baby proofing Archives - AKAMom Magazine

PROTECT YOUR TOT DURING SEPTEMBER BABY SAFETY MONTH & BEYOND WITH THESE TOP PICKS

wmanning — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 23:10:10 +0000

Keep Your Bundle Of Joy Healthy And Secure With Baby-Proofing & Safety Must-Haves from Prince Lionheart, Kinsights.com, Cozy Cover, and Difrax

With September Baby Safety Month in full swing, it’s time to think of ways to improve the welfare and security of infants everywhere. Rather than scramble to read every blog post and article for tips to better ensure your baby’s well-being, simply look to Prince Lionheart, Kinsights.com, Cozy Cover, and Difrax for baby-proofing essentials and safety advice. From a community forum of parents all offering tried-and-true infant safety tips to a pacifier rinser that keeps harmful germs at bay in the case of a dropped pacifier, the below picks will help keep baby secure and sound throughout Baby Safety Month and beyond.

Prince Lionheart’s Top Baby-Proofing & Safety Picks

Stove Guard Keep your tot safe from scalds and burns! The adjustable Stove Guard puts a barrier between your child’s fingers and stovetop hazards – hot pots and open flames. The heat resistant, poly-carbonate plastic adjusts to fit stoves 24in. to 36in. wide and can be mounted on the front or top of the stove. Features specially formulated adhesive tape that secures Stove Guard to your range and removes easily when no longer needed. Retails for $24.00.

Crib Rail Protector The perfect way to protect baby’s teeth, sooth tender gums, and prevent baby from ingesting harmful varnish. Made of an FDA-approved, Phthalate-free, and non-toxic soft plastic that easily slips over your crib rail to protect the tot’s new teeth and tender gums from nasty bumps and falls on hard rail edges. No adhesives are needed and it is easy to clean! Made in the USA, the Crib Rail Protector includes 12″ sections to cover a standard crib rail. Retails for $14.00.

Table Edge Guard Ensure your little bundle of joy is safe from sharp table edges with this 12 feet of impact-absorbing foam. The full-length double-stick tape easily adheres the Guard to sharp edges and removes quickly when no longer needed. You can trim the fire-retardant, non-toxic, and latex-free pieces to your desired length.

Cushiony Fireplace Guard The Fireplace Guard’s cushiony foam absorbs impact and lessens the chance of falls causing serious injury to young ones. Its full-length double-stick tape keeps it securely fastened and removes quickly and easily when no longer needed. Contains five 18″ sections (7.5 feet total) and two corner pieces that will accommodate most fireplaces. You may trim the fire retardant, non-toxic, and latex-free pieces to any desired length. Retails for $6.00.

Jumbo Edge Guard Features four 18″ sections (6 feet total) of impact-absorbing, fire-retardant, non-toxic, and latex-free foam that easily adheres to sharp edges to protect baby. Full-length double-stick tape keeps Guard securely fastened and removes quickly and easily when no longer needed. You may also trim the pieces to any desired length. Retails for $16.00.

Cushiony Corner Guards The perfect way to keep your little one safe from sharp corners around the house! These four Cushiony Corner Guards stick with ease to sharp corners using full-length, double-stick tape. Fire retardant, non-toxic, and latex-free, these baby-proofing Guards will protect the well-being of your little one.

Jumbo Corner Guard Keep baby safe from sharp corners! Four cushiony, foam Jumbo Corner Guards easily attach to sharp corners. Full-length double-stick tape keeps Corner Guards securely fastened and removes quickly and easily when no longer needed. Fire retardant, non-toxic and latex-free, the Jumbo Corner Guards retail for $10.00.

Pacifier Rinser Dropped pacifiers are magnets for dirt and germs, and that is why Prince Lionheart invented this product! Just place your Baby’s dirty pacifier in the spray shield and spritz the dirt away with clean water or antibacterial mouthwash. Unique design keeps clean and dirty water separated. Made in the USA, the Pacifier Rinser is also great for cleaning Baby’s face while you’re on the go! Retails for $8.00.

Faucet Extender Parents all know that a clean baby is a safe and healthy baby, so always keep cleanliness in reach with Prince Lionheart’s Faucet Extender. Washing little hands can be a challenge in and of itself, but this innovation allows tots to wash their hands easily by extending the reach of the water towards the front of the sink. Available in Gumball Green, Galactic Grey, Flashbulb Fuchsia, and Berry Blue, each faucetEXTENDER retails for $7.00.

