How to grocery shop with a stroller: How to grocery shop with a stroller

How to grocery shop with a stroller

I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through the product links on this page at no extra cost to you.

The arrival of a newborn baby will disrupt many activities in your life. Most moms want to know “How to grocery shop with a stroller?”. Using a stroller for your baby will save you a lot of stress- you won’t have to carry your baby around and you can push the stroller when going for walks. But what about when grocery shopping? How do you use the stroller in the store while picking stuff simultaneously? That’s a need-to-know.

Managing a stroller while grocery shopping is a skill some parents are in desperate need of. That’s because it’s easy to take babies out in their strollers but is it possible to push the strollers while shopping? Thinking about it, you’ll probably say it’s impossible, and some parents manage it. Hence how do they do it? This article will show you how to grocery shop with a stroller and you’ll also see other alternatives to using strollers in a grocery store.

Table of Content

1) Pushing the stroller while pulling the cart.

Here is one of the techniques many parents use for grocery shopping with a stroller. As known that your stuff will be hand-picked into a cart, you can pick them, drop them in the cart and pull it. As for your baby stroller, you need to push it with the other hand. However, this method might be a bit dangerous if you don’t know how to divide your attention between your baby and your goods. Using this technique might reduce the supervision on your baby, hence, you should be careful while pulling the cart and pushing your baby’s stroller.

2) Detach the infant seat and put it in the cart.

Going grocery shopping should mean you don’t have anyone to look after your baby or you feel obliged to let her see the fascinating world, right? Anyways, another method for managing your baby’s stroller in the grocery store is by removing the infant seat from the stroller, placing it in the cart, and placing the baby in it. You can put your stuff around the seat.

Most strollers usually have a removable infant seat, if yours don’t, then you can’t use this method. But if the infant seat of your baby’s stroller is removable, remove it and place it in the cart while grocery shopping. Although the seat might take up space in the cart and you won’t have the chance to keep all your stuff.

Moreover, you can decide to get another cart if your stuff won’t contain the cart with the infant seat, meaning you’ll have to push two carts simultaneously. Hence, for this technique, it’s advisable to buy stuff that can contain the remaining space after placing your baby in the cart.

3) Hold a baby carrier while going grocery shopping with your baby’s stroller.

From research, it’s seen that parents who manage to use a stroller while shopping venture into this method. With this method, you’ll have to hold your baby carrier while going to the shop. What’s the carrier for? Well, for easy maneuvering during shopping, you’ll need to put your baby in the carrier and use the stroller as your cart.

Since you’ll have to wear the carrier, this looks like a perfect method. The use of the baby carrier will free your hands and you’ll get the chance to choose what you want, drop them in the stroller and push them around the store. Perfect, right? Great. One great baby carrier you can use for this purpose is the Ergobaby Omni 360 All-Position Baby Carrier for newborns to toddlers with Lumbar Support. Click to check it out on Amazon.

4) Put your stuff underneath the stroller and forgo a cart altogether.

Another method of going grocery shopping with your baby’s stroller is to forgo using a cart and using the below part of the stroller as your cart. Normally, strollers do have a lot of compartments to keep stuff, so you can use them. You’ll also get a large storage basket with some strollers, so if you’ve got that kind, you have nothing to worry about. This method is also quite suitable because you’ll get to push your stroller only, but with your baby and stuff in it. No need for a cart!

5) Put your baby in the cart.

While grocery shopping with your baby in the stroller, you can decide to fold the stroller up and put your baby in the cart. Now, this might be a little risky because you’ll have to dump your goods around your baby so the use of a carrier can come in here. Hence, if you decide to go with this method, put your baby in the carrier first before putting her in the cart. Like that, your baby will be safe from unlikely harm, and you’ll get to shop in peace and without stress.

1) Baby carriers

Check it out on Amazon

Baby carriers are worn around the body and you can place your baby in them. For newborns, you can place them in the front position and you can place older babes in the back position, as you wish. The use of this equipment will free your hands and you’ll be able to shop without using a stroller.

2) Using  Hammock in the shopping cart.

Check it out on Amazon

 Another alternative to using strollers while grocery shopping is placing a hammock in the shopping cart.  Hammocks attach to the carts easily, so you’ve got nothing to worry about but some carts can’t contain the hammock so you should take note. However, if you get a cart that you can attach to the hammock, it’ll help you to shop without issues.  As it is, there will be space left and you can drop your purchases there. Check out the BINXY BABY Shopping Cart Hammock on Amazon.

3) Shopping cart car seat carrier

Check it out on Amazon

This is a carrier that is designed like a hammock. This is a great alternative as you don’t have to take your baby out of the car seat. It fits in with smaller carts from stores such as TJ Maxx and also fits normal-sized carts from big grocery stores like target. All you need is to hook it onto the sides of the car and put the car seat on top and you are all set. It gives you all the room you need to store your groceries. Want to check it out on Amazon? Click here Totes babies shopping cart car seat carrier.

