I never realised before, how the good baby changing rooms have toilets for mums in them as well – a must! Otherwise it’s the disabled toilet, which is also fine as you can fit the buggy in. I was in a town today though where you have to have a special radar key, only issued to disabled people, to access these toilets to avoid vandalism. A great idea, but precludes people with buggies from using them and I haven’t yet figured out how you would use a normal public cubicle as it is often a tight squeeze for a normal adult, let alone including a buggy into the equation! I wouldn’t feel happy either leaving her outside.

I’ve discovered online grocery shopping – a mum’s saviour! I started to use it when I was on maternity leave – in theory just to make sure I was set up for the early weeks of having Imogen, but also because it was getting to be hard work taking myself round a supermarket, let alone actually putting things in and out of the trolley and car boot.

I have tried food shopping with Imogen, putting her in the trolley seats, but they keep her awake so I find myself nervously dashing around before boredom sets in and she starts playing up, to avoid using the dummy in public which inevitably draws tuts and looks of disgust from people who don’t have children (I probably used to be one, to be fair!) or are too old to remember how much they used one! (See earlier post!)Also, I used to leave my trolley at the end of aisles and nip up and down to grab groceries, as I was driven mad by the people aimlessly wandering the store with trolleys in tow, taking up the whole width of the aisles with no awareness of people trying to get by them. Now I can’t do that, so am just driven mad!

So it’s online shopping for me – although the mum brain means I always leave it too late so end up visiting for top up shops most days too! By the way, soft bags instead of baskets would be good for those trips so I can take Imogen in on her car seat on wheels. I try to balance the metal ones so I can steer with both hands, but the view for her is not that exciting!

I have always prided myself on being an experienced shopper – but I have such a different perspective now I have Imogen and, more importantly, the baggage that comes along with her!

I visit totally different shops now, driven by the ease of access and quality of the changing facilities and / or coffee shop so I can easily fit in a latte as I give her a feed!

I never knew where the lifts were in shops and centres before, but now I am becoming an expert! It’s amazing how many are tucked away in corners and so slow! It always annoys me when young, fit looking people take up the spaces in the lifts and you have to queue. Also how many filthy looks you get for the space you take up! On a good day though Imogen gives a smile to the occupants who are interested and it makes it worth it!

We tackled the great dummy debate in about week 2, having always sworn never to use one as I don’t like seeing toddlers with them. However, we realised that it immediately calmed her when she was most irate which has got to be good for her (and us!). Having found as many positive endorsements as we could supporting the use of a dummy for the first 3 to 6 months, we started using one to sooth her at sleep times, ensuring it was the most orthodontically correct one we could find!

We came up with all the good reasons why it is good to use one, justifying it to ourselves as much as anything. It still amazes me how opinionated others can be though. Let them see the effect on Imogen when she is crying at her hardest when she needs to sleep and then, as if by magic, once she has the dummy it soothes her to instant deep sleep- then criticise!

Now the issue, as she starts to approach 3 months, is how to wean her off it! Especially in the middle of the night when you just want to do anything to snatch a few more minutes sleep! We are adamant though she will be free from it within the next few weeks (or months!) and luckily she seems to be using her hands to suckle more now she has better control of them which helps!