Bus → MRT → Bus (First Time Solo with Baby!)
Travelling with a baby = bringing so many things 🍼👜🎒
So I always rely on my husband to fetch us home after staying over at my parent's place.
But that day, he was busy... so I decided to try doing it on my own.
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🤔 My options:
Taxi?
I’d need to fold the stroller, carry baby, and manage multiple bags… honestly felt overwhelming.
Public transport?
Baby can stay in the stroller throughout, sounds more manageable.
👉 So I decided to try public transport.
Sharing my real experience in case it helps other first-time parents! 😊
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🎒 What I packed (hands-free setup)
Usually we bring many small bags, but since I was alone, I simplified everything into just 2:
🎒 Backpack: clothes, baby monitor, water, umbrella, essentials
👜 Sling bag: milk bottles, formula, extra milk, diapers
✅ Only 2 bags → both hands free to lift & push the stroller
🍼 Fed baby formula before leaving (hoping for a longer nap) and brought pumped milk as backup
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My REAL experience
🚍 Bus 1: Smooth start 👍
- Non-peak (1pm), not crowded
- Waited for passengers to board first — still had easy access to stroller spot 🚼
- Driver patiently waited for me to lift the stroller and only set off after I secured it (really appreciated that!) 😀
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🚇 MRT: Best part 👍
- Baby was comfy & dozed off almost immediately (slept ~1 hour 😴)
- Felt so relieved seeing him calm and settled
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🚍 Bus 2: The challenge 🥲
- Didn’t expect the bus to be so crowded at 2pm (probably school dismissal timing).
- Immediately knew boarding would be difficult with the stroller…
💡 An auntie suggested pressing the wheelchair button so I could board from the back— something new I learnt! It really helped ❤️
BUT…
- Bus was already packed
- Stroller space was taken
- I couldn’t move in properly
Boarding became quite stressful, especially doing it alone for the first time.
Then suddenly someone shouted across the bus:
“Move in! Can’t you see people want to board?”
😓 It got quite uncomfortable…
There wasn’t much space… and my stroller was in the way 🥲
Honestly… I almost gave up right there 😅
Made me wonder if I should just walk home instead of taking bus...
But the 2pm heat was just too much ☀️, so I continued the journey home by bus...
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🧠 What I learned
🚇 MRT
✔️ Very baby-friendly
✔️ Smooth and predictable
🚌 Bus
⚠️ Can be stressful when crowded
⚠️ Hard to secure stroller space
⚠️ Need to hold stroller firmly during jerks
Since taking bus is part of our usual route, I’ll probably try again, just better prepared next time.
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💡 Tips for parents
1️⃣ Stand near the front so the driver can see you — hopefully you get a stroller spot 🤞
2️⃣ Avoid school dismissal & peak hours
3️⃣ Use the wheelchair button when needed
4️⃣ Pack light → hands-free is a game changer
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💬 Let’s share!
Mummies & daddies,
How’s your experience taking public transport with a stroller? 😊
Any tips to make it easier?
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🔖 Save this for your next trip out with baby!
As a parent who’s recently taken public transport alone with a baby and stroller, I want to share some added insights that might help others on similar journeys. Choosing the right timing is crucial. As I found out, traveling outside peak hours and school dismissal times makes a huge difference. The first bus and MRT rides were surprisingly comfortable and stroller-friendly when it wasn’t crowded, allowing my baby to nap peacefully. The MRT platform access was smooth—I used lifts which were clean and spacious, so no struggles with the stroller. The MRT itself was stroller-friendly with designated spaces that ensured my baby was safe and comfortable. However, buses can be more unpredictable. Crowded buses during school dismissal posed a real challenge. One key tip I discovered is to press the wheelchair button when you board. This alerts the driver to deploy the ramp and allows boarding from the back, which is a big help when managing a stroller. I also recommend packing light—combining essentials into just two bags kept my hands free to control the stroller. Feeding the baby beforehand helped too, keeping him calm and even asleep during transit. From my experience, kindness from strangers made a difference, but be prepared for occasional frustration in tight spaces. Staying calm and focused helps manage these moments. For parents considering solo trips using public transport in Singapore with a stroller, planning ahead, timing your trips wisely, and knowing helpful transit features like the wheelchair button have made my journeys much easier and more manageable. Hopefully, these tips encourage others to try it confidently!