4) Shopping cart cover

Buy Now on Amazon

This is a secure stretch to fit fabric for cushioned support. It has complete cart coverage to help protect your baby from germs. It is easy to carry and has a smartphone pouch and toy loops. This is especially useful if you have a baby that loves to grab your phone to play with it. It is machine washable. It gives the baby the comfort to lounge and looks around as you shop. One great thing about it is that it fits into almost all carts at top stores such as target. The Munchkin Brica GoShop Baby Shopping Cart Cover is a good shopping cart cover to check out on Amazon.

1. Baby Trend Sit N’ Stand 5-in-1 Shopper plus stroller

The baby trend stroller is one of the best strollers for grocery shopping. It has a large storage basket that can contain all your purchases from the grocery shop. It has other features such as the five modes of use to accommodate your family, lightweight, comfortable cabin, etc. Check it out on Amazon now.

2. Uppababy Vista V2 stroller

The Uppababy Vista V2 stroller is a great stroller for grocery shopping. It is termed “the Rolls Royce of strollers. It comes with a bassinet that is handing for your baby if you don’t want to use an infant car set. The large wheels make it easy to go through sand or snow. The extra-large easy-access basket provides a place to store your grocery items, diaper bag, toys, and anything else. It is also one of the best supermarket baby strollers.

3. Cybex Gazelle S Stroller with detachable shopping basket

The Cybex Gazelle S Stroller is is another stroller that is great for grocery shopping. It has a detachable shopping basket with a huge stroller basket with a capacity of 50lbs. With this, you can conveniently do your weekly grocery shopping with ease, and with lots of room for all your kids’ essentials.

Are strollers allowed in grocery store?

Can you take a stroller to Walmart? Yes, you can. Strollers are allowed in the grocery stores. If they don’t have carts, use your strollers. If they have carts, put the infant carrier in the cart. There are strollers that are great for grocery shopping like the ones mentioned above. They make shopping easier.

How to push a stroller and a shopping cart?

If you have a stroller with a large bottom basket or shopping basket, you don’t need a shopping cart. You can store your items in there and still push them with the baby inside.

Can I use a stroller as a shopping cart?

Yes, you can use a stroller as a shopping cart. Most strollers come with big storage spaces you can store your groceries while shopping. So, you may not need a shopping cart again.

How to grocery shop with a car seat?

Want to grocery shop with a car seat? It is doable. All you need do is to put the car seat in the cart and place items in any open space around your baby.

Can you put items in stroller while shopping?

Yes, you can put items in the stroller basket while shopping.

Strollers are vital equipment that will help reduce the burden of bringing up a child. You can use them almost everywhere but can you use them while grocery shopping? Yes, you can. But the question most moms ask is “How to grocery shop with a stroller”? It is quite possible to use strollers while grocery shopping. You can push the stroller while pulling the cart, detach the infant seat and put it in the cart, hold a baby carrier while going grocery shopping with your baby’s stroller, and put your baby in the cart.

There are also alternatives to strollers you can use while grocery shopping. This includes shopping cart car cover, hammock, baby carriers, and shopping cart car seat carrier.

5 Easy Life Saving Hacks! – Stroller Insider

Strollers are the go-to thing for active parents. Jogging, short errands, or traveling with a baby is easier with a stroller on your side. What about shopping for groceries with a stroller? Groceries are to be hand-picked, which requires much of your attention, and at the same time, your baby needs concentration too. How to grocery shop with a stroller? Many parents consider it impossible. I am a mother of two! Trust me, it is not! 

As a single mom, I have no alternative but to do all the chores, including grocery shopping, by myself. Initially, it was difficult for me too, but over time, I have learned some easy tips and tricks. A lot of parents around my neighborhood want to know how I shop for groceries with a stroller with such ease. Well, this post answers all the queries with a complete how-to, tips, and hacks on how to grocery shop with a stroller. 

Table Of Contents

1. How to grocery shop with a stroller: Prepare for Groceries    
2. 5 Essential Tips On How to Grocery Shop With a Stroller  
3. How to Grocery Shop With A Stroller: How to Choose A Stroller for Grocery Shopping 
4. How to Grocery Shop With a Stroller: What Are The Alternatives to Strollers?   
5. How to Grocery Shop With a Stroller: Bottom Line 

How to grocery shop with a stroller: Prepare for Groceries    

Before you head off to the shop, 

Make a list of what you need. It will save your grocery time instead of aimlessly moving around. The less time you need, the easier the shopping will be. 

Make sure the baby is fed and napped. Can you imagine yourself shopping for groceries while your baby is crying out of hunger! A complete disaster, right? So feed your baby first! Try leaving off to shop after a scheduled nap, so your baby will feel comfortable the whole time. Ah well, if you can do that, your baby may enjoy the whole grocery time! 

Pack a few essentials. Carry a few things like the bottle, wipes and diapers, a change of clothes, etc. (Note: You can change the diaper or clothes in the changing room.) A pacifier or a favorite toy may also come in handy. It may comfort the baby on the outing, and you may check into some more items! 

