Safety Essentials

August 25, 2017 jetminx

There are a vast variety of things that you will want or need as a parent, from clothes and toys to feeding equipment and blankets, the list seems endless.

That being said, I decided to compose a list of a few safety essentials that my husband and I ended up with and would recommend to others.

Every baby is different and where some people only require the bear minimum of baby proofing, there are other parents whose children get into absolutely everything. Wherever the tiniest gap might be you can be sure our child would find it… behind and or over the back of the sofa, under the table, through the gap in a chair, etc. Some babies are walking (or crawling) hazards, attracted to danger like bees to honey.

For those of you who have one of these little munchkins, or if you are just looking for some baby safety ideas, here is a list of helpful items that make life just that little bit less hazardous!

Baby breathing monitor pad

When you finally bring home that tiny bundle of joy and put them to sleep in their bed for the first time you can sometimes discover that the night does not end there… you plan on going to sleep, but in fact, find yourself hovering over them and watching to make sure your little one is breathing. Was that breath a bit shallow? Did that breath take longer than the last? The answer is yes, it probably did… if you didn’t already know, you soon learn that some babies do occasionally hold their breath for a little longer than us parents would prefer, frustratingly so!

At almost all of my hospital visits I was constantly bombarded with leaflets and magazines on the risks of SIDS, especially in hot babies, and so my husband and I found ourselves worrying about this before our baby had even arrived into the world. A friend recommended we buy a baby breathing monitor pad and I must admit we found this gave us a real peace of mind each night knowing that our baby’s breathing was being constantly checked.

If you find yourself like us lying awake at night trying to listen for your baby’s breathing this is definitely the item for you.

CONS: The sensor pad is big enough for a Moses basket but once your baby moves into a cot you might need an additional pad. We found that our baby would wiggle off the one quite easily, triggering the alarm. You can purchase an extra sensor pad if you want, but I would suggest seeing how your little one gets on with just the one pad first as the cost for an extra pad is quite pricey.

Also we did find it a bit of a pain initially remembering to switch off the monitor before lifting our baby out, but thankfully the alarm beeps in warning before going off, and after a while we got used to switching it off and on.

Baby Monitor

These are ideal for so many reasons. Firstly, you can have one setup to watch your baby at night if they sleep in another room, or for those daytime naps. Secondly, you can use them to watch your baby playing while you do a few chores around the house or when you need to visit the bathroom. Some devices have built in speakers so you can talk to your baby, whilst others have lullabies you can play to soothe them. Also most monitors have night vision and an inbuilt room temperature display, which is quite useful. There are various types on the market and they come in a wide range of prices.

My husband and I were given the GHB Baby Monitor which served us well for the first 18 months of our baby’s life. Our baby slept in his cot beside us for a while so our main purpose for using this was to watch him at nap times and evenings when he was asleep in the room without us. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who needs something quick and easy.

Once my son was in his own room we decided an upgrade was in order. Not only was the screen too small on our current model but we also wanted something that would give us a view of his entire bedroom not just the cot where he slept. My husband liked the idea of being able to access footage of our son on our ipads or mobile phones at any given time and so we opted for the 360 degrees rotating monitor that had inbuilt Wi-Fi which we could view from basically anywhere in our house without a distance constrictor. You upload software for this onto your mobile phone and choose a unique username and password, so it is quite secure, and we were very happy with the outcome.

CONS: The Eyoyo 360 degree monitor is great but every time you want to check on your baby you have to take your device off sleep mode, which isn’t convenient if you want to glance regularly at your baby and be hands free.

Stair gate

A stair gate is definitely a must have for any home with a baby. We use one to separate our kitchen and lounge, as well as our staircase, and you can also have one for your baby’s bedroom. There are many types available and the one you get will depend on your requirements. From extending gates to non trip metal or wood and mesh material or pressure fit gates, the options are never ending.

Whatever you decide make sure you attach it securely, and for those of you whose babies have super strength like mine, I would advise getting a gate that screws to the wall instead of the pressure fitted gates as these can come loose with a little force. I would read reviews before deciding which one to buy. We opted for the anti trip stair gate but the screw fittings on these were not very good and we’ve had to fix them a few times already since buying them.

