These are some of the things that I discovered were essential:

• Don’t smoke around the baby. Don’t let anyone else smoke around them either, don’t let them even cuddle the baby for 20 minutes after they have had a cigarette.
• Don’t let the room temperature get too hot. If you can comfortably wander around in a t-shirt – the room is warm enough.
• Don’t cover the baby in too many clothes for sleeping, or too many blankets. Remember if you fold a blanket in half then it is like using 2 blankets. If you fold it into quarters, you now are using 4 blankets.
• Make sure you are using a new, hard mattress, and you don’t need a duvet or pillow for a baby.
• Soft furnishings with lots of soft toys, cot bumpers etc, look lovely, but they are not necessary, and could infact be a suffocation risk. Ties on bumpers can be pulled by a baby.
• Make sure the cot or bed is the right size for your baby, that the rungs are not too wide that they can get limbs or their head stuck, and that they are tall enough so your baby cannot climb out.
• Fold the blanket snuggly around the baby, and tuck it in at the bottom, and the sides, under the mattress. This way it will stay in place much longer and not ride up around the baby’s head.
• Always place the baby ‘feet-to-foot’ in their crib or cot. This means, place them with their feet right at the foot of the cot. I thought this looked strange at first, and it really wasn’t what I expected. However, it makes total sense. This way the baby will not wriggle down beneath the blanket. It is so much safer.

Here are two pictures, the 1st shows how not to place your baby for sleeping. The 2nd shows the feet-to-foot position. The left hand side is the top of the cot and the right hand side is the foot.

You can see how in the 1st picture, the baby has lots of room to move down underneath the cover, but in the 2nd, if the baby wriggles, they will move up, and away from the cover. This is so much safer.

If you are planning your baby’s room or looking for nursery furniture take a look at these great deals.

These are some of the things we bought before baby was born – but really didn’t need to!

• Bottles
  We bought the Avent steriliser and extra avent bottles. However, our baby just couldn’t get used to the bottles. We bought Dr Brown’s bottles on recomendation from our midwife. They worked a treat. They fitted in the steriliser – so at least we didn’t waste our money on that!
• Food/bottle warmer
  Milk needed to be cooled down, not heated up! So no need for this. It was still in the cupboard in it’s box, unused when he got to his 2nd birthday.
• Crib/cot bumper
  We bought one, put it in the crib. It looked fantastic. Then read that they shouldn’t be used for babies. They can be dangerous, in that they can increase the risk of suffocation or the baby can get caught in the ties. We took it out, and again put it in the cupboard where it stayed.
• Fleecy blanket
  We bought cute fleecy baby blankets. Anything fleecy is not good for the baby. They need breathable blankets. That don’t have bits that can come off.
• Soft toys
  Baby had his favourite soft toy. He never even looked at the others. And friends and family bought him that many toys when he was born, why did we buy so many before he was even around?
• Baby bath, shampoo, and talc
  We thought we needed all these things. Most are still in the cupboard. Plain water is needed for bathing a new baby, and a single bottle of top-to-toe wash cleans them – as the bottle says from top-to-toe!
• Bath thermometer
  This sounded really useful. We kept buying new ones though. The ones we bought just weren’t up to the job and just didn’t work for long. In the end sticking your elbow in the water to test the temperature was a much better way.

Any other things you bought and just never used? Please comment…

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Which bouncer would my baby like the most?

Well, I plumped for a simple chair bouncer for £25. It had a few little toys on a removable bar across the front for him to play with. At first he didn’t want to play with the toys anyway, so I just didn’t use it. Later on he loved to kick and punch them, listening for the squeaks and rattles.

The bouncer was probably one of the best buys we made.
It was cheap and cheerful, the baby loved it, and most importantly, we could put him somewhere safe while making a cup of coffee, nipping to the loo, or answering the door. It didn’t need all the bells and whistles that some bouncers have – I don’t think he missed out!

