When preparing for the arrival of a baby, most of us plan for cribs, playpens, toys, baby blankets, prams and so on. Not many of us give a lot of thought to one of the most important aspects - safety.
You may think you have enough time before your newborn starts crawling and getting herself into trouble, but newborns too can get themselves in tight spots. Once the baby comes, you're going to have little time if any to go around baby proofing your home. Before you realise it, months would have flown past and your baby will be sticking her chubby finger in all the electric sockets within her reach. So start planning early.
Crib
If you are going to be putting your baby in a crib, make sure the mattress fits snugly. There should be no open spaces between the mattress and the edge of the crib. Your child's head should not under any circumstances be able to slip between the mattress and the crib, as this can lead to suffocation. Make sure the slats of the crib are close enough so your newborn's head doesn't get caught between them. You could also get bumpers to prevent your baby's head getting stuck between the slats. Bumpers are thin, lightly padded mats that you tie to the walls of the crib. Cut bumper ties short though, so your baby doesn't get entagled in the long bows.
As soon as your baby can pull himself up, you may want to consider removing the bumpers as he may use the bumpers as support to get out of the crib.
Bedding
Use a firm mattress. Your child's bedding should not be too soft. Although stuffed toys look incredibly cute in a crib, they can cause your child to suffocate, because if your newborn's head gets under a stuffed toy, he will not be able to move it off him.
Gates
Do you have stairs at home? The first thing you need to do is to place a gate at the top of the stairs, so your toddler doesn't tumble down. Keep the gate shut and latched at all times. A latch that clicks shuts into place is better than a manual latch, as you or someone else may neglect latching the gate closed every time.
Grills
Are your windows at home grilled? If you don't have grills, it's time to put them on now. Babies like nothing more than climbing up and looking out of windows.
Balconies
Make sure the walls of your balconies are sufficiently high so your baby cannot reach the edge. Also, don't keep anything your baby can climb on, close to balcony walls. If you feel the walls are low, consider getting them made higher. If you don't want to block to view, you can always add decorative wrought iron rods to extend the height of the wall. If you have very small balconies that you don't use, now is the time to get them enclosed.
Medicines
Keep all medicines out of your baby's reach. You never know when a bright coloured pill catches her eye and she pops it into her mouth.
