02/26/2019
I'm going to let you in on a secret. I did this. I did this almost every single time I took my first baby to the store. Until I learned that you shouldn't.
Then, 6 years later with my third baby, I went to a store that the carseat didn't fit into the bottom of the basket and I very reluctantly put my 4 month old baby on the top of the cart. I tiptoed through the store.
I never took my hand off the cart. Until I went to pay, then I did. One of my sons who was with me, in that moment, decided to jump up in the side of the cart, as children often do and my whole world came crashing down. LITERALLY. I saw my precious little baby go flying through the air in slow motion, like the movies, but I was in slow motion too and not fast enough to stop it.
A stream of "No. NO! NO! NO!" left my lips but my baby came crashing to the pavement anyway, despite my protests. The carseat landed face down. It had fallen from at least 3.5' up. I collapsed to the ground beside it, unable to breath. My son stood there in shock, only half realizing what he had done, but knowing is baby sister was in danger.
I flipped the seat over and she started to cry. I hadn't been so thankful to hear her cry since the day she born. I looked her over, every inch. She had a bit of a bruise on her forehead and her toes were scraped. I think you know this could have been fatal.
I shouldn't have put her on the top of the cart. I knew better. It was the one and only time I had since I learned you shouldn't, and my worst fear was realized. I shook and wept, in shock as I took my things to the van.
The thing that saved her from worse injury? I left her buckled up and I left the handle up, on purpose. How many times have we unbuckled a child in their car seat, on top of an object, to make them "more comfortable"? I know I had before. This may have saved her but she shouldn't have needed saving.
There was a lady who had seen it happen. She helped me and made sure I was ok. She could have screamed at me and called me a fool, but she didn't and I'm so grateful for her. She told me she had had many children of her own that were grown now. She understood how I felt, I know.
So here I am, one mother who gets it to another. PLEASE don't do this. your baby's life is not worth the convenience. Not shopping, not at home for a nap on the counter, not anywhere.
The car seat manufacturer made these recommendations for a reason. The reason is that, at some point a baby was either severely injured, or worse, died. Otherwise they wouldn't spend more money to tell you not to do it.
Please listen, before your world comes crashing down in slow motion.
- Melissa Van Dam
Birthing Blessings Doula & Birth Services
This practice (seen far too often in stores today) is unsafe and specifically advised against in almost every infant car seat manual. Babies fall and are severely injured on a regular basis because of being propped in a car seat like this. If you must bring your car seat into a store, place it in the large back part of the shopping cart. Other options include using a wrap, sling or carrier for your baby while shopping.
Car Seats Discussion Group: FB.com/groups/CarSeats
Common car seat errors: http://www.drmomma.org/2010/02/common-car-seat-errors.html
