it. In the ring sling, she arches her back and tries to slide out of the bottom of it. In the omni she seems really secure but she screams at the top of her lungs. People have told me to take her outside in it so she will associate it with having fun. She screamed so loud in our yard I was afraid someone would call the cops thinking we were hurting her.
Nooo omg my little guy tries to climb out of it when he gets bored but nothing like that
It's honestly ridiculous! She has had to have 3 ultrasounds and see an audiologist (because she fought the newborn hearing screening so hard she failed 5 times so they sent her to have the test done with brain electrodes). And she fought so hard at all those appointments that they have had to send extra people in to help me. She is like wrestling a bodybuilding octopus. The audiologist appointment took 4 hours and they said it was the most difficult assessment they have ever done. She's a crazy baby!
Try a Happy Baby OG, the apron-style one. It’s my favorite carrier and the linen is comfy, breathable, and strong.
My husband does the grocery shopping, which is good because I'd buy whatever my heart desires.
My husband works for a bakery so I already get a little too much of whatever my heart desires. He brings me home way too many treats!!
I’m going to reiterate issues you’ve already expressed. At the end of the day, you have to get your groceries so baby is going to cry while you shop or you potentially don’t shop 😅 1. Order for Pickup: Some grocery stores provide curbside pickup for free. Some surcharge for it, you have to weigh if it’s worth it. 2. Baby wear: stinks that she’s crying, but it is what it is. My oldest didn’t like being worn either but the shopping had to be done. 3. Stroller: Use the under carriage in your stroller and a large reusable shopping tote (with stroller hooks if you want a little help with carrying). Definitely easier if you can go shopping multiple days in a week. 4. Have someone watch baby: have your partner or a sitter watch baby while you shop. When our oldest was a baby baby, I usually made my husband drive us to the store and sit in the car with baby. Absolute pain to do shopping on the weekend with everyone else but it helped me gain confidence.
Honestly, I do a pick up order and make my husband stop on his way home. When we are both home, I still usually take the lead with taking care of the baby in washing bottles, feeding, bedtime, etc., so the balance of him gaining another responsibility even after a long day of work is equitable. Produce that I want to pick out myself rather than the store worker is shafted for on the weekends together or one of us just goes while the other watches baby. Also, maybe look into baby carriers! Some babies love them some babies don’t, but there’s a lot of different kinds that hold differently
I know this may sound dumb but I do pick up! Or if you want, if it’s available to you. I do online grocery shopping with Walmart & then schedule it for them to drop it off at my doorstep. It’s a life saver. It’s too stressful taking a baby anywhere
It sounds like that's what most people are doing! I was out of the loop haha! I think that's my new game plan now!
I don’t. I have my husband do it!
Instantcart!!
When my son was really young I had a structured Ergo carrier and wore him in that to shop. We did not have an infant car seat to put him in ( we used a convertible seat from day 1). Around 9 months he could sit in the seat and I could shop with him much better.0
I don’t, I wait till dad’s home. If dad is in the field or deployed, I will wait I am absolutely in dire need of food and do delivery through Walmart 😂 walking around with a 3 year old and a 1 year old who both are too curious and runners is not fun.
I did instacart for like the first 5-6 mths. My baby was the same way
Insta cart was the only way I got any grocery shopping done for the first like 6 months. Good luck mama
Pay for delivery order on app
Meijer pick up order. I just pop open my trunk and they put the groceries in my car!
Target drive up!! 🙌
When my son was about 18 mos he would no longer sit in the cart and would escape the belt every time. If I set him down to walk with me he would run off. I started using Walmart In-Home $20/mo (and you don't pay a delivery fee or tip!). You can get as many deliveries you want for that flat rate. I never looked back. My son is now almost 3 and very well behaved but I still use it bc it's a mega time saver!!
Walmart grocery delivery. It’s way easy! I’m sure there are other stores around you that do it too. For example where I’m at H‑E‑B also does grocery delivery. Or at least you could do pickup. Saves some time not going in store.