5 Essential Tips On How to Grocery Shop With a Stroller  

1. Push the stroller, pull the cart   

I recommend pushing the stroller in front and pulling the cart with another hand, as the best way to grocery shop with a stroller on. Pushing both the stroller and the cart can be challenging. While in front of an aisle, look up for your groceries and push the stroller forward. If you pick any item, you can drop it on the cart placed behind you, and pull it with the other hand as you move forward. This technique will let you attend to your baby more and, at the same time, let you pick your favorite items.  

2. Don’t take a cart; stuff picks in the stroller storage instead   

Consider the stroller basket as a cart. With this tip, you can get rid of the extra grocery cart! So, there is less hassle for you.  Most strollers’ storage baskets are spacious enough for you to pack in the groceries. The only limitation is, you can carry groceries up to the weight capacity of the stroller storage, no more. If it is okay for you, check the weight capacity of the storage bin. 

3. Attach the infant seat to the cart 

Remove the infant car seat, attach it to the cart, and then place your baby in the car seat. Put your grocery stuff around the baby. The only limitation here is that the seat might take up considerable space in the cart, so you may not be able to take a cart full of items. But this way, you can avoid dividing attention between the baby and the groceries.

4. Hold a baby carrier 

Put your baby in the baby carrier and the stroller will serve as the cart. It allows easy movement through the aisles and, at the same time, frees your hands. Drop your goodies in the stroller. Some parents find this method difficult as it adds baby weight to your back and hinders easy movement. If you are comfortable with carrying the baby on your back, you are good to go! 

5. Baby in the cart   

If your stroller folds into a compact form, you can get rid of the stroller itself! How? Put your baby in the cart and start stuffing things around. You can carry the stroller on your shoulder with the strap if there are any. I do not recommend this method since it’s risky.  

How to Grocery Shop With A Stroller: How to Choose A Stroller for Grocery Shopping 

Lightweight  

Choose the best lightweight strollersthat are easy to maneuver, especially in malls and stores. While grocery shopping, the focus is usually shifted to choosing the product while you may need to push the stroller and the cart. A lightweight umbrella stroller will make things easier for you. 

Compact Shape  

Compact strollers are best for groceries. If you have two babies, instead of side-by-side double strollers, choose the tandem strollers that take up as little space as a single stroller for better maneuvering along the isles. Whereas compact umbrella strollers are best for a single infant in a grocery store.   

Storage Basket  

The storage of a stroller is vital if you are planning to go grocery shopping with a stroller. The storage basket can be your extended cart! If you opt to wear a baby carrier, the stroller’s storage basket is a real blessing for you. Choose a stroller with ample storage space for more convenient shopping. 

How to Grocery Shop With a Stroller: What Are The Alternatives to Strollers?   

Baby Carriers 

Baby carriers can come in handy during grocery times. You can carry your baby and push the cart to stuff your items. It is a better position for older babies, as you can carry them easily on your back. For younger babies, you can take them upfront. It will allow you to shop hands-free for groceries. 

Hammock    

Place a hammock in the shopping cart. Hammocks are convenient to attach to the carts. Note that, not all the carts are suitable for hammocks. If your regular go-to grocery store has a cart compatible with hammocks, great for you. It’s a hassle-free method to carry your baby to the grocery shops.      

Shopping Cart Car-Seat Carrier    

I am talking about a hammock-like car seat carrier. This kind of car seat can be an excellent choice for groceries. Hook the seat into the cart. Moreover, this type of car seat does not take up much space as a regular car seat does. That means more room for your groceries. 

Shopping Cart Cover 

It is a cushioned fabric that fits in a cart. Shopping cart covers are helpful to keep your baby away from grocery stuff. These cart covers are convenient to carry, and many of them come with pouches and toy loops. These covers are machine washable, incredibly comfortable for babies, and fit on most carts. 

How to Grocery Shop With a Stroller: Bottom Line 

We cannot avoid grocery shopping, and shopping with strollers is not rocket science either. So be brave and go for it. It can be fun too. Trust me, the easy hacks and tips mentioned in this post can make grocery time easier and more enjoyable. There are plenty of options to do it. Try any option that suits you the most. Yet somehow, using strollers in the grocery store seems complicated. You can opt for alternatives. So what’s the worry?

Related Posts

How To Fold a Bob Stroller
How To Fold Cybex Stroller
How To Clean A Bob Stroller In 6 Easy Steps
Amazon Disclaimer:
I research, test, review, and recommend the best products. My content is intended for informational and educational purposes only.  If you buy something through links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Stroller Insider is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Tags How to

How To Grocery Shop With a New Baby

At some point you’ll need to take your newborn out of the house. Whether it’s required, like a doctors appointment or its time to grocery shop, the time will come. 

Getting out of the house with an infant can seem downright scary as a first time mom. Whether you need to roam the aisles of Target for some fresh air, or your fridge is desperately empty, this post will teach you everything you need to know about how to grocery shop with a baby. 

