Shopping With a Baby How to Make it Look Easy

If you’re a new mom, you might already be dreading that first real shopping trip with baby. Maybe your pantry has been slowly dwindling after the birth. Your husband might be picking up groceries, or maybe you’re relying on friends and relatives to feed you for now.

Eventually, though, you’re going to venture back out into the real world and go shopping by yourself. The trick is to stop putting it off and just get out there are do it. Whether you’ve already had a bad shopping experience with baby or you just don’t feel ready for it, here are some tips to make it fun, fast, and easy.

Number one – the key to a good shopping experience with an infant is planning. You need to plan your list down to a T, and you also need to plan your shopping times. After a few weeks, you know your baby’s schedule. While crazy things can always happen in the store that are beyond your control, you’re usually best off going shopping right after a nap and a feeding. It’s also best to avoid going at peak store times (lunchtime and right after work) to avoid being stuck in long lines of howling babies – which will probably set your little one off, too.

Bear in mind too that if you’re going to shop for a long time, you might have to stop and feed the baby in the middle of the trip. So make a list of the stores you need to go to, and figure out the quickest way to fit them all in – and plan a stop in the middle in a quiet, warm place where you can feed baby undisturbed.  You’ll be glad you planned your shopping trip so well when you get started.

Another way to make shopping easier with your baby along is simply to make sure the baby is comfortable. Before you even get out of the car, check the baby’s diaper. No baby likes to sit in a stroller with a wet or dirty diaper on. Bring a light blanket and a pillow and get the baby settled into a comfortable position in the stroller.  Bring a box of tissues or wet-wipes in case of blips or sneezes.

Older infants might like to look around and see people when you’re shopping, so set them more upright if possible. Bringing toys that clip to the sides of the stroller can also keep baby entertained while you’re shopping. And hey presto! You have a quiet, comfy, absorbed baby who with a little luck will let you get through the trip without crying or making a fuss. After all, practice makes perfect!