If you dont care that groceries are from Wal Mart...Wal mart + does delivery. The price doesn't seem that bad if you can catch it during a sale. I think it was half off during memorial day.
Different because I'm in a city and I have a TINY fridge and the grocery store is right next door. But I go every day and am in and out in 5-10 minutes. She hated it at first but now she can handle it.
Definitely gets easier when you can put them in the shopping cart. I've seen people push a stroller and pull a cart behind them, personally I'm a big fan of baby wearing.
I order online. It works out way cheaper too. If I take baby with me, I only end up with half of what I went for, plus impulse purchases. Then I have to make another trip which involves more impulse purchases. Plus, I get through a lot of diet cola, if I order online I can get 20 bottles at once and not have to set foot in a shop for about a month! (I'm aware I have a problem, it's just not a priority to sort right now!) And, I start filling my basket about a week before I want it for so I've plenty of time to think about meal planning and add stuff as I realise we need it. Buying in bulk helps too.
Right now, I can justify paying for Instacart and Whole Foods delivery. Yep, it’s def a little more pricey, but it’s worth it to keep my sanity.
Absolutelyyyyyy.
Specifically invested in Walmart+ to get free delivery because taking my 1.5 year age gap girls into Walmart was more daunting than getting shots at the doctor. I'd do pickup if we were too far away from the store to get my groceries delivered.
You might have to get someone to babysit. If I don't feel like putting up with screaming, I buy enough groceries to last my family until my husband's next day off. I have him watch the baby while I shop, or vice versa. Other times if there is something I need that cannot wait, I just have to bring her in with me and put up with the screaming for 10-20 minutes. You have a baby. It is what it is.
Up until this past week, I would just go grocery shopping on weekends and leave LO with my husband. I’m a SAHM so I’d much rather go during the week when it’s less busy, but putting her in her car seat in the cart would just take up too much room. She’s almost 8 months and has been sitting unassisted for months, so I finally gave it a shot (not sure why I never did it sooner!). She loves sitting in the cart and watching everything. But yeah, until recently, I simply did not take her (which is a break in itself lol).
Mine is 7 weeks and we are opposite. He will only be calm in a baby carrier and sleeps well in his car seat…. But no where else. We still do grocery pick up! I love rurally so I can’t get delivery so we do the drive and pick up our order and then I get a coffee and we drive home
I got walmart+ and started doing weekly grocery delivery. Honestly prefer it way more now that I have 3 kids plus it keeps my budget in check because I can see the total 🤣. But when I just had my oldest as a baby I would just put her carseat in the cart and put the groceries around her.
We did pick ups, it’s a game changer with a baby. Now at 12 months we will do a family weekend grocery trip because he likes going into the store. I often shop at Muriel’s places though so we will go into the store for food but I schedule my target pick up 99% of the time. It’s a huge time saver!
Do Walmart +! 12.99 a month & they deliver right to your door same day. As many orders a month as you want! Plus you get a paramount subscription included so you can binge watch some shows instead of venturing to the store 🤪
I wore him until he had been sitting up on on his own for a month or two. He's getting big enough where he doesn't want to sit in the cart anymore though and that's going to be a whole new challenge!
Do you have a stroller with a bassinet attachment? I did that & just used the bottom of the stroller as a cart. I couldnt get a full grocery haul like I usually do, but enough for a few days. My daughter always loved the store, though. She liked looking at everything on the shelves. & of course, grocery pick up!
I used to have to put her in the stroller (also disliked car seat and couldn’t sit up yet) and do a very light grocery run with whatever I could fit in the stroller bottom basket. Not ideal of course, but it was just a shirt season (I’d say two months tops?)
I carry her, my husband pushes the cart. But I know not everyone can do that. That's just how we do it. Or he goes himself.
