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As a mom of three, I’ve had to prep for three babies. There are some safety tips you want to follow or have in place before the baby arrives. These are simple, yet often forgotten little tasks for the home, which in the event of unfortunate can be life-savers! I am going to assume you’ve thought of some of the major steps to baby-safe the home. These would be things like the crib, safety items like first aid kits, and other basic things. This list is easy to forget because they aren’t always a hazard right away. You may think you have all detectors in place, or TVs are installed properly because there haven’t been any issues. Here are some things to make sure you take a look at!
Here are the most important steps to making your home baby safe:
Replace/ Update Smoke Detectors to Voice Activated:
Smoke detectors don’t always wake up children, depending on the sound and how loud the alarm is. It has been proven that voice alarms are much more effective. The Journal Of Pediatrics (2018) published that maternal voice alarms woke 86 to 91% of children, prompting 84 to 86% to successfully escape the procedure within five minutes of the alarm’s onset. That’s compared to 53% of kids waking to the standard alarm and 51% escape. That statistic is a little scary to me, as a mom of three. I can’t imagine only half of my children waking and escaping in the event of a fire. First Alert 10-Year Sealed Battery Alarms with Voice Location Technology kits are voice alarms that are super easy to install, have a 10-year battery, which is fabulous because I’ve been woken up in the middle of the night by many alarms with a weird chirping noise. Basically, you are protected for a decade without having to think about the batteries. If you know you need one of these, enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post!
When it comes to focusing on smoke detectors and carbon dioxide detectors in GENERAL, here are some tips to make sure the home is baby safe:
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Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level and in every bedroom of your home.
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Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms regularly.
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Replace batteries every six months or upgrade to 10-year sealed battery alarms to eliminate the need for battery replacements for the life of the alarm.
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Alarms don’t last forever, remember to replace your alarms at least every ten years
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Plan and practice an escape route with your family.
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If you already have detectors in the home, make sure to check them before the baby arrives, while also planning an escape route if there is an emergency.
Think about the Dishwasher:
You want to think about how you are loading first. Once the baby arrives and starts growing, crawling, and getting into things, it can be dangerous having knives and forks in the bottom of the dishwasher. Be mindful of when you put these in and make sure you have locks for the dishwasher door, which if pulled, can fall down on baby as they get a bit bigger. You can try velcro or dishwasher locks. Babies start crawling and standing before you even realize it, so getting these before the baby arrives is the best way to go. You don’t want to realize you need one after-the-fact.
Check The Kitchen Range Installation:
You may have had your range installed while you were in the home, or if you moved into an existing range, you want to make sure it is installed correctly. If a range isn’t installed properly, it can fall forward if a little one climbs or pulls on it. I had no clue about this! This is a super simple check, and most likely it is installed correctly, but just check to make sure!
Check any Used/Hand-Me-Down Baby Gear:
If you have anything from older children like I used my infant car seat for all three of my babies. I thought it was the best investment, but I didn’t check to make sure it was still up-to-date for any safety concerns. We were never in an accident, and it was said to last 6 years, so I was good to go. If you have any car seats you are planning on using again or were given, check the model and year to ensure it is still expedited to be safe. The same goes for high-chairs, baby swings, jumper seats, strollers, and other items that the baby will lay or sit in. Ask whoever is loaning it if all the pieces are still attached and check the condition.
Furniture and TVs:
Securing your furniture and TVs is really important, especially if you have a flat TV. This is a simple process that is life-saving! You want to use brackets, braces, or wall straps to secure unstable or top-heavy furniture to the wall. This includes dressers, counter-height tables, wall-paintings, and frames that might even need checking as well. Your TVs, especially if the flat is heavy with a narrow base. Make sure it is mounted properly, or if it is standing on furniture it is strapped to the wall.
Coffee Tables/ Furniture Corners:
This one is quick and easy, but you want to add cushions or guards to the corners of any sharp edges. We had a fireplace hearth with an edge super easy for new walkers to tumble on. We actually taped up a pool noodle to it for while. Then we ended up moving our couch in front of it to block it completely. It wasn’t the best setup in terms of design, but we felt so much safer knowing our two little walkers/runners would topple and crush their heads into a concrete slab.
1 Comment
I’m currently in my 3rd pregnancy. I have read lots of blogs and internet articles regarding 3rd pregnancy. Your article was the most helpful and encouraging. Thank you