Planning Your Trip

From the first news of your pregnancy to this date, you’ve been doing a lot of preparing and planning. Taking your newborn out is no different, you’ll want to have a basic idea of how your outing will go.

Here are a couple of tips that I’ll share with you to make the best of your shopping trip.

Make sure your baby has been fed. Few things are worse than a crying hungry baby that you’re trying to feed and calm down in an unfamiliar environment.

A fresh, dry diaper means your baby will be more comfortable. Hopefully you can avoid a trip to the public restroom and changing your baby while you’re out shopping.

Timing can be everything. Taking your baby shopping before a scheduled nap time means that they might fall asleep and sleep through a majority of the trip or entire trip if you’re lucky.

Make a list of what you need! If you’re actually going to the store to accomplish the goal of grocery shopping, wandering aimlessly through the store will only prolong the trip.

However, if this a social outing or breather for you to wander through the aisles of Target, then by all means ditch the list. You have my permission to join the welcoming community of Target Moms.

Have a back up plan of how you’re going to soothe your baby if it becomes necessary. This varies depending on your baby and their age, but bring something in their diaper bag that comforts them or is familiar. Examples include pacifier, favorite toy, lovey or snack.

RELATED: What To Pack in A Diaper Bag

Park near the front of the store if you can. Closer parking means that you can get to and from the store in the shortest amount of time. Which may be necessary depending on the weather, if you’re using a shopping cart, etc.

If you plan on actually buying things then you’ll want to know how you can manage holding or carrying your baby while picking or looking at items.

We are going to discuss 4 options, from the car seat in the shopping cart, to the best strollers for grocery shopping.

Shopping With a Car Seat

The first thing you might be thinking when it comes to this option is, “When is it safe to have baby sit in shopping cart?” The answer to that is that babies should not ride in a grocery cart typically until they are able to sit on their own, unassisted.  

If your baby is still in a car seat, you should never place the car seat on the top of the cart because they could fall over. Putting the infant sear inside the basket will limit the space available for food or anything else. 

Grocery shopping with a stroller

This is pretty tricky to do, because you’re pushing two things that can both weigh a considerable amount. My suggestion is that if you need to grocery shop with a stroller, you stick to a short list or light items that can fit in the bottom basket of the stroller. 

How do you know if a stroller will be good for shopping? Some features to look for:

Easily foldable, great for if you have to hold the baby and put the stroller away at the same time.

Can accommodate a newborn/infant car seat or younger baby

Roomy basket storage with wide opening to access the things you’ll put inside and easily take out

Shopping Cart Hammock

Another option for shopping with an infant is to use a shopping cart hammock. This is exactly what it sounds like! A hammock designed for infant use in a shopping cart.

The shopping cart hammock fastens securely to the cart and also has a secure seat harness and strap to keep your baby safely inside.

This is truly the most hands free option. The hammock is elevated in the cart which still allows for plenty of space for groceries or various items. When you’re ready to go, you simply take baby out and you can roll the hammock up and stash it in your car or purse.

The biggest question you’re probably wondering “Is a shopping cart hammock safe?”

The creators of Binxy Baby have a whole page dedicated to safety of their product. Several features promote safe use of the product like double layered fabric, reinforced stitching, safety strap and a 3 point harness seat belt.

Grocery Shopping With a Baby Carrier

Baby carriers are another hands free option that allow your baby to rest against you while shopping. If they’re napping, wearing them will probably help keep them soundly asleep while you’re shopping.  

It also helps reduce the possibility of strangers touching your baby. People are a lot less hesitant to touch a baby when it’s so close to your own body. 

Shopping with a carrier is a safe and secure option. You won’t have to worry about using any additional equipment for your grocery cart.

My favorite baby carrier is this one by Ergobaby. They are extremely comfortable and the hood feature is a lifesaver. It really comes in handy, the baby is less exposed to the elements. Even if my  baby was awake when we got to the store, the lulling motion of my walking and the hood over her head puts her to sleep. Just like that you’re shopping in peace!

Shopping Cart Cover

If your baby is 6 months or older and can sit unassisted, you could use a shopping cart cover for your trip to the store. They will have a little bit more freedom to move because they wont be constrained by a car seat or harness.

Shopping carts can be filled with germs, and your little one is probably anxious to explore. The cover is a barrier between direct contact with the cart and your baby. This option leaves the entire lower half of the basket free for groceries and other items.

My favorite shopping cart cover is this one from Go by Goldbug. The cover has safety straps and padded leg holes. It covers the entire area where the baby is sitting. We also use it on restaurant high chairs, so it has more than one use!

Getting out of the house to shop with a baby or little one can be intimidating at first. With these helpful shopping tips you can get your game plan together. Before you know it mama, you’ll be a pro at this shopping with baby thing!

Is it convenient to walk around Moscow with a stroller: an experiment of one mother

Despite the constant improvement of the urban environment, in recent years walking around the capital with a stroller is not so easy.

