babies in grocery cart seats - what do you do?

[moxygirl]

We don't usually take DS (7mo) grocery shopping. DH goes by himself. Whenever we go to other stores we generally take the stroller (DS refuses to be worn) or place his bucket in the seat. Tomorrow DH and I will go grocery shopping together and DH wants to place DS in the cart seat. I agree it's about time but I'm concerned about germs and other yuckiness.

What do you do? Clean the seat? Use a cover? Don't worry about it?

We don't have a cover so that wouldn't work for tomorrow but I'm interested in everyone's opinion so I can decide how paranoid I really need to be.

Thanks!

[momtoTnT]

We never did anything You could wipe it down with a wipe if you're really concerned. Our grocery store has wipes at the front door (but me personally, I'm more concerned about what is in the wipes than what is on the cart).

[ThisCat]

I use a cart cover. In addition to the germ factor, it just makes it more cozy.

[eclipse]

When my babies were first sitting, I used a soft cart cover, for the padding. I never really worried about the germ factor.

[dislocator3972]

We use a cart cover too.

[Artichokie]

We still use our cart cover. It has a much nicer harness, is more comfortable, and minimizes the ikkiness.

[Nicole730]

We used a cart cover until he was just over one year. I did not want him sucking on the cart handle. Now we 'clean' it off with a sanitizing wipe or a baby wipe.

[nola79]

I didn't worry about it with ds.....with this one, I have a cart cover recieved as a baby shower gift that I will use when she's able to sit up in the cart. Of course, I haven't used it yet, and if it's too much trouble I probably won't worry about it!

[AFWife]

We sometimes use a cart cover. Mostly, when he's in the cover it makes it harder to twist around and try to get out. We've chosen to not vaccinate so a few germs don't bother me...well, unless it's peak season (like flu season) and then I might use a wipe if they're handy.

[mkksmom]

Originally Posted by Artichokie

We still use our cart cover. It has a much nicer harness, is more comfortable, and minimizes the ikkiness.

[texaspeach]

I usually wear ds when I go shopping (I try to do it at nap time so he sleeps on me), but if he's in the cart seat I don't worry about the germs. he's never tried to put his mouth on the cart. we have a floopy seat cover but it's a hassle for me to put on and put away, he does fine with out it so I leave it at home.

[sunnygir1]

I didn't even know there was such a thing as a cart cover. That sound's great...the seat belts in carts (not to mention the seats) are totally not designed well.

I use the cart seat when the baby is big enough to sit up. I also use the ergo on front when little and on back when bigger. And I use the "bucket" carseat when tiny or sleeping. I don't find the stroller very useful for collecting the volume of groceries I generally buy, but I have done that too.

I have occasionally wiped the cart handle down and/or used hand sanitizer on me and my lo after shopping, but I rarely do that. I'm not particularly worried about germs, but I'm more likely to do that during cold season when my kids have been sick for 2 months straight.

[JordanKX]

We use a cart cover when doing heavy-duty shopping, because there are connectors for toys (so he won't be grabbing Everything off the aisles). If it's just for an in & out shopping, the cart is fine. I keep handi-wipes on me and always wipe down his hands when we get back to the car. Luckily the sucking on the cart phase only lasted a few weeks. Now it's more keeping him in the cart (oh lovely straps), because he wants to grab Everything!

[happysmileylady]

I have never used a cart cover with either of my kids. I am not worried about the germs on the carts. Until my belly started to pop with this pregnancy, I just wore my little one in the ring sling, on my hip. With my older one, I used the cart seat, but left her home with a sitter more often than not. But with my younger one, I almost always have her with me shopping. However, until she was around 14 months, she had such a "round butt syndrome" that she was falling all over the cart seat, and didn't fit in the seatbelt. She was constantly bumping her head all over the seat, it made for a tough trip. So I just wore her. It wasn't that she couldn't sit upright, she was very stable on solid ground, it was that we were moving that kept throwing her off balance.

[cristeen]

I use a cart cover, not because of the germs, but because that way I know he's strapped in, and because I can attach toys to it so he can't fling them.

[CookAMH]

I wear him off and on, it all depends on his mood and what kind of shopping. When he's in the cart, I put him in the cart seat, fasten the buckle and off we go. I don't bother with cleaning or putting covers on and YES, he occasionally used to mouth the cart. . I have trained him not to at this point, but didn't flip out at the times he did do that.

I used to take a couple toys tied at each and of a shoe string, and string it through the strap so it wouldn't fall. There would be less picking up of toys that way. Now he's into looking around and playing with my keys.

btw he's never been sick (15 mo)

[moxygirl]

Thanks everyone! It's definitely a personal choice, I know, but I'm glad to see the variety of responses and know that whatever I decide will be "normal".

To everyone who wears their babies... LUCKY! DS has refused to be worn since he was a newborn. I suppose I could try it again but I've had some complications during this pregnancy and wearing a big, super-active 7mo might not be a good idea at this point.

I'll probably go with wiping down the cart seat and sides. DH will roll his eyes but DS will definitely chew whatever he can get his mouth on and I'm not that comfortable with the idea of germs.

[Addie]

I used to wear DS (almost 8 months) when shopping, but he's so dang heavy now, and so grabby, I've started putting him in the seat. I'll wipe it down if there are wipes available, but I don't go out of my way to do so. Someone just gave us a hand-me-down cart cover, so maybe we'll try that next time - it looks cozy, if nothing else. My guy really enjoys being in the cart and looking around.

[Black Orchid]

WOW, I read the thread title and thought, huh? I never, ever thought of this. Both of kids have always just gone right into the seat. No wipes, no cover, nothing. I don't really ever think about germs, though.

[kismetbaby]

Up until he could sit well on his own I wore him in a carrier to shop. Now I use a cart cover. . .more for safety than for germs, but it is nice not to have him able to chew on the cart itself. I hadn't planned to buy a cart cover, but I am glad I did--its more comfy for ds, less icky, safer, has a place for me to put my keys, etc.