How do you shop for groceries when dc outgrows the infant car seat?!?!

[urquie]

dd is starting to outgrow her snugride. gone are the days of just popping her in and out of the base and onto the shopping cart. she's too small for sitting on her own in the shopping cart. am i missing something... what do i do now??? tia

[Jacksonvol]

Hmm, I never did use a snugride, but our store had a kind of infant seat thingy attached to the carts and she rode in that until she was big enough to sit up on her own. ask the manager if they have any carts like that. I had to ask about getting the belts replaced on some of the carts at our store because they were missing clips and the manager was very helpful.

[ellies mom]

You could use a Baby Bjorn or sling. If you got one of those big pouffy shopping cart covers that could take up some of the room in the seat. I guess you could put her in the snugride once you got to the grocery store. I think some grocery stores have some carts that have baby seats attached, or maybe it's just BRU. Anyhow, I know how you feel. I hope one of these works for you. I went the Baby Bjorn route.

[kensjen]

I was going to recommend a carrier of some kind. The Ergo is great, because you can put her on your back while you shop. There are many different slings/pouches, etc out there, check out the carrier board. This would be my first choice.

Also, the cart covers are nice. I have a really padded one from sewcuteboutique (on ebay) that we would sometimes put DS in. Even if your child cannot sit up, this is very padded and has a seat belt thing so you can sit them up. It even came with a pillow. We also would sometimes lay DS down in the seat and he would sleep.

It is an awkward time, but there are many things to get you through it! Try a sling, you will love it! :)

[kristine_elen]

Many stores have carts w/built-in infant seats, so you could put her in one of those. I often would just put Jack in a stroller and put the groceries I was buying in the basket underneath.

[McQ]

Well I was going to say leave her at home with DH or have DH do the grocery shopping.

Other than that, a sling works great. It was a very sad day when I had to give up our Viaggio.

Allison
~ mama to Declan 3.24.03 and Meghan 8.26.04

[Emmas Mom]

We used a shopping cart cover & I'd prop DD up w/a pillow (came with ours from Cathy @ Sewcuteboutique) on one side & a blanket on the other. Very cushy & that way your DC doesn't have to touch the cart.

[muskiesusan]

I would keep the snugride in the trunk and pull it out for shopping trips. I used it as a carrier for months after they outgrew the carseat function of the seat.


Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01/01
& Alex 04/27/04

[KrisM]

I used the Snuggli and liked it much better than keeping DS in the car seat. I could buy so much more stuff! First, he was so much happier being able to look around and be at eye-level instead of in the basket, so I could shop for longer. Second, well, I had so much more basket space without the carrier in it. It was a bit of a pain to have to coordinate shopping around nap times, since he couldn't just sleep through it.

Also, with the Snuggli, you'll get a very nice quad workout if you buy anthing on the lower shelves :).

[khakismom]

This is what we did too--kept the car seat in the trunk and used it as a carrier. Or, I would sometimes use the carts with the built-in infant seat. Of course, covering the seat with a blanket before putting DD in--I'm not a germaphobe by any stretch of the imagination, but many of those seats are retched. x(

[Buffys Mommy]

We did the same thing. The snugride stayed in the car for two months after she outgrew it as a carseat. We used it at restaurants, grocery shopping, etc. until she could sit up better. I also used a baby bjorn occasionally.


Tammie
Momma to Sarah Michelle 10/13/03

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[tinkerbell1217]

I 2nd the sling idea. That will be my choice anyway. I have looked at the infant seats attached to carts before, the ones the stores provide, and they just skeeve me out. I am sure they don't clean them regularly!

[Elilly]

After DD outgrew her snugride, I kept it in the trunk for such occasions. I felt safer w/ her being in our seat. We did this until she was about 10 months when I just let her sit in the cart. HTH.

[mudder17]

Actually, we just shopped with DD in a stroller once she outgrew the carrier. If I just needed to pick up a few items that worked pretty well because I could just put the items in the basket under the stroller. But if not, DH and I would both go shopping and one of us would push the stroller. DD actually liked that because she liked to look around, even at 6 months. At 9 months she became big enough to ride the shopping cart seat, but unless I'm shopping with her alone, we still prefer her being in her stroller. She's comfortable in it and likes having the tray to eat oatios and wheat puffs. :)


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/16994.birthday.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amber_9m.gif Breastfed 9 months and counting

[urquie]

thanks for all the great ideas! i think i'll keep the car seat in the back of the car for a while after she's totally outgrown it, along with the stroller for the smaller trips. too bad dd isn't a fan of slings, etc. and i love it when dh goes to the store on his way home... may need to do more of that :)

[daisymommy]

I used a Bundle-Me fleece carseat cover thingie to line the built-in infant seat that most grocery carts have. Was that clear? ;) I used the Bundle-Me as a liner to protect from germs, and it fit great. Of course, the straps were always kind of a concern. But when Joshua outgrew the Snugride at 4 months, he literally outgrew the harness straps--I couldn't even get it buckled anymore!