So, I took a child, a stroller and went to the city center for simple entertainment: go to an exhibition, sit in a cafe or just walk along the boulevards. And here’s what came out of it.

If you live far enough from the center, then the main problem is getting there. The first option that comes to mind is a car, but then you remember about traffic jams or paid parking, where you still have to try to find a place, and it turns out that you will drive for half a day for a couple of hours in the museum. Anyway, the car was taken by the husband who left for work. There remains public transport, namely the metro. And this is the first big hurdle. Of course, I will not go during the morning rush hour, and at 11 o’clock the trains are already free. But try to get to this train!

Many stations do not have elevators or escalators. In some places there are ramps, but they are not always easy to use. At some stations, and especially in transitions, there are no ramps at all.

Remember Kropotkinskaya or the transition between Belorusskaya stations. It is impossible to correct this situation without global intervention in the architecture of stations. Considering that almost all stations within Koltsevaya are architectural monuments, no reconstruction is possible. This problem is partly solved by the Passenger Mobility Center, which began operating several years ago.

At least three hours before the scheduled trip, you must submit an application indicating the route. If the application is accepted, then at the appointed time near the entrance to the metro a couple of strong guys will meet you and accompany you to the end point of the trip. This is convenient, but it is better to plan a trip with such help in advance – you won’t be able to break right now. When the service first appeared, few people used it, but now it is in great demand, so there is every chance that all employees will be busy at the right time. Everything went well for me: the employees were as polite as possible, and when I tried to help (it’s hard to get rid of the habit), they said that they could handle it themselves, and I just had to calmly walk beside me and not worry. So I can recommend this service if you suddenly need to go somewhere with a stroller alone.

The Soviet period left us as a legacy a rather inconvenient city for pedestrians: wide avenues, underground passages, inconvenient routes. Changes in the 1990s and 2000s only exacerbated these problems.

The situation began to change only a few years ago, when the city authorities took a course to improve the environment specifically for pedestrians. There are still a lot of underground passages, but now many of them are equipped with ramps, which are much more convenient than the rails on the steps. So it was not difficult for me, having left the Oktyabrskaya Radial, cross the Yakimanka and reach the Muzeon. Now in the Central House of Artists there is an exhibition dedicated to the “thaw” in the USSR – a rather interesting period, and the exhibition, respectively, too.

Most of the museum buildings in Moscow were built at a time when no one thought about disabled people or mothers with strollers. The building of the Central House of Artists is no exception. So the first thing I do is go to the information desk and ask if I can go to the exhibition with a stroller.

A nice girl said that no problem, there is an elevator behind the wardrobe, but now it does not work. And she suggested, if the stroller is not heavy, to climb the stairs.

I looked around for potential helpers, but apart from the respectable ladies on a working afternoon, there was no one in the museum. So some other time when the elevator is working.

Well, I’m moving on. Since I didn’t get to the museum, I’ll go to the bookstore – I’ve wanted to see some books for a long time, but there was still no time. Walking along the Krymskaya embankment is a pleasure, after the reconstruction it is very good here. The work of this year will extend it to the Small Stone Bridge, but for now you have to bypass alleys, overcoming excavations.

But the main obstacle was waiting for me ahead. For the young and strong, climbing the pedestrian Patriarchal Bridge leading from Yakimanskaya Embankment to Volkhonka is not a problem. For everyone else, this exercise is not easy. Yes, metal rails were made here, playing the role of a ramp, but they only partially facilitate the task of climbing with a stroller.

Moreover, it is not clear how best to get up: if you walk with your back and carry the stroller behind you, you can stumble or stumble, release the stroller – without a safety belt it is very dangerous; pushing the stroller in front of you is safer, but it feels like it becomes ten times heavier.

Somehow I managed to climb, I already thought that there would be no further difficulties, because the bridge goes to Volkhonka without stairs, and towards Tverskaya there is only one underground passage. I intended to go to the Moskva bookstore, so Tverskaya.

In the middle, the bridge was blocked because of those who wanted to get into the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and there were only two options: either go back and cross the river through the Stone Bridges, or go down the stairs here and still go through the Big Stone Bridge. A young man passing by offered to help, so there was no need to turn back. But such a choice in the city is very common: to take a short path, where one cannot cope without outside help, or to choose a several times longer path, but without stairs and passages.

It is easy to move along Mokhovaya, there are no problems at all on Tverskaya. I was afraid that I would have to go into an underground passage (and I had to), but now there is a part with a smooth descent. Why did I decide to go specifically to the Moscow bookstore? This is one of the few stores that has an entrance level with the sidewalk. Inside there is a level difference, but only a couple of steps, and this does not interfere with moving inside the store with a stroller. The only place I couldn’t get was the antiquarian department, but I didn’t need it.