Cozy Cover Safety Essentials for On-The-Go New Parents Portable Easy Seat For feedings outside of the home, parents of infants need a safe alternative to baby’s beloved highchair. The convenient Portable Easy Seat is the solution, as it always ensure baby has a secure seat for on-the-go meals. Whether the family is headed to grandma’s house, a restaurant, or social function, parents don’t need to worry about a highchair or booster seat. With its adjustable back design, it can convert any regular chair into a safe and reliable high chair. Also features a five point harness to make it worry-free to let your little one sit at the “big people” table, as well as its own carrying case for easy storage. For ages 6+ months, up to 35 lbs. $18.99

Keep Baby “Covered” In Any Weather

Lightweight Cozy Cover and Original Cozy Cover for Winter

The Lightweight Cozy Cover ($14.95) is the perfect infant carrier cover to use during breezy days. Compact and easy to store in a diaper bag or stroller pouch, the 100% polyester Lightweight Cozy Cover features a pullover flap that shields baby from the sun’s harmful rays, rain, wind, unwanted touch, and other unfavorable conditions. The original Cozy Cover ($17.95) is a must-have for parents out and about with baby during the colder winter months. Made from fleece and nylon, it is a warm and soft infant carrier cover that provides your baby the ultimate in protection from the snow, wind, rain and other harsh climate conditions. Both the Lightweight Cozy Cover and Original Cozy Cover are machine washable and fit around any infant carrier just like a shower cap! They also have zippers to allow for easy access to baby and child safety straps.

Ensure Baby Grows Healthy & Stays Safe from Colic With Difrax

5-Stage Orthodontic Pacifiers That Grow With Baby and Stimulate The Development of the Jaw and Mouth Muscles Make sure baby’s palate, jaw, and mouth muscles healthily grow and develop with Difrax’s Orthodontic pacifiers. Each collection comes in newborn (0-2 months), 0-6 month, 6+ month, 12+ months, and 18+ month styles that are specifically designed with different features and benefits unique to the needs of that baby’s age. The 12+ month is the first pacifier to encourage tots to break the paci habit, and the 18+ month pacifier is even designed to wean baby off. In addition, the unique butterfly shape, the result of years of research and development, allows for extra air circulation, reducing the risk of skin irritation and keeping the nose free. You’ll love all the fun colors and patterns available too!

Below is more information on the just-released Newborn and Semi-Solid Pacifiers:

Newborn

Difrax has a “newborn pacifier for premature babies from thirty weeks and for newborn babies (0-2 months). The shield of the newborn pacifier is smaller and the mouth piece is shorter than the mini pacifier (0-6 months). This means that the nipple doesn’t lie so far back on the tongue and newborn babies are more likely to accept the pacifier. These newborn pacifiers are not only suitable for premature babies, but also for full-term newborn babies. Once your baby is about two months old, you can switch to the mini pacifier (0-6 months) because the have a larger shield and longer nipple.

Semi-Solid

The semi-solid pacifier (12-18 months) is the first pacifier to encourage children to break the pacifier habit. The pacifier has a large shield and a semi-solid, thicker nipple that makes the way of sucking different. At 18 months, switch to an extra strong pacifier that has a completely solid nipple. This makes it less easy for children to damage the pacifier by biting.

Difrax’s Smart S•Bottle Reduces Colic & Is Safer For Baby’s Tummy

Although breastfeeding is best for your baby, it is your choice and bottle-feeding is a good alternative. This smart bottle can be used from birth and is ideal for combining breastfeeding and bottle-feeding. The unique S∙shape means that the bottle nipple is always full of milk and without air. Thanks to the valve in the base, your baby swallows less air and so has less trouble with burping, vomiting, colic and earache. The valve prevents a vacuum being created when baby sucks and ensures a constant flow of milk. Your baby can therefore feed undisturbed and then sleeps longer and more peacefully afterwards. As well as all these benefits for your baby, this bottle is also better for you. The S∙shaped design allows the feeding adult to sit in a relaxed, ergonomically sound position. There is less strain on the back and shoulders. Always hold the S∙bottle with the short side at the top when feeding your baby.

Keep Baby Safe with Kinsights.com There is no need to spend hours scouring the internet in search of baby safety advice and baby-proofing tips–the answers are all on Kinsights.com! Part parenting community and part online Pediatric Personal Health Record Keeper, Kinsights.com is a godsend to parents. It is a community where parents can safely seek and share answers to all their questions on baby safety, children’s health, and so much more. You can ask anything and Kinsights will find the right community members who can provide guidance. Kinsights even offers groups with similar interests their own pages, including single parents, grandparents, those interested in car seat safety, baby & kids fashion, potty training groups, and many more.

What’s really cool about this community is that it makes finding the best answers easy-community members vote up answers so the best content rises to the top. Kinsights also helps you keep baby’s health info safe and available at a moment’s notice in case of an emergency, as you can have the infant’s health records sent to the ER or out-of-town doctor in a snap. It is a great way to organize your child’s growth and developmental milestones, immunizations, medications, allergies, and more.

(LEARN MORE)

Prince Lionheart

Like what you see? Learn more at PrinceLionheart.com. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Cozy Cover

Like what you see? Learn more at Cozy-Cover.com. Follow them on Facebook and Pinterest.

