When Should I Start Baby Proofing?

We recommend newbie Mommies and Daddies to start baby proofing their homes ahead of time and well-before taking their little muffin home from the hospital. This will give you time to get acquainted with the new baby proofing measures around the house and to spot weaknesses in your baby proofing strategy.

• Baby Proofing during Pregnancy: You might not realize it, but you never know when the moment will come to rush to the hospital. Baby proofing your home ahead of time, means you’re ready at any moment! 

• Baby Proofing while at the Hospital: Mommies need time to recover. Make sure your partner is well-informed on the importance of baby proofing and the protocols that you decided to implement. This way both parents are informed on how to properly protect your baby when your little arrives home.

• Baby Proofing throughout the First Year: You will need to baby proof your home daily. You might think you’ve covered all the danger spots, but as your little grows, they’ll find new ways to get into trouble. Make calendar events for you and your significant other to review and improve your home’s baby proofing periodically. We suggest baby proofing your home every 2 weeks during the first six months. Then, as your baby starts to walk and get into all sorts of wonderful trouble, I suggest reviewing your baby proofing home plan every week!

Create a Digital Baby Proofing Calendar or Checklist for Your Family

The excitement of welcoming your little muffin can be overwhelming. New parents often run out to the store and buy everything they can possibly think of to baby proof their home.  

To help your family save money and not buy unnecessary baby proofing items, it’s important to get organized first!

Use our Ultimate Baby Proofing 101 Checklist! This guide will tell you everything you need to know about baby proofing your home.  

We worked hard to make the most thorough checklist possible, but each home, family, and culture has unique needs in baby proofing.  So, you still need to walk around your home and share ideas with your partner and family.

This allows you to make sure you are building on our guide to create the ultimate baby proofing checklist for your home. 

Remember, the more personalized a baby proofing checklist is, the better it will fit your lifestyle and needs.

Let us know in the comments below!

Plan with Your Significant Other 

Communicate early and often with your significant other and assign each item on your baby proofing checklist to one parent or family member. That way you don’t purchase anything twice. 

An easy way to get organized is to have a baby proofing “to-buy” list synced with both your devices, that way if one of you buys something, they can sign it as done, avoiding mishaps. You can do this by using Google Docs or by creating a note on your Notes app, then adding your partner as a collaborator. 

You could still opt for the more traditional pen and paper, but always remember to let your partner know whenever you cross something off the baby proofing list because, unfortunately, your piece of paper won’t be synced to your partner’s! Make sure to also take a picture of it, just in case you lose it.

Another app that you’ll want to learn how to use is the Google Calendar app for baby proofing purposes, which can be very helpful in creating recurrent events, such as checking the smoke detector’s batteries, or weekly baby proofing check-ins to see if there’s anything that needs improvement.

Use this calendar from A Muffin in the Oven for automatic notifications on when you can do your check-ins to see if there’s anything that needs improvement.

Get the Siblings Involved

Getting the whole family to be involved in baby proofing also means discussing it with your baby’s older siblings, especially if they’re old enough to handle coins or bobby pins. 

This is also an amazing way to start giving your slightly bigger muffins some responsibilities around the house: assign each of them a room to regularly check, so they can help out Mommy and Daddy while keeping their other siblings safe by baby proofing!  (Like a good teacher, just remember to check all their work!)

Where to start baby proofing my home?

We recommend that you start baby proofing from the room in which your baby will spend most of their time. We suggest to start like this:

• Baby Proof your Newborn or Toddler’s Crib and Nursery Room
• Baby Proof your Newborn or Toddler’s Changing Table
• Baby Proof your Newborn or Toddler’s Playtime Area
• Proceed to Baby Proof every single room and corridor one by one.

Baby Proofing Your Baby’s Crib and Nursery Room

When baby proofing your newborns’ crib or nursery, be sure to:

• The gaps between the rails should be narrow enough: your baby’s head shouldn’t be able to fit between the rails!
• Make sure that the crib is sturdy and strong. Proper assembly will prevent assembly failure or crib collapse.
• Pick a crib with brakes.
• Make sure that their crib doesn’t contain objects that could cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SID).

• Remove all items such as pillows or stuffed toys from the crib before putting down your baby to sleep.
• Your baby’s crib should be far from other pieces of furniture.
• Make sure any plugs or electrical sockets behind the crib are not accessible to your baby.
• We suggest to remove any electronics near your baby’s crib and to not keep any electronics plugged in near your crib which can help prevent fire.
• Baby proof your baby’s nursery area by keeping their lotions and wipes out of reach, as they may be tempted to chew on them.

After baby proofing your baby’s crib inside and out, you’ll have much more peace of mind!

What If I am Co-Sleeping or Bed Sharing with my Newborn or baby?