After walking for half a day, it was time to think about lunch. The good weather was conducive to sitting on the summer terrace of some cafe. But it would be too good if you could get into any of them to choose from. I wanted to go to the cafe “Two Sticks”, but it is absolutely impossible to get on their veranda with a stroller. The tables are too close, and I was afraid to leave the stroller outside the veranda. I should have chosen some other place. I didn’t have to go far – right opposite, in the same place in Kamergersky, there is the Gusto restaurant, the menu of which suited me perfectly, the veranda was more spacious and it was not a problem to enter with a stroller. In general, many verandas are not only too cramped, but also raised several steps above the level of the sidewalk, so the choice of places for hiking with a stroller is drastically reduced.

I didn’t want to take the subway home. It was evening, people were returning from work, it was too late to call for help from the Mobility Center. So I decided to take a taxi. The stroller fits easily into the trunk of any sedan, so you don’t have to think about whether to call a minivan or something like that. Despite the evening traffic jams, we arrived from the center quite quickly. In recent years, city authorities have been developing public transport, in particular, they are making bus lanes that taxi drivers can legally use. And while everyone is stuck in a traffic jam, we are driving.

It has become much more convenient in Moscow than it was five years ago: there are help services to overcome certain difficulties, in the parks and on the streets that were affected by the reconstruction, a normal barrier-free environment has been created almost everywhere. But at the same time, many cultural institutions or shops do not think at all about those who come to them with a small child and a stroller, and this greatly narrows the circle of places where you can go. The only option is to spend time close to home on weekdays, and go somewhere only on weekends by car or with your husband as a fellow traveler and assistant.

For our experiment, we used the Inglesina stroller – model Sofia Duo

This is a modern version of a multifunctional 2 in 1 travel system: you can put both a cradle and a seat unit on the frame. Among its undoubted advantages are large inflatable wheels and soft suspension. Low curbs can be overcome without lifting the front wheels; on paving stones or uneven pavement, the child does not shake at all. Both the cradle and the walking block can be placed both in the direction of travel and against. This is a very convenient feature, especially if the sun is bright outside – the child can always be turned so that the sun does not shine in his eyes. And if this is not enough, then the hood of the walking block and the cradle can completely cover the sitting (or lying) baby. The seat unit has an adjustable backrest, and the seat is wide enough for the child to be comfortable and comfortable in different positions. The fabric with which the stroller is upholstered provides protection from ultraviolet radiation, has a water-repellent impregnation, so in light rain you can not get a raincoat. Nevertheless, the rain cover is included in the kit, as well as a number of other accessories (mosquito net, additional mattress in the cradle, wheel pump).

Project partner – Inglesina

Neither pass nor pass: we walk with a stroller through the yards of Irkutsk | Articles

LCD “Central Park”

First we went to the residential complex (RC) “Central Park” on Sedova Street, 65a. Julia and her husband bought an apartment in one of the block sections in December last year. With the birth of their second child, they decided to expand. The house was not chosen by chance: in the city center, next to work, there is a good playground in the yard, and the embankment is nearby.

There are no problems to enter the entrance with a stroller, but it is not so easy to get to the store or to the bus stop. And all because you need to climb stairs or walk along the road.

Residential complex “Central Park”

For example, to get around the house from Proviantskaya Street, Yulia needs to overcome a flight of stairs. There is no ramp, and the stairs are steep and high, it is impossible to go down and up it with a stroller in your hands without someone’s help. The woman is walking along the usual, but unsafe route – along the road. The movement is tight. While we were taking pictures, five cars drove by.

Residential complex “Central Park”

Yulia said that they asked the developer to install ramps. The developer explained that the house was commissioned and the installation of any structures is not possible. And you can’t argue with that, because the stairs are steep and long. Even if a ramp appears now, only a few will be able to climb it.

— The developer just paved the place, which had previously been covered with gravel, — shows Yulia. — This is the section you have to walk on to get to the sidewalk. How we will walk here in winter, I do not know. Obviously it will get worse. After all, there is a slope here, and I am sure it will be very slippery.

Residential complex “Central Park” Residential complex “Central Park”

We go further: sidewalk and stairs again. Walking around the complex with a stroller is difficult. “I am surprised that the design did not take into account the fact that mothers with strollers would walk here,” Yulia says.

– To get to the store, which is located in the house across the road, on Trilisser, you first need to go to the other side of the road to Sedov, and then again to Trilisser – this is if through a pedestrian crossing. To directly – just run across the road.

LCD “Central Park”

We still managed to go around the house. Our photographer helped in this, who had to take a stroller, and I had to take a camera. As a result, we went out onto the street on the 25th of October. To climb back to the entrance, Julia needs to either go back and go around the house from the yard, or climb another flight of stairs.

Residential complex “Central Park”

Residential complex “Sigma”

In a residential complex at 277 Lermontov Street, as it turned out, there is another problem. Instead of full-fledged ramps, folding ones are installed. These are metal rails laid on steps. Single carriages will be able to climb these – those that are lucky enough to match in width with the distance between the rails.

