You found out you’re going to have a baby! OMG!! Now what?
So much is going through your mind, it’s overwhelming. Everything from labour and delivery to putting together a special space for your baby.
There is much to do and it won’t all happen overnight. You have time to prepare. This is an activity that both husband and wife can take part in.
There are different opinions about when you should get started, but it’s generally accepted that the sooner you start, the more time you’ll have to deal with it.
The first priority is baby gates. You want to block access to spaces you don’t want your baby to have access to. Keeping their crawl space contained is an easy way to start and cuts down on additional steps you have to take.
The Nursery
The first room you want to address is the nursery. You can furnish your nursery with loaners or hand-me-downs from friends and family. If you are buying new furniture a good place to look is baby furniture in Melbourne. If you buy baby-safe furniture, you won’t have to worry about retrofitting.
You want to ensure that whatever furniture you choose prevents them from falling or climbing out.
The Kitchen
There are lots of potential hazards in the kitchen. Put door latches on all your cabinet doors. This will keep your curious crawler from getting into toxic cleaning chemicals or breaking all your china.
You also want to minimise climbing hazards by moving anything a child could use as a climbing assist, to get onto your countertops or upper cabinets.
Keep your kitchen appliances unplugged. You don’t want your little one playing with the blender or coffee maker.
The Bathroom
You should install cabinet locks in the bathroom. This will keep your child from exploring your cosmetics, cleaning products, and medicines.
A toilet lock is recommended, to keep your little ones from trying to explore.
The Rest of the House
When you venture outside your home you are going to need a good stroller
To make your entire house safer you want to make sure you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Cover electrical outlets to prevent toddlers from putting their fingers or other objects in them.
In any room, your baby will have access to, make sure that any free-standing furniture is secured to the wall. When they reach a certain age, many babies love to climb. By securing your furniture to the wall you are preventing it from falling on them and causing an injury.
If you are buying new products and accessories, you can check Product Safety Australia for reports and information on items you’re looking for.
You are your baby’s first line of defence. The hard truth however is that you can’t keep an eye on your baby 24/7. You have to sleep, eat, cook, clean, go to work and there are family members, and they all need attention to one degree or another.
Start as early as you can, and you’ll be less stressed along the way.