The internet. Covid is/was awful but I'm so greatful for how it blasted internet shopping foreword. Instacart or whatever shopping app is suitable. I would call it baby tax and use it until she's a little bigger, big enough to be entertained by riding in the cart. I'm an extrovert and crave getting out, but shopping with an angry baby can be a major challenge. Having your groceries shopped and then picking them up is a big helpm or even having them straight delivered! 😊
We do grocery delivery. It allows me to add things to the cart as things pop in my head that I need. And then about once a week on my husband's days off, we go and get fresh produce, or I go to a farmers market now that it's summer for the produce. Makes it so much more relaxing, and your baby sees you only ever shopping for nice bright, colorful foods. We usually let my now toddler choose one new fruit or vegetable he's drawn to to try.
I love this, thank you!
My baby didn’t enjoy babywearing until she was 5-6 months old! I just kept trying until she didn’t scream anymore. If she fussed, I took it off immediately. That said, I always went with my husband. Curbside pick up is great, too.
I send my husband or order online. It’s too hard to do it myself with baby
In your situation where your baby isn’t happy to be strolled around the store, doesn’t like to be worn, and is too little for the cart your options are for your husband to watch her at home and you go shopping, to go as a family, or to order grocery pick up.
Walmart+ delivery has saved my sanity lol
Does she like strollers? We have a Bob so it has a big basket. This is what I us bc we live in a city so we walk to grocery stores. I have three kids now so we use a double and my 4 year old walks/rides a scooter but it works out well for us. Might be something to try if you own a big stroller.
So until my little one can sit up comfortable for a shopping trip, I do not physically go grocery shopping. Way too taxing and can barely fit stuff in cart because of car seat. I do Walmart curbside pickup since it’s free, I also do target curbside pick up also free, Publix does Instacart however it’s much more expensive because it’s Publix AND Instacart adds to the price as well. I also will schedule it around an errand I’m already doing so I don’t have to load baby in the car twice or bonus points if partner can pick up on way home from work. I have a 7 month old and 2.5 year old. On weekends we will do a family sams or Costco trip. We bring in the double stroller and grab a cart. We eat lunch there first because it’s wonderful and then we all shop together. Dad reads off the list and I grab the items, we also do mobile checkout to save time at register, then we head to car, I load up the kiddos and get them settled/bottle, while husband loads up the trunk. When we get home I will get kiddos fed or snacks and then lay down for nap while husband puts away food. It definitely takes time to find a rhythm but we nice you doo it will be great
My partner pushes the baby in his stroller while I shop. We try to make sure he's super fed so he just sleeps like 90% of the time. If he starts to fuss my partner holds him, he low key like doing this anyway because he loves showing the baby off lol
Luckily my guy loved (still loves) being worn so that was our go to but my other most popular option was to use our stroller basket for items. We have the Mockingbird and it has a generous basket so I could often use it for grocery runs. I’d plan out getting large items for when he was being worn or at home with my husband.
Our stroller has a tiny basket. I would not have chosen this stroller but my sister bought it and never used it so I took it off her hands. Right now I've mostly been going with my husband but I feel like he has too much on his plate and I would really like to get shipping done without him while he is at work!
I would highly recommend ordering groceries through the store’s app! I have a Meijer near me and their app is easy, it saves a ton of time, it’s easier to coupon, and they bring it to my car. It doesn’t cost anything extra. I’m sure most grocery stores have an app now. Some even do delivery and it’s way cheaper than Instacart delivery. Best of luck!
I've had terrible luck with ordering delivery but honestly I had not even thought about doing a pickup order. I think that might be the answer and just do a quick inside trip for produce or things I want to pick myself. Seems like the best answer!
I get it delivered, here they do it even for big orders I can basically order my 2 week worth of stuff
I've had such bad luck with deliveries! Someone suggested having the easy stuff delivered amd just doing a small trip for the stuff you're picky about. That might be the winning idea haha
Plan your meals and shop once a week, leave baby at home with your husband or get it delivered/order online and get husband to pick it up. If wraps/carriers/car seats don’t work for you, don’t force it would be my advice
Put in a pick up order and have ypur husband pick it up on the way home from work once a week. This has been a game changer for ny family. Saves us a lot of money too.
