The day you bring your baby home is one of the most exciting days of your life, but that blissful moment takes a lot of preparation. There are a million things to do before your baby arrives. From clothing and strollers to painting the nursery and everything in between, it’s easy for parents to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of items on the baby-preparation checklist.
Fortunately, many of the standard to-do items can wait. Your newborn won’t be mobile for a while, so you don’t necessarily need to spend time setting up baby gates or putting locks on the garbage can just yet. In the early weeks and months, the most important part of babyproofing is creating a clean, safe environment for your baby to come home to.
Here are some safety tips and babyproofing guidelines to help you figure out what’s a priority and what can probably wait.
Essential Babyproofing
For the first four months of your baby’s life, they’ll mostly be immobile. They aren’t going to do much except eat, fill diapers, and sleep. In fact, newborns sleep a lot during those first few months (about 15 hours per day, though not all at once). One of the best things you can do to make your home baby-safe is to provide a safe sleeping environment.
As your baby grows and develops, they’ll start to explore the world around them, including their sleeping environment. The precautions you take should change based on your baby’s abilities.
- Crib mattress: Make sure your baby’s mattress is the correct size for your crib. There shouldn’t be a significant gap around the edges of the mattress.
- Bare crib: At bedtime and naptime, bare is best. Remove pillows, blankets, crib bumpers, stuffed animals, and any other accessories from your baby’s crib. The safest crib is one with a mattress, a fitted sheet, your baby, and nothing else.
- Keep things at a distance: It’s important to keep anything potentially harmful out of arm’s reach. That means, if your crib has a mobile, make sure it’s mounted high enough that your baby can’t reach it. Replace corded blinds with cordless window coverings, remove any unnecessary cords in the nursery, and secure the remaining cords.
- Monitor: Set up a baby monitor and ensure it’s charged and turned on. Install or inspect carbon monoxide (CO2) and smoke detectors.
- Secure: Install outlet covers on all electrical outlets and secure any nursery furniture to the walls.
Babyproofing in Stages
For many people, babyproofing begins long before your baby comes home, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Even with the best laid plans, you’ll probably have to make adjustments over time, as your baby grows and learns to break through your defenses.
Within about the first year of life, your baby will go from a squishy newborn to an adventurous toddler, confidently crawling or walking around the house. That transition is gradual, and mobility doesn’t just mean crawling or walking (though those are important and exciting milestones!), it also means rolling, scooting, sitting up, stretching, grasping, and any other behavior that helps your baby physically interact with the world. It’s okay to babyproof as your baby’s milestones unfold, setting up the appropriate safeguards when your baby needs them.
3-month-old Milestones: By 3 months old, your baby will be able to open and close their hands. They’ll start reaching for objects and may even succeed in grabbing hold.
4 to 6 months old Milestones: Between four and six months of age, your baby will start rolling over, grabbing objects, manipulating toys, and sitting up with support. Your baby’s ability to maneuver themselves and manipulate the world around them is growing.
7 to 9 months old Milestones: By 9 months of age, babies usually start scooting, crawling, and sitting without support. They may even start pulling themselves up into a standing position.
12 months old Milestones: By about the first birthday, your baby may be able to walk with the support of furniture or parents, and they may be close to taking their first unsupported steps.
Each of these developmental milestones introduces your baby to new parts of their environment. Things that were safely out of reach on coffee tables and counters are now accessible. Each milestone is a cause for celebration and a reminder to double-check and upgrade your babyproofing strategies.
As your baby gets older, you’ll want to consider things like lockable garbage can covers, stove knob covers, furniture padding, colorful window cling on sliding glass doors, and more. For a more detailed guide, check out our comprehensive toddler babyproofing checklist.
Preparing Your Home for Your Newborn
From onesies to babyproofing, preparing for your baby provides peace of mind, and it’s most effective when you focus on what your baby needs now.
- Fire safety: Get a fire extinguisher and learn how to use it. Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your house. Test your detectors regularly and replace them as needed.
- Baby’s perspective: Get down on ground level, on your belly or your hands and knees, and get a baby’s-eye-view. Not only is this a great way to bond with your newborn during tummy time, but it also lets you see the world the way your baby does. You’ll be able to see potential dangers that are right in your baby’s line of sight.
- Clean floors: Keep carpets vacuumed and hard surfaces clean. Avoid using cleaners with harmful chemicals that your baby could come into contact with. Keep pet food and water out of reach.
Remember to think about yourself too. The most essential component in your babyproofing plan is a loving parent with a watchful eye. Any babyproofing or preparation that makes your life easier, even if it doesn’t directly impact your baby right now, might be worth doing.
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