Baby swings
The other option would have been to get a baby swing. Some of these are also suitable right from birth. They tend to be more expensive, prices starting at about £50, but they have more things built into them. Varying swing speeds (I always thought the swinging was manual, but you choose a speed and it swings automatically) toy bar and toys, some have songs and music.

The final decision was about space
The final decision not the buy a swing was about space. Swings seemed to take up much more space than conventional bouncers and we had a small living room. So a bouncer it was!

Baby walkers
As he got older and more mobile he needed something a bit more stimulating and fun. I knew baby walkers were not recommended. I had heard stories about babies using them to walk over to tables and bookshelves and hurting themselves on things they shouldn’t touch. I also read that they don’t help babies walk, and in fact do the opposite! Anyway, he was too young for a walker – he was no way near walking or wanting to.

A “Doorway Bouncer” was next.
I wanted to get him one of those swings that attaches to a door frame. Everyone seems to call them a ‘door bouncer’ – not that the door bounces! They looked like loads of fun. We searched the internet for one that was strong and safe. Advice on the internet said babies can use a doowway bouncer from when they can support their head – about 4 months old. It proved to be brilliant fun – he giggled and laughed every time he went in it. At first I was a bit nervous about getting him into it, his Dad helped and everything was fine. When he was really little I wouldn’t have liked to get him in and out on my own. You seemed to need someone to hold the swing, while getting his legs and arms in the right place. As he got older and more robust – it was easy enough.

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Newborn Baby Checklist

Going out

• car seat for newborns
• pram or pushchair, designed for newborns. Pushchairs are only suitable for young babies if they have fully reclining seats which let the baby lie flat.
• raincover for your pram or pushchair
• baby carrier(also called slings). These are attached with straps and your baby is carried in front or behind you.

Sleeping

• crib, carry cot or Moses basket, with a firm mattress
• bedding – 4 sheets  (cut down larger sheets or buy special crib/basket ones) and 2 lightweight blankets

Bathing

• Baby bath (Any large, clean bowl will do as long as it’s not metal. (We used a washing up bowl – our baby loved it) Or you can always use the sink, but remember to wrap a towel round the taps for safety.
• 2 Soft flannels
• 2 Soft towels (with hood if preferred)
• Mild “Baby bath” solution
• Baby hair brush and comb
• Baby massage oil
• Cotton wool balls
• Bath thermometer (optional)
• Two towels, the softer the better.

There’s no need for special baby towels, unless you want them, but keep the towels for your baby’s use only.

Changing

• Reusable nappies
• Cloth nappies
• nappy pins;
• nappy liners
• plastic pants – about four pairs,
• either tie-on or elasticated.
• a bucket with a lid
• nappy sterilising powder or liquid

Disposable nappies

• 2 pkts Newborn size
• Wipes, or cotton wool
• cotton wool
• a plastic changing mat;
• baby lotion or baby wipes – you can use plain cool water in the house but wipes are handy when you are out
• a bag to carry all the nappy-changing equipment when you go out.

Feeding

• Comfortable chair for night-time feeding
• You may find a V shaped cushion comfy when feeding

Breastfeeding

• Breast pads
• Nursing bras

Bottle feeding

• six bottles with teats and caps
• sterilising equipment;
• a bottle brush;
• infant formula milk – (check the sell by date if you are buying this in advance)

Clothing

You won’t know for certain what size to buy before you baby is born. However she will grow into any that are too big, and you can send someone out to the shop to buy smaller ones if needed

• six baby gros for both day and night
• two cardigans, wool or cotton rather than nylon, light rather than heavy – several light layers of clothing are best for warmth;
• four vests;
• a shawl or blanket
• a woolly or cotton hat, mittens, socks or bootees for going out if the weather is cold –
• a sun hat for going out if the weather is hot or the sun is bright.

Washing baby clothes

• If you use a washing machine, don’t use enzyme (bio) powders, as they may irritate your baby’s skin.
• Always rinse very thoroughly.
• Fabric softener may also cause a skin reaction.