It’s your choice to decide between bed sharing or having your baby sleep in their own crib. If you choose the latter, we want you to be prepared for baby-proofing regardless of your choice!

During co-sleeping or bed-sharing, we suggest baby proofing your bed to create as safe an environment as possible for your newborn or toddler. Consider: 

• Setting up bed guards on all sides of the bed; this will guarantee a better and worry-free sleep for both babies and sleep-deprived newbie parents. As we say here in Italy, Sogni d’oro!

• Making baby sleep in the middle! Just remember that this is not a fool-proof solution.  When two parents are in a deep sleep, it is easy for the baby to scooch, roll, or crawl off the bed, which is why we previously suggested bed rails. 

• Don’t trust your hands when you sleep: some parents try to hold onto their babies.  Although some mommies and daddies are light sleepers and will wake up when their baby begins to scooch, roll, or crawl, many parents are heavy sleepers and do not wake up. We do not advise holding your baby as a solution.

Whether baby sleeps in his crib or with you, make sure to soak in the moment and admire the tender little bundle of joy while they sleep.  Time goes fast!

Baby Proofing your Baby’s Changing Area 

Face it! You’re going to use this area a lot. When I say a lot, I mean at least 5 to 10 times per day.

Naturally, you’ll want to make sure that the changing area is baby proof:

Again, we suggest starting early. At the latest though, make sure to start baby proofing the changing table before your baby starts rolling over, so you are not caught unprepared.

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• Place your changing pad on a steady changing table or dresser. 

• Keep the area clear of distractions that can be dangerous. For example, remove things that your baby can pick up or break.

• Select the strategic distractions you want your baby to pick up!  When you’re changing and they begin rolling around, you’re certainly going to ask yourself, “How Can I Keep My Baby Still While Changing their Diaper?” Hint:  A strategic soft, plush toy may help!

• Use baby proof containers with lids for creams, liquids, or lotions.

• Use a drawer or baby proof container for sharp objects like nail clippers or other baby tools you may need when you’re at the changing station.

• Stay away from creams or other items that use glass containers.

• Designate a baby diaper and wipes location. Pro-tip: You don’t want to be caught with a messy situation and no ammunition to combat the stink! Be Sure to Refill often!

• Place the dirty diaper bin or trash can in a strategic position and out of your walkway.  Helpful Tip: Muffins smell great. Baby Diapers don’t! Baby Proof and Stink-Proof Your Home by choosing a good dirty diaper bin that seals the diapers and keeps the smelly odors in the bag!

• Keep the walking path to your changing station clear: you will often need to wake up in the middle of the night and you don’t want to trip or fall as you are walking.

These preparations will help you gather everything you need in one place and be organized, so that when you start to change or lay down your baby on their changing mat, you’ll have everything you need. This is so important to baby proofing because You cannot leave them unsupervised for even one second if you forget something. 

Baby Proofing your Baby’s Playtime Area

During playtime:

• Make sure that all of their toys are age-appropriate and bigger than their mouths. 
• We suggest to stray away from toys that have small parts and choking hazards stitched onto them. 
• Buy from reputable brands and stores who have tested their clothing for potential hazards and chemicals.
• Do your own tests to see if your baby’s toys are safe enough.
• Your baby’s toys should be stored in a safe toy box, with holes in them or with lids that can be easily opened from the inside, in case your baby falls inside of them.
• Don’t fill up the higher shelves in baby’s cabinets: baby toys can fall out upon opening!

Get a toy bag where you can throw all the loose toys into when you’re in a hurry, keeping your walkway safe and clean. Remember, you’ll be carrying your baby often, so baby-proofing your home often means baby-proofing your walkways for adults!

• Consider baby proofing the floor by covering it with anti-slippery rugs or play mats, that can also be fenced. 
• If your nursery has tile or wood floors, consider a fun alternative to cover the floors and help prevent your baby from falling, hurting, or getting pain from the hard flooring: try the to the classic jigsaw puzzle play mats with numbers and letters or the ones with cities or jungles on them. These play mats usually have detachable parts, such as cars or animals, making them more interactive and fun for your sweet baby.

Baby proofing the baby’s playing area will make playtime even more fun and worry-free for both baby and parents!

Baby Proofing the Bathroom

The next area that needs baby proofing is the bathroom, so it’s ready and completely safe for baby’s first bath.

Baby Proof your Bathroom by following these suggestions:

• Try installing a non-slip bathtub mat. 
• Consider locking the toilet seat’s cover with a safety lock, to avoid accidents.
• Your bathroom could be dangerously slippery so make sure to never leave your baby by themself.
• Install a handheld thermometer in the bathroom (and each room) that can allow you to quickly check if the ambient temperature is right for your baby.
• Install a thermometer for the bathtub that can help you detect water temperature!  (The good old elbow or hand trick works fine too!). Just remember that when taking baths, the ideal temperature should never exceed 120°F.
• Baby proof the area around the bathtub by removing shampoo bottles and such, when it’s baby’s turn to take a bath.