Difrax

Like what you see? Learn more at Difraxusa.com. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Kinsights

Like what you see? Learn more at Kinsights.com. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

The post PROTECT YOUR TOT DURING SEPTEMBER BABY SAFETY MONTH & BEYOND WITH THESE TOP PICKS appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Baby Proofing 101

wmanning — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 21:21:53 +0000

By Daddy Nickell

As parents, we all look forward to the day our baby starts crawling and then walking. It’s such an exciting time. But the minute your baby becomes mobile, it’s time to begin the process of baby proofing your home. Baby proofing your home is essential to keeping your baby safe. Be prepared to baby proof the nursery, bathroom, kitchen, stairs, fireplace, and any furniture that could harm your child. You can even hire a professional child proofer to do the job for you. After 7 kids, I’ve done a lot of baby proofing as a parent. Here are a few tips to help you in the process:

Baby Proofing Must Haves:

Spout cover for the bathtub
Door stop edges to prevent doors slamming on little fingers
Corner guards for the coffee table and fireplace
Toilet seat lid lock
Outlet cover plugs or sliding switch outlets
Door knob locks to keep your little one out of off-limit rooms
Cabinet and door latches
Baby gates for stairs and areas that are off-limits
Safety straps/bolts for attaching dressers, bookshelves, and TV’s to the wall.
Radon, lead & carbon monoxide tests/detectors

Getting Started Baby Proofing:

Get Your Baby’s Perspective. Get down on your hands and knees and check out the view. The most effective way to ensure your baby’s safety is to take a baby’s-eye view of your home.
If it’s Hazardous, Lock it Up. Carefully lock up every potential poison, cleaning products, medicines, vitamins, and knives/sharp items. Use baby gates to limit your child’s access to areas of your home that might contain dangerous items such as a work area. Carefully dispose of old or outdated meds and watch out for hidden poisons in products.
Watch Out For “Chokeables.” If you have other children in the house that leave stuff laying around, always keep your eyes open for items your baby could choke on such as small toys, beads, coins, marbles, etc. If they don’t put it in their mouth, the nose is always the next best thing.
If It Can Tip, Bolt it Down. Thousands of accidents happen every year in the U.S. from large or heavy bookcases, dressers, and appliances falling on kids. Bolt whatever you can to the wall. Push items like televisions back from the edge of the furniture they’re on or move them out of reach, and then secure them, too. Keep dresser drawers and cabinet drawers shut. They make perfect ladders for little ones.
The All Mighty Safety Gate. The first safety item most parents purchase is the safety gate. They keep your little one within a designated room, and they block access to dangerous stairways and off-limit rooms (such as the bathroom or kitchen). The best gates are the ones that screw into the wall and have gate doors that open with a lever (never requiring an adult or child to have to climb over it). And never use pressure gates at the top of stairs as it poses another safety hazard if pushed.
Check Cords on Blinds and Curtains. The sad truth is a child can become entangled in a looped window cord and strangle themselves in a matter of minutes. Use cordless window coverings wherever possible, and avoid placing your baby’s crib near a window. If you have curtains with pull cords in your home, either cut off the pull cords or use cord shorteners or wind-ups to keep them out of reach.
Secure Your Windows & Doors. April is National Window Safety Month, and reminds us to prevent accidents in the home from windows. Always open double-hung windows from the top or fit them with locks to prevent small children from opening them. Low windows shouldn’t open more than 4”—window stops are available that can prevent windows from opening more than this. Window screens are not strong enough to prevent falls. To make windows safe, install window stops or window guards, which screw into the side of a window frame, have bars no more than 4 inches apart, and can be adjusted to fit windows of many different sizes. Always keep furniture and beds away from windows.
The 3 Home Imposters—Lead, Radon & Carbon Monoxide. Well before your baby is even born, consider having these tests done in your home. Lead, radon and carbon monoxide each silently and severely affect the health of not only your baby, but the rest of your family, too. Simple home tests can be purchased at your local home improvement store that can check for radon levels. Once results are available, you’ll know whether your radon level requires mitigation. A carbon monoxide detector is a simple detector, much like a fire detector, that plugs into an outlet and remains there—one on every level of your home is recommended. Call a state certified assessor or inspector to have your lead levels checked in homes built before 1978.
The Scoop on Emergency Numbers. Always keep important emergency phone numbers near your phone or placed somewhere visible, like attached to your refrigerator. Have every number listed including emergency, poison control, pediatrician, etc.

Baby proofing your home is an important job for the safety and well-being of your child, but keep in mind the best device is your supervision. And remember, as your baby grows, baby proofing will have to be re-evaluated a few times over.

Be safe and happy parenting!

Sincerely,

Daddy Nickell

Robert Nickell, aka Daddy Nickell, father of 7, offers his “5 cents” worth of advice to expectant and new parents. Daddy Nickell is the founder of Daddy & Co., delivery room duds and daddy gifts and apparel, and the Daily Daddy Blog which covers topics about parenting all from a Dad’s perspective.

The post Baby Proofing 101 appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.