Optional accessories:

• Digital thermometer
• Pacifiers /dummies
• Sun shades for the car window

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Take a close look around your home. Look at your home from your point of view and from your new baby’s point of view – this does mean getting on your hands and knees and crawling about! If you are heavily pregnant – get your partner to do this bit! You will notice different things this way – the cat’s litter tray, the waste paper bin, the stone frog sitting by the fire…. 

Child and baby safety – 13 things to look out for in your home:

1. Where are chemicals stored? Bleach, household cleaners etc
2. Toilets – can a toddler get into your toilet?
3. Taps – can a toddler reach them and turn them on?
4. Staircases – this sounds obvious – but don’t miss it out. You don’t need to worry about staircases until your baby starts to move about on her own – but better to be safe than sorry
5. Sharp edges on tables and other furniture – look for furniture at child height and below – like coffee tables
6. Electrical appliances – does your toaster or kettle cord hang over the worktop, can any appliances or appliance power cords be reached? Where do you keep your electric razor, curling tongs, hairdryer, mobile phone charger, headphones. In the modern world – the list is almost endless.
7. Plug sockets – it’s amazing how many you have – count them and count again – it is easy to miss one or two out – and they are usually at a perfect height for little fingers.
8. Heavy furniture that could fall on your baby – bookcases, lamps, entertainment units, CD towers.
9. Window blind cords – do they have loops that can get caught round a child’s neck? I was alerted to this danger when my cat got caught in the cord of my window blind!
10. Sharp utensils – where do you keep your knives?
11. Doors that lock on the inside – like the bathroom or toilet.
12. Choking hazards – anything that is small enough for a baby or young child to put in their mouth, do you have any decorative stones, pot-pourri, candles.
13. Look for broken items – these could be your things, or your child’s toys. Throw away anything that is broken.

Once you are aware of potential danger-spots -  you can remedy many of them simply.

Sometimes de-cluttering and tidying up will eradicate many of them. Removing items (if only until your child is old enough to not use them as a toy) and putting things out of reach are two more ways of child/baby proofing your home (remember anything that is moved higher up like onto a mantle-piece – make sure it cannot fall). Any toys or books that are for your child – make sure they can reach them easily.

Using child safety products does help protect our children and gives us peace of mind. Try these great safety products

See our other articles on baby safety.
Baby and child safety in the home – useful information
Child safety products that can help prevent injuries to babies and young children

Safety latches and locks for cabinets and drawers

To prevent poisoning and other injuries check the contents of all your cupboards and drawers.

Especially check kitchens and bathrooms, but also remember anywhere that you keep dangerous items. Knives, gardening products, medicines, to name a few.

Remember toddlers are good at climbing – even when you think they can not do something – they often can! Toddlers are curious and determined – they will use things to climb onto to get to where they want to go.

Tip: In the garage or storage shed, store all weed killers and chemicals in a locked cabinet and place the key in a location where your child cannot find it.

Corner and edge bumpers
Check any item of furniture that a baby or young child could fall or run into. Coffee tables, fireplaces, TV stands

Plug socket covers
Little fingers will investigate given the chance use covers to help prevent electrocution. My toddler showed me where a socket cover was missing, and told me it was ‘all better’ when I had put a cover on. But what if he wanted to play with it and not be so safety conscious?

Safety gates (also known as stair-gates)

These help prevent falls down stairs and to also help keep children away from certain areas at certain times. You can use them on their bedroom for example to stop them venturing out at night, or on the kitchen to stop them wandering in where there are numerous dangerous things at the best of times, let alone when you are cooking.

Door locks and latches
These help prevent children from entering rooms and other areas where there are potential dangers. Make sure any extra locks or bolts you fit are higher than a child can reach.

Door stops
These can prevent a door from slamming or trapping small fingers

Don’t forget a fridge/freezer lock or toilet seat lock

Don’t answer the phone or the door if it means leaving your baby / young child unattended.