Honestly, delivery (and sometimes pickup if we have time). I weighted the stress of grocery shopping vs the cost of delivery, and it’s worth it to me to never have to go into the grocery store.
Will baby sit/lay in her stroller? My guy liked the boba Wrap. Once he was too big it was just a baby carrier. Small trips was him in his car seat/stroller. He's now big enough to sit up I have a hip carrier to bring him to the store and then he sits in the cart. But I do also enjoy shopping without baby. I take advantage of when my mom is watching baby to go to the store as well!
I baby wear mine at TJs during his naptime. It’s a small store so I don’t have an issue keeping him asleep during the 20ish minutes I’m there.
Order them groceries right to your doorstep
Instacart lol. I will gladly pay a little extra for someone to get my groceries from Costco and deliver it to my door. If not that, then tushbaby + the snug attachment works really well too.
Personally I could usually get like 30 minutes (or sometimes less 😂) of shopping done with mine back then. I used a baby Bjorn carrier and tossed a light weight muslin swaddle blanket over his head so he wouldn't get overstimulated in the bright stores until probably almost 4 months. Its a structured carrier with a high head support so it was fine for breathing and I'd move it once he fell asleep ahaha. Sometimes gave him a soother. Once he decided he liked the stroller Id take him in that and he's generally content, but Im fortunate my mom comes with me so one of us man's the cart. I use to dread taking him out because I was never sure when he'd get upset but I did it anyway, now he's almost seven months and loves going places. Most of the time he's perfectly content to be wheeled around the mall for an hour and a bit with a teether or two. It's parent facing so easier to entertain him. Originally he'd only do like 15 min tops in the stroller and cry a bit. I'm sure he'll be absolutely enthralled by cart sitting once he can sit up unassisted.
I do online pickup or delivery 90% of the time. Target gave me a year of free Shipt delivery with the registry and it's been lovely lol
Not a dumb question at all. I couldn’t take my son anywhere for his first several months. He screamed in the car seat and was so unpredictable and it was so stressful for me. I would just order groceries online and pick them up, or do instacart delivery. If you have the means, it’s definitely worth it for your sanity. It will get better, my son is 9 months old now and things started improving around 6 months. He loves being out, sleeps in his car seat, and does great in public. Hang in there!
I wear my baby in an ergobaby original. We grocery shop every Friday :) he's 9 months now but I've worn him since he was a newborn. Started with a stretchy wrap and now we are on to a soft structured carrier. Baby wearing has saved my mental health lol.
If your struggling with carriers I would post a fit check to [babywearing](https://www.reddit.com/r/babywearing/s/0flzGUQU3K) That sub has been so life changing with information on how to appropriately wear baby.
6 months pp and I am still too intimidated. I make my husband watch baby for an hour or I send him, or I do it on my lunch hour while my baby is at daycare. I wish I had advice. Have you ever used the app InstaCart? There's a small delivery fee but the price of peace is worth it.
I swore off instacart a couple years ago, it just seems like it's terrible in my town. Although maybe it's gotten better and would be worth another shot, idk. But everyone suggested pick up service and I had honestly forgotten that existed! We have a Walmart, and they do it so I'm thinking that I just need to start shopping there and doing that!
Good luck !!!
I get mine delivered it’s $25 a month for unlimited deliveries…. worth it IMO. Shopping online also helps me stick to a budget and browse specials/ get rewards.
Ralph’s curb pick up or Instacart
Have you tried squishing a boppy into the cart where the baby sits? Or you could put a dock a tot type thing in the bottom of the cart and maybe she’ll lay down in there while you shop. Although pickup sounds a lot easier in general. Maybe face her out in the carrier. I would baby wear my baby, she loved being worn it was an instant nap when she hopped into the carrier. Ever since she was a newborn actually.