Baby Proofing the Living Room

Here is how to effectively baby proof your living room:

• Baby proof all your dressers with corner or edge bumpers.
• Watch out for batteries and appliance chords! They should be hidden away and out of your baby’s reach (as they can choke or stumble on them). 
• Empty outlets should then be covered with outlet covers, preferably with those that require two hands to be opened.

• Vacuum as often as possible, especially under the sofa, as you may have missed some small objects while baby proofing, such as bobby pins, safety pins or needles.

• As much as those indoor plants may look amazing with the rest of the decor, you might want to consider baby proofing or moving them out of baby’s reach, especially cacti or other plants with thorns. Your little muffin’s unbounded curiosity could even lead him to play with your plants, or worse, eat handfuls of soil.

• Check that your windows are baby proofed and hard to open. For more safety, you can install window guards.
• Watch out for your blinds’ chord loops or pull strings: these can act as a choking hazard for your baby.

Baby Proofing the Kitchen

It is recommended to keep your baby away as much as possible from the kitchen: stoves, pots, and pans containing hot water and other danger items might slip and fall, not to mention the pointy objects such as knives and forks that could be lying around. 

If you want to teach your toddler how to bake or cook, it is best to do some baby proofing in a designated area, in which they can learn Mommy’s yummy recipes in complete safety.

Here are some tips on how to baby proof your kitchen:

• make sure that your dishwasher, oven and washing machine are closed all the way through, or secured with appropriate baby proof locks. 
• Remember to not put any dishwasher soap or pods, unless you’re ready to run the dishwasher. 

• Consider eliminating tablecloths or place mats. Babies might pull them and have cutlery or dishes falling over their fragile heads.

• We will say this twice: Avoid putting knives or other sharp objects by the edges of your tables or countertops.

Dining with Your Baby

Here is one that comes from the heart! When I had my little, I always ran into dangerous moments when I had them with me at the dining table. So I made sure my family adopted a new place setting etiquette that went hand in hand with my Baby Proofing goals: 

• Set your forks and knives above your plate, where they are out of arm’s reach of your baby or toddler.

• When you’re done eating, do not place your fork and knife and 5 o’clock, as the age old rules of etiquette claims. Now you’re thinking in mode of baby proofing: when you’re finished eating, place your utensils above your plate.

• Do not leave knives or sharp objects near the edges of the table.  Place sharp objects far out of the reach of your curious toddlers.

Baby Proofing the Common Areas of Your Home

• Make sure all your rooms have working doors and locks.  
• Ever had your fingers clipped when closing a door? Install Door Stoppers on any doors that have large spaces between the doorsill and the door, which can prove to be very dangerous for your baby’s precious little fingers.
• Use baby gates or fences to block any staircases on both sides. You never know when your little might go rogue and disappear from your sight. A fence is a key baby proofing element to prevent your baby from falling down steps or stairs.
• Consider a fence to block the passage to rooms that you don’t want to baby proof for the time being.
• For the second time, cover all electrical sockets with electrical socket covers.  Check out ours! (future reminders).
• Install locks even on empty drawers.  Babies often open drawers and grab whatever is inside. This is especially dangerous in the office, where drawers may have scissors or box cutters.
• If you live in a place that allows guns and ammunition, you must keep these in a 100% locked and concealed compartment, far out of reach from your baby, in a locked and concealed compartment.
• Don’t overstuff shelves and cabinets to the point where things can fall out upon opening.

• Lock away all chemicals and household cleaning items. Just a tiny amount of alcohol could give your baby alcohol poisoning, so storing detergents with toxic and potentially poisonous chemicals somewhere out of your baby’s reach or locked in a closet is a very important part of the baby proofing process.
• Consider using all natural cleaners and household products for even more safety.
• Keep medicines far out of reach and locked away from your infants and toddlers.
• Check your smoke detectors and your country’s required in-home safety devices. Then put in a monthly recurring baby proofing events on your phone’s calendar so you’ll remember to check the smoke detector’s batteries regularly, as well as the fire extinguisher’s conditions.

Choose Safe, Baby Proof Clothing for your Baby

Our sweet little muffins live, play, and sometimes even chew their clothes, so verifying that they are completely safe and baby-proofed is really important.

Common dangers lie in that some companies irresponsibly use toxic chemicals, like lead, in their clothing. Other companies irresponsibly use poor quality snaps that can easily break and result in a sharp object or choking hazard that puts a baby at risk.

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Your baby proofing strategy must call for choosing safe, ethical, and quality baby clothing.