Smoke detectors
Even without a baby in the house, these are an essential bit of home safety kit. If you contact your local fire brigade, their fire safety officer will often supply and fit a smoke detector for you.

Remember to check your smoke detectors regularly to make sure they’re working – a detector that doesn’t work is as useless as not having one.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector
Use these if you have any gas products in your home to prevent CO poisoning.

Window guards and safety netting
These prevent windows from opening more than a couple of centimetres, (they probably are a good security measure too) to help prevent falls from windows, balconies, and landings. Netting will help falls into ponds and pools.

Remember to check windows that are close to the ground, like patio-doors and French windows – - could a running toddler or small child break them?

Cut window blind cords

There seem to be more and more horrific stories in the press of young children getting trappein window blind cords. Don’t let your child get caught – it is much better to cut the cord or replace it with a safer method like safety tassels.

This article is intended as food for thought only. It is every parent’s responsibility to make sure their child is safe. Please take home safety seriously – but remember – DON’T HAVE NIGHTMARES!

Using child safety products does help protect our children and gives us peace of mind. Try these great safety products

See our other articles on baby safety
Baby and child safety in the home – useful information
Child and baby safety – 13 things to look out for in your home

Every family and every baby is different, but this is what we put into our baby nursery

First things first – your baby will need somewhere to sleep.

But where to start – Cots, cribs,  cot-beds, Moses baskets ?

We chose a crib for our room for the baby’s first 6 months. We really didn’t want to get up go to his room for night feeds. Also advice says that the safest place for your baby is in your room by your bed, in a crib or cot. (For the first 6 months anyway.)

We put off buying a cot until he was going to use it. Newborns are expensive enough!!

Mobile
We bought a mobile for above his cot. He loved the music and movement of the animals as it turned around. Newborns are supposed to see black and white shapes the best.

Changing table
The last thing you want to do is bend down on the floor to change your baby – especially if you have just given birth. A good safe changing table with a comfy changing mat proved essential time and time again.
We had a changing table upstairs and down – to make life easier for us!

Drawers for clothes, towels, bedding
It’s amazing how much room his clothes took up. We only had a few vests and baby-grows before he was born. Friends and family all bought him gifts and the chest of drawers in his room soon filled up.

That’s really all we had in his baby nursery. As he has got older, teddies and soft toys have taken over his cot. His drawers of clothes are overflowing – despite numerous trips to the charity shop. The mobile had to go – once he could reach it – it was too much of a temptation for him! Sad for us to remove it though – his baby days were going so fast!

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Group
Car seats are all grouped – which do I need?
Children grow at different rates so it’s important to know roughly how much your child weighs, so you can change seats at the right time.   The different weight categories are:

Swivel function
The seat rotates 90 degrees for easy access to seat your child

Safety harness
A single pull adjuster strap tightens or loosens the straps simultaneously to secure your child.

Forward facing
Children aged approximately 9 months – 11 years can face the direction the car is travelling

Base recommended
For maximum safety and confidence of fit

Impact protection
For extra safety and additional side impact protection for your child

Rear-ward facing
Babies from birth to about 9 months approx have to face the opposite direction the car is travelling

Adjustable head support
Adjustable headrest which you can alter as your child grows.

Machine washable
Has a machine washable cover that can be easily removed.

Recline position
The seat tilts to help your child sleep more comfortably. Don’t use the car seat as somewhere for them to sleep for long periods, but they will nod off when you are driving!

Isofix
Isofix secures the car seat safely to the car chassis, minimising the risk of incorrect seat installation.

For more on Isofix car seats see our article

Great deals on baby and child car seats and carriers

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Remember that young children and babies still need to be supervised even if safety devices are installed. You’d be surprised at how inventive kids can be!! Our son tried bashing the newly fitted stair-gate with his toy hammer – that desperate he was to try and open the gate to get up the stairs! Of course I was alerted to him doing this by the sound of ‘bang, squeak’ ‘bang, squeak’ with the toy hammer going at full pelt.