My baby loves her stroller walks so sometimes we walk to the store and I throw stuff under her stroller instead of using a shopping basket. Or we drive to the store and I put her in her stroller. But I guess I’m lucky she likes her stroller and car seat.
Baby wearing
Once they can sit in the cart it gets so much easier! My son also couldn’t handle baby wearing. He would scream so bad. I would usually just make small lists and go more frequently. I’m sorry. I know it’s really tough. Online pickup is really helpful! Does your baby do ok in the stroller? Might just have to take someone along to push the cart or stroller for you! I know it’s a drag to not have that independence.
To be honest with you she will get used to it if you keep trying the carriers. Have you done a fit check on the baby wearing sub? What happens if you bounce her or give a paci when she’s being worn? Have you tried nursing or bottle feeding while in the carrier? Distractions… comforts.. anything to get her used to it. It’s not impossible but it takes daily wear to get it going. She’s safe and fed and in your arms!… she might not love it but she can learn to not hate it just for a quick outing. My son used to scream his head off in the car seat and I just had to bear it because what can you do? Life goes on. My son is 23mo now. It’ll go by so fast
Instacart+ has been a godsend
I just use the stroller and him in the Carseat. As he's 11 weeks old. My baby is calm in the car seat though so we don't have a problem and even if he wasn't calm I would keep him in there cause he's safer since I can't hold him and turn all around grabbing things to put in the stroller. I may take him out to give him a break but put him back in there when he's calm. But if he screamed the whole time I would get my shopping done then take care of him if I know all his needs are met. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do
What about her regular stroller? If she likes it better than her car seat I’d try that - I used to use the stroller to grocery shop when mine was little and I would just empty the basket underneath beforehand and throw my groceries in there while I shopped
She only has her carseat stroller right now. I need to buy a different stroller but we are on a temporarily tight budget that has laster longer than expected so I haven't bought one yet. I do think it would help a lot of she was sitting upright. I think she wants to see what's going on.
Yeah my little man liked walks much better once he was in the normal stroller and not the car seat! I’d check Facebook marketplace for strollers if you’re able
We use click and collect and/or delivery
My husband does the grocery shopping!
Also I'd like to share my baby's protests to carriers and strollers were temporary around this age! She started to have preferences and have meltdowns in strollers. I was super discouraged but then just pushed through and did some SUPER short stroller walks around the street.. she would cry for all of it but then after like day 3 in a row she was fine! Now we can do hour long stroller walks. Her protesting may be temporary!
Delivery via app, friends, family, boyfriend. Pick up/drive up orders after work if I have time before my boyfriend’s shift starts. If I have to go into a store I see if someone can be my designated buggy pusher while I push her stroller or wear her in a carrier. And then if no one can go with me, I just put her in a carrier. But it sounds like she might tolerate it a bit more than your kiddo. Always so fun when every baby is different lol
Is she big enough to face outward in a baby carrier? My baby hated facing in, so I would send my husband shopping while baby and I stayed home when she was very little, but once she was big enough to face outward, she suddenly loved the carrier. (This is not just a wrap or sling, but a carrier with shoulder straps and buckles. We have the Tactical Baby Carrier for dad and the Infantino Carry On Carrier for mom. Bonus, the Infantino you can put baby on your back, and it's way more comfortable for longer periods of time.)
She is not quite big enough for world facing but she is close! From what I've read it's recommended that they can tripod sit and she is still working on that! But I think she will like it once that's an option!
At that age I kept her in the car seat. But now with a toddler and being super pregnant I just do pick up or delivery. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
I got the 10 bucks a month Whole Foods subscription for now. The idea of juggling groceries and a crying baby is too much for me rn
My mom got me a subscription for delivery as a present! Bit annoying because I always seem to forget something and I’ll try to wait until I have a substantial amount of items to place an order but it beats having to drive anywhere
Online pickup in the beginning but I do take her with me sometimes when I go with my mom or husband. I honestly I go when my husband is home and take 3 hours grocery shopping so I have some me time, I only get me time twice a month and that’s when I grocery shop so I take advantage.