Residential complex “Sigma”

The residents themselves say that it is inconvenient to lift a stroller over them, since they are only suitable for large, pleasure ones. We immediately went to check if this was the case. Our heroine managed to roll the stroller onto the ramp only with the rear wheels, but she could not lift it to the end. The angle of inclination of the stairs turned out to be too large, and you need to look under your feet so as not to trip over the rungs on the ramp.

Residential complex “Sigma” Residential complex “Sigma”

In neighboring entrances, the installation of ramps was approached more seriously. In one case, this is a stationary ramp on supports with a small angle of inclination. It is obvious that it will not be difficult even for the disabled to enter the porch on it. There is only one thing: it was made in the space that was set aside for the lawn. In another case, apparently due to lack of free space, a ramp was installed with too steep a slope. It is difficult to lift a stroller over it, and it is dangerous to lower it.

Residential complex “Sigma” Residential complex “Sigma”

Sidewalks are sometimes available and sometimes not. Mothers on the playground were divided in their opinions about the convenience of living here. Svetlana, the mother of two boys, said that even getting to the playground is not easy due to the lack of ramps. And the city as a whole, in her opinion, is poorly adapted for prams. However, Tatyana, who was walking with her one-year-old daughter, said that she did not see any obstacles for walking with a stroller either in the city or in the LCD.

LCD “Sigma”

In the residential complex “Sigma” each entrance is equipped with a lifting platform for the disabled. There is a phone number and a website with instructions. However, we could not figure out how it works, and no one answered the indicated number.

Sigma Residential Complex

Progress Residential Complex

The yard of this house at 281/3 Lermontov Street visually seemed the least suitable for walking with a pram. We did not find any exits on footpaths. For the sake of the purity of the experiment, I myself picked up the stroller, but without the child – for the sake of his own safety.

Progress residential complex Progress residential complex Progress residential complex

The first thing I would like to note is that the residential complex has a lot of stairs: both to shops and entrances. But ramps are not everywhere. Where they are, they were installed after the house was put into operation at the initiative of the residents themselves. These are metal structures, which can be climbed and descended only by showing miracles of dexterity. In winter, as the residents of the house say, they become slippery and you can’t even step on them. A solution was found: an imitation of steps was screwed to the metal sheet. However, for me this turned out to be a serious obstacle: I could roll the stroller over them with great difficulty.

Progress Residential Complex

There are also no exits on the sidewalks. Although I had to go down and up the roadway often, as the footpath was constantly interrupted. The curbs are high, so it was hard to drag (just drag) the stroller.

While we were walking around the house, we still managed to find one paved exit to the store, but I did not go down it: it seemed to me too steep and ended with a drain grate. If I were wearing shoes, I would also have to gracefully jump over it so that the heel does not get stuck in it.

Progress Residential Complex

According to Svetlana Bragina , Head of the Sales and Marketing Department at Grand-Stroy LLC , the residential complex was built in accordance with all the rules and regulations that were in force at the time the house was put into operation.

– In this project, the installation of ramps was not provided, – the specialist explains. “At the same time, the constructed houses fully comply with the requirements of technical regulations and project documentation. There is a corresponding conclusion issued by the State Housing Control and Construction Supervision Service of the Irkutsk Region, as well as permission to put the facility into operation. In today’s projects, there are no problems with ramps and exits, they were originally provided and built in all our residential complexes.

Residential complex “Chaika”

In this residential complex at 19 Tereshkova Street, we faced the same problem as in the first case: there are a lot of stairs. For example, to reach the traffic light from Tereshkova Street or go around the house, you need to climb the stairs, which are about a meter wide. There is no ramp.

Residential complex “Chaika”

One of the residents of the house said that those who walk with strollers usually take a detour – along the road. Climbing the stairs with a stroller in hand was simply unrealistic.

Residential complex “Chaika”

We are trying to walk carefully along the road – it will not work, for this you need to go straight to the roadway. Cars are parked right there. On the side of Tereshkova, not far from the stairs, there is a children’s early development center. And we can assume that mothers with small children have to go down this particular staircase.

I never managed to find a yard where it would be convenient to walk with a stroller. At the same time, we are talking about modern residential complexes, which, according to developers, were built taking into account the needs of the population. However, in all cases, the ramps were not provided for by the project and appeared only thanks to the initiative of the residents. There are fewer complaints about the organization of congresses: they exist, although not everywhere. I hope next time I will be able to find an exemplary yard.

***

Send your photos of uncomfortable, ridiculous, unusable or, conversely, exemplary ramps for baby carriages and ramps on the sidewalks by e-mail [email protected] . Attach a description to the photo: indicate the address of the house, how long have you lived in these conditions, whom did you try to contact, what answers did you receive.

Photo by Nikita Pyatkov

Monologues of mothers with small children – where it is difficult to get with a stroller in the city (Spoiler: even to the dairy kitchen!)

