We are sharing our top items to keep your baby safe at home and on the go.
To prepare for your baby, you’ll need more than just diapers and wipes. Your little one may be an immobile newborn for a while, but before you know it, they’ll be on the move and finding their way into everything around the house.
When building your registry and getting into that nesting stage, consider gathering items you’ll need to keep your baby safe. To help you out, we’ve assembled a list of our favorite safety products to have on hand when your new addition arrives.
A Properly Installed Car Seat
A car seat is a must for getting home from the hospital or taking your baby to the doctor. An infant seat that clicks in and out of a base is convenient. It allows you to easily move your baby in and out of the car, even when they’re asleep, and typically clicks into a stroller or car seat caddy. Because the car seat base remains installed in the vehicle, you can quickly and correctly secure the car seat every time.
Choose a car seat that fits well in your car and is easy to install and buckle your baby inside. Regardless of the price or special features, all car seats are tested to make sure they meet federal safety standards. One infant car seat we love is the Chicco Keyfit 30, but there are plenty of safe options at various price points.
The important part? You need to install your car seat properly and harness your baby correctly for the car seat to function as it should. Read the manual cover-to-cover and make an appointment with a certified child passenger safety technician. This expert can double check your installation, give you pointers and discuss harness adjustments.
Safe Cleaning Products
Once your baby is rolling, crawling and putting everything in their mouth, it is important to have non-toxic cleaning products and detergents in your home. Traditional cleaning products may contain harmful or toxic chemicals that carry serious health risks if ingested or inhaled.
Take stock of anything that might come in contact with your baby — your dishwashing detergent, laundry detergent, bathroom cleaners, floor cleaners and all-purpose cleaners. Check the ingredients and labels for warnings.
Of course, you can take precautions when using and storing your cleaning products, but it can give you peace of mind to swap traditional products for baby-safe ones. Dr. Bronners castile soap is a gentle, plant-based cleanser that you can use for everything from bathing your baby to cleaning your dishes to washing your clothes.
Vinegar and water is a safe, effective mixture that you can use for general cleaning. If you don’t want to make your own mix, pick up Aunt Fannie’s floor cleaner and dilute it with water. We also use Mrs. Meyer’s spray as an everyday, baby-safe cleaner for floors, countertops, walls and other surfaces. When it comes to laundry, we reach for Babyganics fragrance-free stain remover and Seventh Generation Free and Clear laundry detergent.
Baby Gates
One of our go-to babyproofing products is a baby gate. Position these gates across doorways, on the bottom and top of stairways and around the fireplace to keep your little one from exploring areas unsupervised. Gates are helpful when you’re making dinner, need to run to the bathroom or want to focus on a task — it can be shocking how quickly babies move!
This Regalo walk-through gate is a great option, but be sure to measure your space and choose the right gate for your home. Take note of the gate’s length and height, whether it’s pressure-mounted or screwed into the door frame and if it’s adjustable or custom-fit.
Anti-tip Furniture Straps
Once your little one is mobile and pulling up to stand and climb, it’s important to secure heavy furniture to the wall to ensure that it doesn’t fall on top of your baby. Too often, we hear tragic news stories of accidents in which children pull out drawers or climb shelves, causing the whole dresser or bookshelf to topple on them.
We suggest installing anti-tip furniture straps behind your dressers, bookshelves, TV stands and other pieces of furniture before you even think it’s necessary. If you rent your home, keep in mind that you’ll have to repair the wall when you move out, although it’s a minor fix — and absolutely worth it to keep your baby safe.
Locks and Covers
There are plenty of spaces in your home where you might want to keep little hands out. Locks for your drawers, cabinets, toilet, as well as covers for your door knobs and electrical outlets will keep your baby away from dangerous or unsupervised spots. Stock up on drawer locks, cabinet locks, door knob covers and outlet covers to secure the openings in your home.
For each of these baby safety products, you have lots of options to choose from. We hope our recommendations help you narrow down your list and build your registry, giving you peace of mind that your little one is safe inside your home and out in the world.
Prepping for baby? Click on the links in this post to purchase these baby safety products or connect with Chicago Birthworks Collective to schedule a consultation.
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