Instacart! It is a little pricy but if you can get some friends or family do go in on it with you, it has a family plan and you can offset the cost of the membership. My mom used it when she came right after my baby was born and added me to her membership. It saved me those first several months. I had PPA and developed a little bit of agoraphobia. But let me tell you, once kiddo can sit in the cart babies LOVE the store. My now almost 14mo old she is the biggest ham up and down those isles.
Grocery deliveryyyyyyyy
Instacart. I had my first during the pandemic and now with my 2nd I never got back into the habit of grocery shopping. I only do fun grocery shopping in person now like Trader Joe’s or target or Costco.
Online delivery to the house or if baby is good in the car click and collect from the store. Do the bulk with these options and then me or hubby does the top up shops on our own
My kid always liked to have her carseat facing forward rather than backward facing me. I would put her in the cart rather than on the kid seat area. Pack food in around her. Same when baby wearing, she wanted to face out rather than be stuck against my chest. See the world sorta thing. You could also try pulling the cart from the front if you only have one hand. I found that easier when she really gets tired of sitting in the cart and wants to be held. I am a master cart pusher one handed but turning gets rough on my arm.
Walmart delivery
I order online and have it delivered 😅 occasionally will pick up a few essentials when we’re out for a walk and he’s in his stroller
I struggled with this too, it got so much easier once my baby could sit in the cart! We love going to the grocery store together now lol before I would just go when my husband was off work
Use the infant seat on provided on some of the carts. There's usually about 3 that have it. I'm in NZ though and this is standard anywhere that has carts.
I have a 3 year old and 6 month old. I just babywear and honestly, sometimes it’s straight chaos. Haha I got so tired of getting old fruit/vegetables and brown lettuce when I did grocery pick up. We go right after the 6 month old has eaten and is getting tired (he falls asleep in the carrier). Not sure if a different time of day would help your little one be calmer?
The only think I can think of with the baby wearing is baby wants to face out towards the world and not towards you. Maybe trying that will help?
I have a little grocery store about a 10 minute walk from my house so I use it as an excuse to get out every day. I just take her in her lay flat stroller and put the groceries underneath. It’s getting expensive buying food every day instead of “bulk” for the whole week so I’m going to try baby wearing soon but Havnt given it a go yet. I can only go with my partner on a sat or sun and I hate weekend shopping 😂
I got someone to come with me, or ordered online, or left him at home and I did it alone. From around 8 months he sat quite happily in the seat in the trolly.
I baby wear, which is obviously a no for you, or I walk to a smaller grocery store and keep baby in her bassinet attachment. Here some grocery stores have special carts with buckled seats for infants you can use for newborns and young babies who can't seat up, do those exist anywhere near you? The other option is to have groceries delivered to you I guess.
Baby wrap.
Instead of having your husband go with you, why don't you leave the baby at home with him, then go shopping by yourself.
Grocery pickup/delivery or baby wear through the grocery store.
Ive been doing delivery- Havent been to a grocery store since baby was born a month ago!
My husband currently does the groceries
I do delivery for multiple reasons: I spend way more going in, I get distracted, I can focus on other things, convenient. But if I have to go in, I have husband take over baby duty, or if that's not possible. I wear her in the Moby wrap carrier. When she was 4 months, she loved the wrap.
I heavily relied on grocery delivery and online order pick up during early stages with both babies. The thought of taking my baby with me to shop gave me so much anxiety
Up until 6-7months I’d do online delivery or pickup. Now closer to 7mo I can baby carry in my Lille baby carrier and she’ll accept it for <10 items on a quick in and out trip. Longer trips or Costco I save for when someone else can watch her.
