Babyproofing Your Nursery
Designing your dream nursery isn’t just about choosing a cute or trendy theme & browsing Pinterest. While it’s easy to get caught up in all that fun stuff, you need to spend just as much time making sure it’s a safe space for your baby. Follow these 5 steps to create a safe sleeping environment:
1. Educate yourself
2. Follow safe sleep practices and recommendations
3. Go for minimalism
4. Get savvy about decor
5. Be present & enjoy the moment
1. Educate yourself
There are many blog posts about safety, make sure you educate yourself and follow recommended guidelines. Read some of these useful blog posts:
https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-baby-proof-your-nursery-2504923
https://www.childproofingexperts.com/checklist-for-babyproofing-your-nursery/
2. Follow safe sleep practices and recommendations
Do your best to reduce the risk of SIDS. For the first 6 to 12 months of life, infants should sleep in the same room as the parents, on a separate surface near the bed. This has a greater likelihood of preventing suffocation, strangulation or entrapment that can occur when an infant shares a bed with the parents.
Do not use a crib that is broken or missing parts or that has drop-side rails.
The crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard should meet current safety standards, check to make sure the product has not been recalled.
Never put your baby to sleep on a water bed, a memory foam, a cushion, or a sheepskin.
Decor pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, bumper pads, and stuffed toys can cause your baby to suffocate or overheat, remove them while your baby sleeps. Note: research has not shown us when it’s 100% safe to have these objects in the crib; however, most experts agree that these objects pose little risk to healthy babies after 12 months of age.
The pacifier should not be placed around the infant’s neck or attached to clothing, soft toys, or blankets as they may be a suffocation or choking risk.
3. Go for minimalism
There should only be 2 things in your baby’s crib/bassinet: a firm, tight-fitting mattress & a crib sheet. It’s tempting to make it look cute and cozy with lots of blankets, stuffed animals, and decor pillows, but they are all suffocation hazards for kids under 1 year old.
They are perfect PROPS for staged/product photos or nursery reveal/new baby pics, but should be all removed otherwise.
4. Get savvy about decor
Stick to lightweight artwork. Mirrors or heavy picture frames could seriously injure your baby if they fell. Avoid or place decorations out of reach with long strings, ribbons, or anything else that could pose a strangulation hazard. That includes nursery mobiles!!! Take yours down or hang higher before your baby can pull herself/himself up (usually around 5 months) and possibly get tangled up in the strings.
5. Be present & enjoy the moment
BOHO BABY HEAVEN – RECOMMENDED SAFETY GUIDELINES:
Nursery mobiles/bunting
Our nursery mobiles are NOT TOYS. They are lightweight, but strings may pose a choking hazard. Take yours down or hang higher before your baby can pull herself up (usually around 5 months) and possibly get tangled up in the strings. Your baby should not be able to reach it or play with it, only if you hold her/him in your arms.
Decor pillows, loveys, rattles
Decor pillows, comforters, sheepskins, bumper pads, soft toys, loveys, rattles can cause your baby to suffocate.
Note: research has not shown us when it’s 100% safe to have these objects in the crib/bassinet, however, most experts agree that these objects pose little risk to healthy babies after 12 months of age.
Baby Play Gym Toys
Strictly to be used under adult supervision only. The wooden beads may pose a choking hazard if damaged. Please make sure that you check the set every time before baby starts playing with it. Don’t let your toddler play with it and pull it apart, it’s meant for babies.
Bibs
Strictly to be used under adult supervision only. Never allow baby to sleep with the bib.
Picture credit: all pics can be found directly linked to source in my PINTEREST BOARD.