Olga and Lev, 5 months: “In the clinic – and not a single changing table on the floor, and I have a child, a backpack, children’s clothes and “important documents that cannot be wrinkled” in my arms”

Moscow, Ryazansky district

“When you are pregnant, you think: now it’s hard for me with my stomach, I can’t put on shoes myself and all that, but only when a child is born, you understand the difference – before you could run everywhere with your stomach, but now you can’t. No matter how much you are prepared in advance, only with a child you understand how immobile and dependent on everything you have become: from your husband, from the ramp.

My biggest problem is the three steps at the entrance to the house, three in total. They are so narrow that the stroller does not walk on them – you can still drag an empty stroller, although it will jump, but with a child I simply cannot. You need either a second person, or as I do: I leave the stroller on the street, bring the child in, going up to my 2nd floor, quickly undress the child, return and pick up the stroller. And so every time. We go out for a walk in the same way: first I roll out the stroller (it is in the entrance on the first floor), then I return, dress the child, and already go out together.

Paths with high curbs and steps without comfortable ramps turn into a difficult quest for Olga and her little son. They say why? We can slip and fall on this ramp, in the dark we can’t see it and trip over it, it’s very dangerous. You, they say, be patient for a couple of years, before you rented apartments here with children and somehow lived.

We also have very complicated doors. There are tight closers on both doors: while I hold the first door, the second hits the wheels. We already have the second stroller, because from the first door they beat on the wheels in the same way and one wheel began to eight strongly.

There is a deep railway crossing between our district and Kuskovo park, where I started walking with a stroller. And if you can still roll the stroller there, then pick it up … once I didn’t group properly, or something, in general, I pulled my back. I realized that the next day I just can’t raise the child, so now we don’t go to the park, but walk around the yards.

Olga stopped walking in the park, because the trip there and back is fraught with health consequences. In the photo, she is trying to walk with a stroller along a dangerous ramp

All clinics require wheelchairs to be left at the entrance. Once I was sent with a child to a narrow specialist in Zhulebino. There is a huge complex with elevators. After the appointment, the doctor gave a referral to the Filatov Children’s Hospital and said that he still needed to be signed and stamped on the fifth floor. While you wait for the elevator for a long time, you hold the child in your arms, and then the “bureaucratic football” familiar to many began: it turns out that in one office you must first put a signature, and then a stamp in another.

But in my case, it turned out that those offices in which I was asked to sign were closed. And not a single changing table on the floor, and in my hands, in addition to the child, a backpack, children’s clothes and “important documents that cannot be wrinkled.” It is not clear why the seal is not placed on the first floor and why a mother should run around different rooms with a child in her arms. Of course, if it was possible to pass with a stroller, then these problems would not arise.

More Wildberries delivery points – they should be given a badge, that they are generally not “friendly” to mothers with children. Many of us order goods through Wildberries to save time, but you cannot pick up the order yourself. My nearest point is located on the second floor of a car service, there is such a steep staircase with narrow steps that you won’t go in with any stroller in your life, you can’t even put a ramp there, the angle is too sharp, this is an unsolvable issue. Before giving birth, I ran there all the time, and after the birth of a child, only send my husband.

Polina and Agnia, 6 months: “Why is the dairy kitchen, a place meant for mothers, not adapted for them?”

Moscow, Alekseevsky district

Polina had to call passers-by for help to get out of the dairy kitchen with a stroller – she is in a deep basement

with a stroller, besides, it is convenient to carry boxes on it. I must say, our kitchen is not just within walking distance – I walked to it for half an hour. It turned out that she was in the basement!

I went down there rather briskly. I am already a trained person, I have a second child, and there is no ramp in the entrance either. I know how to drag strollers up and down, but it turned out to be completely impossible to get back up: the weight of three boxes was added to the weight of the stroller and the child, and for some time I sat in this semi-basement and was forced to plaintively call passers-by for help.

An uncle was found – he lifted all this with difficulty and still grumbled – what are you carrying there! My daughter then weighed a little, but our stroller is large, all-terrain and not easy. Now my husband goes there, and the first thing he said is how do those who do not have a car solve this issue?

Polina knows how to pull and lower strollers up and down, but if you add the weight of bottles from the dairy kitchen to the weight of the stroller and the baby, you can’t do it alone Yes, yes, we do too! Someone has ten steps up, someone has a narrow corridor where it is impossible to pass with a stroller, or a door that seems to be specially heavy – there must be something so that free food does not come too easily and one would have to overcome obstacles a little.

Seriously, I think these places are chosen according to the leftover principle – always some not very liquid premises, and obviously this will not be the first floor on Prospekt Mira, which, in terms of cost, does not equal the basement on Pavel Korchagin.

Indeed, why is the dairy kitchen, a place meant for mothers, not adapted for them? My previous dairy kitchen was not in the basement, but with a porch with 5-7 steps without a ramp – why not put a simple ramp of two rails there, because it’s not very difficult?

Yulia and Anton, 5 months: “Motherhood has an aura of martyrdom, many are proud and do not think that not everyone can overcome obstacles”

Moscow, Troparevo-Nikulino it’s hard for trained Yulia without outside help