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Jen Miller

Hey Mamas - Baby Proofing & Prime Deals!

Published over 1 year ago • 5 min read

Hey mamas!

This month I want to hit on a hot topic - baby safety and baby proofing. We’re long into the process of securing our home and there is still so much more I continue to learn! To that end, I am going to lead you to the experts on these topics so you can fully trust that the advice you are receiving is sound. My goal, as always, is to help make that information easier to find and ideally to digest.

Amongst all topics I’ve researched for my own parenting, this is the one that has led me to the most trouble. There is no shortage of information to be found. The problem I’ve encountered, and perhaps you have too, is that the information out there tends to be incredibly dense and difficult to get through.

Hopefully this will serve as a sort of cliff notes, cheatsheet for the top tips you need to know to keep your kiddo safe. And as always, if this topic isn’t your jam, hit up the archives where you’ll find past newsletters and all the free resources!


BABY PROOFING

When I thought about baby proofing, initially I only had in mind the little things that needed to be done around our home. You too? Turns out there's a lot more to consider - like knowing whether that new plant is toxic or what numbers to call in case of an emergency. The good news is that there are some pretty great experts out there who have put a lot of work into doing the thinking for us. Along with their extensive websites with loads of knowledge, you can also find very easy to follow checklists and cheat sheets. I’m sharing my favorites below!

Go-to Experts

Holy Choi - Safe Beginnings

Holy is a go-to expert for baby & toddler safety for parents in North America. She offers online courses, a safety blog, and my favorite, a really fabulous Instagram page. She creates a ton of very topic specific reels that answer every baby safety question one could imagine. If you like quick, consumable content, Holy is your gal.

Child Proofing Experts

This site was founded by the childproofing professionals of the International Association for Child Safety (IAFCS) (who knew such a thing existed?!). They are extensive. Thorough. Leave no stone unturned. You get the point. If you feel safer trusting the advice of accredited professionals then this is for you. You can also hire one of their professionals to come baby proof your home for you!

Checklists

Now, if you’re the kind of mama who prefers to cut to the chase. I’ve got you covered. I’m linking to three checklists, each a little different, that you can use to get to work. The first covers both what to safeguard in your home as well as additional need-to-knows around baby safety. The second has visuals that show you what to do in each room of your house. The third breaks down what steps to take as your little one grows. Take your pick!

Must Have Gear

If there’s one thing you know about baby proofing, it’s that it requires a lot of specialized gear. Cabinet locks, outlet covers, corner protectors, really the list goes on and on. I’ve rounded up everything you should need into one easy to shop Amazon list. All you need to do is click “add to cart”. Even better, if you shop between Oct 11 -12 you can take advantage of Amazon’s Early Access Prime Sale to score some pretty big savings (more on this at the end!).

Shop the list


BABY SAFETY

Beyond baby proofing your home there are a few additional safety precautions you might want to take to prepare yourself in the event something does go wrong, which, fingers crossed, it never will. But as they say, better safe than sorry.

The first and very easy step is to customize and print out these emergency safety sheets. Put them somewhere like on the refrigerator or a family bulletin board for quick reference.

CPR Class

I was very excited to learn that I could take CPR training at home, from my phone. The first link will take you to the app I used to do just that. If you prefer a desktop experience, the ARC offers one which I am sure is excellent. The last link will take you to a free 1 hour online class offered by our pediatrician. I also took this and found it to be quite helpful. You don’t need to be a patient all you have to do is sign up!

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Chances are, you know you have smoke detectors throughout your house. But do you know if you have carbon monoxide detectors? I honestly didn’t know either way until we started baby proofing. If you do find yourself in need of one for your home, below are three great options to choose from (&the first two are on sale!)

First Aid Kits

Before Libby we had a ramshackle bin of unhoused bandages, expired ointments, and unlabeled pills. Generally not the kind of thing you want to turn to in the event of an emergency. Now, we keep a first aid kit in every bathroom, in the trunk of our car, and I even have a small one (the last link) that can be tossed in the diaper bag. If you’ve been holding out on stocking up, now might be a good time.

Clean Products

One warning you’ll oft see repeated from baby safety experts is the need to keep possible poisons away from places baby can easily find them. That’s excellent advice that should definitely be headed. It also doesn’t hurt to swap out some of your more potent products for natural, non toxic ones. I’ve found several great brands that offer family friendly cleaning products that would be much safer to store under a sink than various forms of bleach. Below are a few of my favorites.


ABOUT THAT AMAZON PRIME SALE

Amazon has launched their “Early Access Sale”, a sneak peak at deals that we might see again around Black Friday. The sale goes Oct 11 - 12 and you can find quite a lot of baby and toddler items in the mix, from essential gear to toys, clothes, and more.

I’ve curated a few lists with products that offer significant discounts (20% or more) and also pass my litmus test for what I would also own or gift myself. Linking to each collection below. Happy shopping!



Missed previous newsletters? You can find the archive here.

  • November (nanny jds, checklists, photography, books)
  • December (travel tips part 1)
  • January (travel tips part 2)
  • February (3rd trimester & postpartum)
  • March (all things naps)
  • April (babysitters)
  • May (pool safety)
  • June (postpartum fitness)
  • August (daycare / preschool)
  • September (feeding & teething)

Looking for all the resources in one place?

Do you know mamas who would love this newsletter? Send me their email and I’ll add them to the list!

Got a tip / tool / document you want to share? Email me and I’ll loop it into a future newsletter.

Thanks mamas!

Jen


Jen Miller

Proud mama passing along tips & tools for other new mamas and sharing loads of free resources I'm creating along the way.

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