The first thing I would recommend you do is take a close look around your home. Look at your home from your point of view and from your new baby’s point of view – this does mean getting on your hands and knees and crawling about! If you are heavily pregnant – get your partner to do this bit! You will notice different things this way – the cat’s litter tray, the waste paper bin, the stone frog sitting by the fire…. Have a look at our articles  on child and baby safety in the home and child safety products.

Once you are aware of potential danger-spots you can remedy many of them simply. Sometimes de-cluttering and tidying up will eradicate many of them. Removing items (if only until your child is old enough to not use them as a toy) and putting things out of reach are two more ways of child/baby proofing your home (remember anything that is moved higher up like onto a mantle-piece – make sure it cannot fall). Any toys or books that are for your child – make sure they can reach them easily.

No amount of de-cluttering will be enough though, some things will need child safety products fitting to make them safer.

Using child safety products does help protect our children and gives us peace of mind. Try these great safety products

See our other articles on child and baby safety
Baby safety products that can help prevent many injuries to babies and young children
Child and baby safety – 13 things to look out for in your home

Buying a car seat is one of the most important purchases you will ever make for your baby.

It will probably first be used to take your new baby home from the hospital. Nervous as you might be about taking your new youngster home – you don’t want to worry about whether you have the right car seat. 

The most important thing to remember when buying you baby their car seat is; safety, safety, safety.

It is easy to look for a seat that has passed European safety standards, but this alone is not enough. (Car seats must conform to the European safety standards ECE R44.03.)

Not all car seats fit all cars and a secure fit is crucial. If you are buying your car seat online, make sure your car is listed as a model that your chosen car seat will fit in to.

You can test the seat at many large superstores , these stores often help with the installation of your new car seat, as will many smaller independent shops.

Children up to and under 1.35metres (and under 11 years) need to use either a car seat or a booster seat.

For more information on the rules that came into force in September 2006 on car seats, see the Child Car Seat section of the Department for transport website

Some car seat safety tips

• NEVER use a child’s car seat on a passenger seat where there is an air bag fitted
• NEVER travel with a child unless they’re strapped into a car seat.
• NEVER strap your child into your seat belt with you – in an accident, you would crush them.
• NEVER  modify a child seat, it’s fitting, the harness, or buckle to make it fit your car.
• NEVER use a rearward-facing car seat on the front passenger seat
• Your child seat should rest firmly on the main seat, with little or no movement.
• Check that you cannot get more than two fingers between the harness straps and your child’s chest: tight enough to be sage, but still comfortable.
• The harness buckle should lie on your baby’s pelvis, not tummy.
• Regularly check fixed car seats to ensure that they haven’t worked loose. Pull on the harness of the seat to test thoroughly.
• NEVER modify a child seat, it’s fitting, the harness, or buckle to make it fit your car.
• NEVER buy a second-hand car seat – as you do not know for sure the history of the seat.
• NEVER use a seat that has been involved in a crash, no matter how minor.
• Watch out for unsecured objects in the car that could be dangerous – in an accident, a tissue box flying off the back shelf has the impact of a house brick.
• If you have to use the front seat with an older child, (who is in a forward-facing seat) push the passenger seat as far back as possible from the dashboard.
• Use a car seat for all journeys, however short. Even if you don’t own a car you’ll still need a car seat for when you get a lift from friends or take a cab.

Fitting the car seat – things to remember

• Read the instructions carefully – remember up to 80% of car seats are fitted incorrectly
• Always try before you buy to make sure it fits your make of car
• Practice fitting theseat a few times before you need to use it, you don’t want to be wanting to take your new baby home from the hospital, but are delyaed because you can’t fit the car seat!
• Fasten the seat into the car as tightly as possible. There should be no slack or loose seatbelts
• Adjust the harnessfor a snug fit against the child’s chest
• When correctlyinstalled, the car seat should not move or slide around excessively

For more information on children’s car seats and safety have a look at the RoSPA website http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/

Great deals on car seats and carriers

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