5 Tips for Shopping by Yourself with Baby
Having a newborn baby provides a whole world of new experiences and lessons to learn. Perhaps one of the more daunting tasks to master is going shopping by yourself with your baby. While it may seem intimidating, there are some things that you can do to make things much easier. Here are five tips for shopping by yourself with your baby to help you prepare for your first solo outing!
Timing is Everything
Consider baby’s schedule when you plan your outing. Some moms recommend leaving right after a feeding, that way you’re less likely to find yourself looking for a private place to feed your fussy, hungry baby. Other parents endorse coordinating your shopping trip to fall during your little one’s naptime. That way, they can sleep soundly in their car seat while you peruse the aisles. Decide what would work best for you and plan accordingly. Keep in mind that, as long as you feel up to it, you are fine to take baby out into the world. Be sure to do your best to avoid large crowds!
Set Limits for Yourself
It can be exciting to dream up a fun day out with baby, especially if this is one of your first couple of outings since giving birth. However, you’ll want to take caution and acknowledge boundaries for both you and your little bundle, and set limits for your trip out. Depending on how much time has passed since having your baby, it’s possible that you have some physical limitations that would keep you from walking too much. You’ll also want to keep the weather in mind for your little one. In the colder months, avoid taking her out when there are wind chills below -15 degrees fahrenheit. When the weather gets over 80 degrees, make sure that you keep your baby hydrated and use your air conditioning in your car.
Choose Your Parking Carefully
The days of parking your car, running into the store with your wallet and keys and grabbing that one item, all in less than ten minutes, are long gone. Not only do you have more to bring into the store, the process of loading and unloading your car has also become a touch more time consuming. Because of this, try and park as close to the cart return slots as possible. That way, you don’t have to walk too far toting your baby or the baby and the car seat.
Make Baby Comfortable
One of the major keys to a successful shopping trip with a newborn is keeping them as serene and snug as possible. Bring a soft blanket to tuck around them, or consider getting a shopping cart hammock to keep your baby safe and relaxed while still maintaining plenty of room in your cart for your groceries. While it can be really fun to get your baby all dolled up for the occasion, a stiff collared button up shirt or tufted tulle dress can get pretty uncomfortable after a while. Set yourself up for success by dressing your baby in something a bit more comfortable for those first trips. No one is going to judge you.
Come Prepared
As you’re getting ready to leave for your adventure, grab your diaper bag and take a moment to consider what you may need for your outing. Even though you just fed baby, is it possible that she’ll get hungry again while you’re out? Pack a bottle and formula, or some of your trusty lanolin cream if you’re breastfeeding. Make sure you have plenty of diapers and wipes, as well as a change of clothes for those sneaky blow outs. Include a binky if your baby takes one, as well as some diaper rash ointment.
