Posted on May 24th, 2021
Babies are fantastic little people. They are seeing everything for the first time, and the world is a fascinating place. This fascination can be dangerous for a baby, though. They want to explore everything from the moment they first see it. Babies aren’t capable of safe exploration when they first enter the world. They do not know of dangers and aren’t capable of getting themselves to safety if accidents should happen. Not all accidents are related to child exploration, either. Some things just happen to put your child at risk, and you need to be prepared.
Choose Safe Sleeping Arrangements
We aren’t going to tell you not to co-sleep or to make your baby sleep in one room over another. These are choices that you must make yourself. However, co-sleeping without appropriate precautions and babies in other rooms without monitors can pose threats to safety. First, co-sleeping parents should utilize beds designed for co-sleeping. These are usually bassinets that are attached to the side of a parent’s bed. The baby stays in their space, but parents can reach in without leaving the bed. Other options include sleeping in the same room with the baby in a separate bassinet or crib and sleeping in separate rooms. When the baby is in another room, it is best to sleep with a monitor or signaling system to alert you to possible issues with the baby. Whichever sleeping situation you choose, be sure that you follow recommended safety precautions. Babies in parents’ beds have been suffocated or fallen and injured themselves. Sleep safety is vital.
Safe Changing Spaces
Unfortunately, babies aren’t born with potty training skills. Diapers must be changed whether you choose cloth or disposable. While you have to settle that debate yourself, you do need to choose where and how the baby will be changed. You do not need an expensive changing table, though they take the guesswork out of changing spaces. However, you will want to be sure that your baby is safe wherever you decide to change them and that the area is cleaned an sanatized Never leave a baby unattended on a couch, changing table, or bed.
Age-Appropriate Toys and Equipment
That stuffed dinosaur is super cute, and you want your baby to love it. However, it’s also a potential suffocation hazard. Go ahead and buy it and display it so that your child can see it, but put it out of their reach until they are old enough not to be injured. Infants can get trapped under stuffed animals and pillows, unable to breathe. Likewise, they can get wrapped in blankets and become too entangled to get out. These items pose health and safety risks that you do not have with older children. Your baby doesn’t need these things to sleep. When they are young, a warm sleeper will suffice for keeping them warm through the night. Once they are able to maneuver better and the risk of choking or entanglement is reduced, they can use cute blankets and sleep with sweet stuffed toys.
Furthermore, their toys should be age-appropriate. Just because your baby giggles when grandma pulls them in the wagon doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Babies can be injured while falling from moving toys and swallow small parts from toys meant for older children. If you have older children, keep their toys and equipment out of reach of your little ones.
Storage Space
Babies do not require expensive bedroom suites, but you do need somewhere to store clothing and bedding when not in use. Inexpensive dressers, drawer systems, and shelves will suffice, but you will be much happier with an organized storage space. Children will spit up at 2 AM or have a blowout diaper at 345 AM when you have an 8 AM meeting and we all know how being a working parent can be so difficult. Finding a new outfit or fitted sheet in the middle of the night shouldn’t result in a scavenger hunt. You will want to get the task done and back in bed as soon as possible as you’ll nee to get ready for more morning stress with the baby and any other young kids you have in the morning.
Prepare a Quiet Space for Daytime Naps
You can put your child down in their room for a nap if you choose. However, if you have older children, they may be playing during the baby’s naptime. You should be sure that they have a quiet space for sleeping, but it doesn’t need to be silent. Babies can sleep through some noise, and you will probably want to do some cleaning or chores that are more challenging when the baby is awake. A quiet space that is also convenient can be a bedroom, corner of your bedroom in a bassinet, or on blankets on the living room floor. Just be sure they can sleep relatively undisturbed.
Consider Other Safety Hazards
Many people want to immediately install plug covers, knob covers, and stove locks. These things are fantastic for older babies and children, but your two-month-old can’t reach the stovetop and probably can’t get to the socket without help. Consider what you will need, but purchasing stove knob covers might mean purchasing new ones if you move or get a new stove in the next few months. Sure, they aren’t expensive, and if you want, go ahead and pick them up. Just remember that all of this could change in the next few months. You should secure cords and wires that the baby might reach while being rocked or in a crib. Babies will pull on anything they can.
Final Thoughts
You will do many things to prepare your space, depending on the type of things you will want for your baby. Sleeping arrangements, diapering style, feeding style, and lighting are greatly dependent on parental choices and we know all know how fast they grow up an maybe it won’t be long before your kids help with the cleaning and housework. However, these choices mean that specific safety standards must be considered. Breastfeeding and bottle feeding are personal decisions that affect which types of feeding equipment you will need, and the storage of milk or formula will be vastly different in these cases. Whatever you decide is best for your family, your first consideration will always be safety and security.