A little tip to consider for any of you who have pets – when attaching the gate to your wall if you leave a small gap at the bottom for your pet to crawl under it saves them having to try and jump over the stair gate, obviously don’t let the gap be high enough for your little one to crawl or slide down under. Pets are quite good at getting low so you don’t really need a huge gap.

Bed guard/Rail

We have two of these. Our first one is large enough to attach to our bed, which is very convenient as it lifts up and down very easily when needed. Our son loves to bounce on our bed after his bath every evening and this has saved him from falling onto the floor countless times. It is also handy for the mornings when my son climbs into bed beside me.

Our second is the Safety 1st Portable Bed Rail which is a nice small size that fits our son’s toddler bed quite well. This smaller one also folds flat so is quite handy for transporting should you need to take it on holiday with you. My sister also has this for her daughters bedroom if you want to see it in action.

A bed guard is really ideal when transitioning your toddler from their cot to a bed, especially if your child is like ours and turns a full 360 degrees at night whilst sleeping!

Plug socket covers, safety packs etc.

How much you baby proof depends on how big your house is and what sort of furniture and power outlets you have. There are a few safety packs out there which have assorted things you might need, like the Dreambaby Home Safety Kit, which includes safety catches, outlet plugs, cabinet sliding locks, multi-purpose latches, and door knob covers.

Foam Door Stoppers are also handy to stop little fingers from getting trapped, as well as TV and Furniture anti tip guards. Also, if your baby is like mine then you will definitely want some kitchen door/drawer locks. We copied my sister who went for the MAIYU Magnetic Adhesive Locks which are quite handy, just don’t get cheap ones as they will constantly fall off and cause you more trouble than they are worth…

Water Time

Bath Time with a baby or toddler is really fun and exciting for them, but you also need to be cautious whenever children are in water no matter how shallow. For that reason I would list these items as must haves:

1. Bath temperature guide
2. Bath Mat (temp guide)
3. Baby bath
4. Toilet Lid Lock

When you have a newborn their skin is very sensitive and it can be hard to judge what temperature the bath water is, so a temperature guide is a worthwhile purchase and isn’t very expensive. We went for the Duckymeter which worked well and had good reviews, it would show us the water temperature with 3 Colors: Blue for Cold, Green for Just Right, and Red for Hot.

You can also get bath mats which tell the temperature, but if that isn’t for you I would still advise getting a bath mat anyway as it can prevent little slips which can be dangerous for toddlers.

For small babies a baby bath is recommended and these come in various shapes and sizes.

This Little Tikes Sparkle Bay Octo Hoops isn’t a safety must have but as we are on the subject of bath time I had to mention this fun toy which is very inexpensive and really keeps my son distracted while I wash his hair (which he hates)…

On the subject of water, babies can drown even in shallow water so it is advised to show caution even including the toilet. Whether you choose to keep your toilet door closed at all times or invest in a lid lock is down to personal preference, but if you do opt for a lid lock the Mommy’s Helper Toilet Seat Lid-Lok does the job. Just to note that when locked there seems to be a small gap on the toilet seat lid which could be potentially painful for a baby’s fingers if they get trapped. This has never happened to us but worth being aware of.

Health and Safety

It goes without saying that every house should be fully equipped with both a Smoke Alarm and a Carbon Monoxide Detector, and landlords are required by law to ensure that these are installed. But if you are due to have a baby it is worth making sure your detectors are all fitted and working. Some people also have small fire extinguishers installed in their homes which is worth considering. Also if you have a first aid kit make sure that it is in a locked box and kept out of reach from small hands. A Fireplace guard is also worth investing in if you require one.

Furniture Safety

Blind cord wind ups are also very important. It’s such a simple thing and yet it could save your child’s life. If you have blinds that could be within reach of a child, even if said child needs a stool to reach them, this is worth buying. Furniture edge guards are also handy if you have any tables or units with corners that your child could run in to, we bought the foam ones which were soft to the touch. Just be aware that these can strip the paint on your woodwork if you use them so do be careful and buy ones that do not have a strong adhesive if this will bother you.