I don’t know how many times I see this when I go to the store. Shopping cart up on top of the seat, it may click onto the seat, but that doesn’t mean it’s supposed to work that way. For one, that makes the “clicking” mechanism part of a car seat weaker…in the even of a car accident this MAY make the seat fly out of the base of the seat. You would never know this until it happened.
Two, do you know how many incidents happen where a car seat falls off the top of a shopping cart? It could happen by you hitting something, going over a bump/incline, or someone else hitting your cart. I have seen so many news stories of babies getting killed or severely injured by such a tragic incident. Please don’t put your babies car seats on top of the cart. Here is a story to prove it.
If you have no option, but to bring the baby in the car seat into the store, at least put the entire car seat into the bottom part of the basket. Another option would be to wear your baby, there are a lot of great carriers on the market now days. Moby wraps, Mei Tei’s, Boba carriers, Ergos, and many many more.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below and I will address them.
Keara B.
Wednesday 9th of January 2013
I completely agree with this post! A good friend of mine lost her niece to a head injury when her car seat fell off a shopping cart. Not worth it when there are other options. Thanks for sharing. (And thanks for the info about carriers!)
Char W
Tuesday 8th of January 2013
@JulieBug, I think there are more plus size carriers on the market. Boba is one of them (used to be Peekaru I think, but I don't know if they were plus size when it was Peekaru).
They also make some carseats that physically cannot "click" onto the shopping cart. The Britax infant carrier (I don't know what it is called) is one. My friend has one and she says it's designed to not fit in the shopping cart or even on upside down high chairs at restaurants.
JulieBug
Monday 7th of January 2013
I definitely understand the concerns but I had a couple of issues with this when Abby was a baby. #1 - I had to full on grocery shop with her so her going in the bottom didn't work. #2 - I never could find a baby carrier that fit me because I am plus size. :/ Are there good plus size carriers now?
Darci
Monday 7th of January 2013
#1 Here are my thoughts...I have had to full on grocery shop with a baby too, and I just had to make it work. I would never risk the safety/life of my baby just to get food. Worst case I would have to come back another time. #2- There are plenty of plus size carriers if you look around. One is the Moby. I was using it right when I had Olivia and I was probably around a size 22, and I still had to wrap it around my waist twice to tie it, you can wrap it just once and be perfectly fine. There's also a maya wrap, and then lots of mei tei type carriers on etsy and other places that make them to order so you could have them make it with longer straps.