At A Muffin in the Oven, we commit to making sure we have covered every base when it comes to children’s safety.  All our clothing is free of toxic chemicals and ethically made, using the highest quality components, all of which have been tested for child safety. 

As a few quick highlights to help give you confidence in choosing baby proof clothing:

• Always check your baby’s clothing. 
• Avoid Drawstrings and cords where possible. They can pose a strangling or choking hazard. 
• Choose clothes that are organic and free of toxic chemicals. 
• Inspect your baby’s clothes and, where possible, try buying clothing from brands that have tested their clothing and meet flammability regulations from the USA or Europe.  Our clothes all pass these regulations and tests.  

As Moms and Dads, it’s our job to protect our little ones, and we don’t take this responsibility lightly. At A Muffin in the Oven, we vow to craft only the best and safest clothes for our babies, and yours. That’s why all of our baby and toddler clothing meets and exceeds every international regulation or benchmark for children’s safety. 

Check out how we make sure that our clothes are safe for your baby below.

Our Signature Collection has been thoroughly tested and passed the highest safety standards, and is available all year round. We tried pulling out those drawstrings and buttons ourselves so you don’t have to do it!

Finish up Baby Proofing by looking at the world from their point of view…

Finally, to check that everything is baby proofed and in place, crawl around the house to check if you missed any potential hazards while baby proofing — which is easier to do when you’re looking at your home from their point of view. While doing this, keep in mind that babies will touch anything within their reach, and will most likely try to put it in their mouth: they don’t know what is dangerous for them yet, and it’s our job to protect them from anything that could potentially harm them, by baby proofing the entire house.

This activity can also double as an unconventional yet fun workout for Mommy and Daddy!

…Or from other people’s point of view

In South Korea they use square-shaped wall cushions, or cute fence-looking ones for baby proofing purposes. They cover the walls of their baby’s playrooms or nursery rooms with these fun and super duper soft cushions. We think that it’s a great way to add some personal touches to your baby’s nursery, while baby proofing it. Who says that baby proofing should look plain and boring?

Meanwhile, in Japan they don’t only baby proof closets and drawers, but even refrigerators as well! Which makes sense considering that they can be containing jars made out of glass or opened wine bottles. It would be unfortunate to have a tipsy baby walking around the house.

One thing that surprised us is how independent kids in Denmark are, and how early they get accustomed to be so. There seems to be no notion of helicopter parenting, and baby proofing doesn’t really seem to be a thing. 

“I must breathe so that my child can breathe, too.” states an expat American mom that lived in Denmark for a couple of years.

In case you haven’t been taking notes, we created a practical and printable baby proofing checklist that you can download below.

Baby Proofing Checklist 

Baby Proofing Your Nursery Room:

• Secure crib
• Install bed rails or bed guards
• Secure changing table 
• Keep baby’s toiletries out of reach

Baby Proofing Your Playtime Area:

• Verify the toys’ size
• Look out for small detachable parts
• Check that the toys are age appropriate
• Baby proof toy boxes or sacks
• Secure the whole area with non-slippery baby play mats or rugs

Baby Proofing Your Living Room:

• Place baby gates by the stairs and off-limits rooms
• Strap furniture in place
• Take care of chords, outlets and batteries

• Install smoke detectors (far from the bathroom and kitchen to avoid false alarms)
• Be equipped with a fire extinguisher
• Remove blinds with loop chords
• Make sure that plants and vases are out of reach

• Lock cabinet doors with magnet or safety latches
• Keep medicine and cigarettes locked in drawers
• Install window guards

Baby Proofing Your Bathroom:

• Put an anti-slippery mat in the bathtub
• Make sure that the rugs are also non-slippery
• Check that bathroom door lock works
• Secure the toilet seat with locks
• Be equipped with baby bath thermometers
• Move all detergents in a locked closet

Baby Proofing Your Kitchen:

• Remove all tablecloths and table place mats
• Baby proof garbage cans with locks 
• Always keep the dishwasher, washing machine and oven locked

Other things to remember when baby proofing:

• Always find a safe place if you have to leave your baby unsupervised for a moment
• Never take medicine in front of them
• Regularly check your smoke detectors batteries 
• Vacuum regularly to avoid having small objects such as bobby pins lying on the ground
• Every rug in your home should be baby proofed with non-slip pads underneath it
• Add your baby’s pediatrician number on speed dial 
• Discuss about baby proofing with older siblings
• Store guns and ammunition in different baby proofed locked drawers

Other baby proofing tips from mommies and daddies around the world:

• From Japan: Baby proof your refrigerator with locks
• From South Korea: Apply 3cm wall cushions in baby’s nursery or playroom

Let us know what you think and give us your own personal tips and suggestions by signing up and commenting below. Or tag us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @amuffinintheoven.