Having a baby comes with so much joy and perks besides the most obvious—that precious baby. The amount of love and laughter it brings into your life, alongside a sense of purpose and meaning, is immeasurable. 

However, with all the joy a baby brings, some challenges come with the transition to new parenthood. It can be stressful, considering the changes to your daily routines, behaviors, and even finances. These changes may be overwhelming. 

So as you welcome your bundle of joy, preparing beforehand is essential to ensure their safety and comfort. It’s best to make a few modifications and eliminate all the possible safety hazards that could harm your little one. If you’re wondering how to go about it, here is a great guide on baby proofing your home. Read on!

  1. Design Your Nursery

A baby nursery is an essential part of your home. When arranging your baby’s nursery, consider the necessary safety precautions.

Here are some safety guidelines for preparing your crib:

  • Clear the crib’s area: It’s best to place the crib away from electrical outlets, as this poses an electrocution hazard or risk.
  • Do not hang anything above the crib: Place shelves above the crib or anything hanging can is dangerous as it could fall off the wall and onto your baby.
  • Place the crib away from the window: The bright sunlight can disturb your baby’s sleep, and the temperature near windows can be extreme, which is harmful to your baby. While adding drapes and blinds are helpful, these can also be strangulation or suffocation hazards.

As for the crib, it’s best to purchase a crib that has adjustable rails. This way, you can lower it to the right level to prevent leaning too far. This is also helpful when changing the bedding as you can easily reach everything inside. As your baby grows, you can adjust the rails to protect them as they learn how to sit or stand. 

Consider having a chair next to the baby crib. This will provide you with a comfortable spot when you feed your baby, put them to sleep, or monitor them.  

  1. Stock Up The Supplies

Stocking up your supplies to have enough to last a few months would be best. This may include the following:

  • Baby clothes
  • Feeding bottles
  • Milk storage bags
  • Nursing
  • Baby soap and shampoo
  • Soft towels
  • Cleaning items, like wipes, all-purpose disinfectant spray, dish and laundry soap

Having several supplies can make you more manageable. That said, it’s best to store the supplies or place them in accessible areas. For instance, you can put your bathing supplies in the bath area, the clothes and diapers near the changing area, and nursing or feeding supplies in the nursery room. This allows you to minimize the effort that can wear you out.

  1. Install A Monitoring System

The innovation of baby monitors allows parents to do other chores while keeping an eye on their sleeping babies. This is helpful because you can monitor your baby’s sleep pattern and get alerted if your baby is crying or having trouble.  

Once your baby reaches the crawling stage, they may wander into danger. For instance, your baby could grab neatly stacked clothes, and the load might fall on them. They could also be attracted to sockets and attempt to poke them with their fingers. These can be prevented by installing baby cameras in their room so you can spy on their every move, especially when they wander off their crib.  

  1. Clean Your Home

Keeping your house clean is paramount when you have a baby. A dirty home can harbor pests and become a breeding place for infections. It can also introduce your baby to some perennial illnesses and allergies. 

So before you bring your baby home, hiring a cleaning company is best to clean the house thoroughly. Consider deep cleaning the carpets, blankets, couches, and curtains, as these are hot spots for dust and bugs.

Once you’re home, be keen to maintain a high level of hygiene. Always sanitize and clean baby items. A baby’s immune system is not as strong; they can quickly get infections.

  1. Baby Proof Your Home

Parents desire to watch their children grow and create milestones, such as crawling, standing up, holding, grabbing, saying their first word, and eating. Unfortunately, there are risks associated with infant development. Remember, it takes less than a second for an accident to happen.  

Again, as the baby grows, you should encourage the movements. You should also train them in some activities such as holding. At times, your baby might get out of sight. Hence, it is crucial to baby-proof your home to contain their movements and protect them from harm.

Here are some tips on baby proofing for more insights:

  • Install a safety gate: Doors, such as bedroom or bathroom doors, should be closed to prevent the baby from wandering inside. Otherwise, installing a safety gate is best to prevent them from roaming around unsafe areas like the stairs.  
  • Install cabinet locks: This prevents the baby from opening cabinets and reaching hazardous household chemicals, like aerosols or cleaning products.
  • Buy a safety play mat: This can help protect their bodies when they trip or fall.
  • Cover up sockets and hide appliance cords: This restricts your baby from touching sockets or pulling appliance cords and prevents them from getting electrocuted. 
  • Keep items out of the baby’s reach: This may include loose items like hair pins, batteries, keys, pet food, chargers, and remotes.

Parents put their baby’s health and safety as their utmost priority. That said, the list above is the little things you can do to prevent your baby from getting harmed and encourage full development.

Conclusion

Preparing your home guarantees the safety of your baby. Use the tips shared above to baby-proof your house. The safety measures could differ depending on your baby’s age and development stage. Thus, you must constantly review the precautions applied as the baby grows to ensure they’re helpful in safeguarding your baby’s safety and that your home will become a safe haven for your baby.

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