Preparing Your Home for Your New Baby

Every parent can tell you, when you bring that new baby home from the hospital, you are in ultimate defense mode, ready to attack the first fly or dust particle that comes near that precious child. You are constantly on alert for every little sound, or any little thing that might harm or disturb your baby, especially if this is your first child. While this is natural, and good, you shouldn’t really have to feel this way while you are in your own home. You should take steps to make certain that your home is a safe and secure place for your baby, so that you don’t have to worry yourself into a frazzle all of the time. Keeping your children safe should be on the top of your priority list, whether they are teenagers or newborns, it doesn’t matter. With newborns, there are several things that you can do to help ensure their safety while they are at home.

One of the first things you can do may not make you very popular, but is necessary. If you or your spouse have friends or family members who smoke, drink, or abuse drugs, you should not let them be around your baby, or at least not while they are impaired. If someone who smokes comes to your home, make certain that they understand that if they must smoke while they are there, they must do it outside, and that they must wash their hands before holding your child. You will hear all kinds of stories and reasons of why this is ridiculous, but it really is in your child’s best interest. You definitely don’t want someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol around your new baby, as you never know what might happen.

Get in the habit of locking your doors when you come home, even if you live in the country. You never know who may come in, when you are asleep, in the bathroom, etc. Purchase baby safety devices to place around your home, monitors, cabinet latches, baby gates, outlet plugs, etc. This will make certain your baby stays safe when he or she gets old enough to move around and explore. It is a good idea when baby proofing your home, for you to get down on the baby’s level, so that you can see everything he or she sees, and then add or make any changes necessary. Make sure that pools, balconies, garage doors, and basement doors are locked at all times, so that your baby can’t get in there when he or she is alone, and potentially get hurt in some way.

If you have pets, it might be a good idea to give them away when the baby is born, or at least move them from inside to outside of the home. You never really know what an animal is capable of, even one that you have raised. A baby is an easy target, and could get severely injured by a pet before you can do anything about it.

Make certain that your baby’s crib meets all safety standards, and that you don’t leave toys or blankets in the crib with the baby, as these could cause suffocation. Rather than wrap your baby in blankets to sleep, add an extra layer of clothing, or bump up the heat in the room.

If you choose to buy a walker for your baby, extra precautions are necessary, especially around stairways. You also need to be aware that they baby can reach a lot higher while in the walker, so you will have to watch out for items that may be on the stove, or that are placed around the room.

Keeping your home safe for your children is not always an easy task, especially when they reach toddler age. The extra work is well worth it, and there are more things that should be done other than what is listed in this article. For more information, talk to your pediatrician about home safety, or do some research online or at your local library.