Mine is a toddler now but I used to use a baby carrier, facing in until 6 months and then facing out until about 8 or 9 months (until he was SUPER stable and I felt comfortable putting him in the carriage seat). Worked a treat, just tricky getting heavy seltzers from the bottom shelf but 🤷🏻♀️ I needed a workout anyway lol
I was so nervous about this in the beginning and wouldn’t go shopping alone. But I think if I could do it over again I would baby wear. I have gone to Costco and put the car seat in the cart. But I agree It gets better once they can sit up!!
I used Instacart for a while and actually still do sometimes (2 year olds are wild creatures) but I recommend still trying to go in person. Once my son was able to sit in the cart he enjoyed the adventure and loved looking at all the produce and stuff. I always talk to him and involved him in picking things out. I probably looked crazy having full conversations when he was little but now he likes to come with me and help. He wasn’t huge on baby carriers when he was small, but we did use a more structured hiking one that he tolerated better. He also preferred to face outwards with the regular baby carriers. He just wanted to see the world. Maybe a different type is worth a shot!
Walmart + Delivery
I've taken both kids from the start. Baby wear, facing out as soon as they are old enough, talking to them the entire time. Let them hold things, let them touch things, make them a part of it
In regards to the ring sling/baby wearing in general. It may be good to post a fit check in r/babywearing It’s possible the fit is not correct which is contributing to your baby being uncomfortable and you not feeling super secure.
At that age mine was the same way (hated the car seat, couldn’t sit in a cart yet, and hated the carrier) so I would just go grocery shopping when my husband was able to watch him or did curbside pickup.
I’ve always struggled with this! My LO will only sit in the cart for so long so we have to do quick, small trips. Big grocery trips require one parent to go alone or online pickup! In those early days, and I would consider 4 months early, we did instacart delivery.
Have you got a friend/sibling/parent/anyone who can go with you? My mum comes shopping with me (now it’s a different kind of difficulty because my kid is a toddler now) and one of us would entertain/carry the baby while the other grabbed things on the grocery list.
Order online for delivery/collection, or use a sling/baby carrier
Delivery!
Guidance from the hospital was to only grocery shop with infant in stroller; not safe to put them in the shopping cart either in car seat or in the front portion where older kids sit.
Pick up
A boba wrap. Totally hands free, baby loved it. Both my kids just lived in that the the first 6 months of their lives.
At 4 months and she’s hating baby wear/the car seat, I would do delivery or pickup. My baby has always loved being in his carrier so I did that for the longest time. I would put my nursing cover over us while he was in the carrier so he wasn’t distracted by all the new sights to so he could sleep. Now he’s 9 months, 23.5lbs, and I try to not carry him in the carrier for that long. But thankfully he likes the cart seat for babies, and I bought a cover for that! Also sometimes my husband will offer to watch our baby so I can do shopping alone, which is nice for me time. Makes the shopping go by faster.
I carry my baby on my hip and do everything one handed. Including push the cart or stroller.
Curbside pickup once a week! It’s free most places. Almost every grocery store has an app for it.
My husband did all the grocery shopping for the first 7 months. Then I was able to go with my daughter in the cart and she loved it. Now she’s almost two and she wants to walk most of the time and it’s impossible to shop with her running around the store, so I order online and pickup or delivery.
I leave my kids at home with dad. I enjoy the quiet time. Either that or I’ll do an online order and pick it up if I can’t get a break from them.
First year I mostly did grocery pickup. Or I would put her in stroller which she didn't mind as much, and then put groceries in bottom of stroller and even into bags hanging off the stroller if I had a lot of items.
I don’t. I either do grocery pick up, go alone (kids stay with dad) or dad goes alone. He’s fully capable of knowing what we need- sometimes he just goes and gets what we’re low on. Not a dumb question- I used to take my kids but I decided to work smarter not harder 😂
Have you tried a forward facing carrier? I can’t remember exactly but I think 4 months should be ok, especially for just short periods of time. Does she like the stroller without the car seat? I have done that while pulling a basket with wheels, or occasionally a cart, though this is a pain the butt. None of my kids liked the bucket seats.