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There are so many things for moms to worry about these days. From SIDS to falls to car accidents, it’s enough to make you crazy. But there are some things you can do to protect your children and ease your mind.
A baby monitor is one of the things many moms will ask for on their baby registries. Some monitors will only help you to hear your baby cry when you’re in the other room, but there are some monitors that can do a lot to help ease your mind, especially with all of the new SIDS guidelines. Some baby monitors have a video screen so you can watch your baby sleep. It may be beneficial to you if you worry about how your baby is doing when you’re not in the room. But video monitors don’t help at night when you’re sleeping, so what’s a worried mommy to do? What my husband and I bought for our son is the Angelcare monitor by BebeSounds. It has a movement sensor with an alarm that sounds if it doesn’t detect any breathing in 20 seconds. Since they don’t know exactly what causes SIDS, a monitor like this can alert you if baby stops breathing – early enough so that you can call Emergency Services and attempt to revive him.
You may be the best driver in the world, but there are loads of crazy drivers on the road. A good car seat is invaluable. Do your research on safety ratings and product recalls before ever purchasing a car seat, particularly if you are buying one used on eBay . Be aware of car seat expiration dates. Ask your seller if this information is not in an eBay item description. Always make sure your car seat is properly installed; if you are unsure, check with local agencies that offer car seat safety checks. Some local police or fire departments perform these as a free service. If you’re in an accident, you don’t want to take the chance of having an unsafe car seat. And if you are in an accident, even if there is no major damage, you must buy another car seat, as the seat’s integrity may be compromised.
When your little one starts moving around, you’ll want to guard against household accidents. Some common accidents you’re probably worried about are falls, burns, electrical shocks, and poisoning. You’ll want a safety gate at the top and bottom of your staircases. There are special gates you can buy to protect your baby from your fireplace and other precarious places. You’ll want to put outlet covers on all of your unused electrical outlets to prevent little fingers from getting shocked. When cooking on the stove, keep all pot and pan handles turned in so your little one can’t grab at a handle hanging over the edge of the stove and overturn a boiling pot of water on himself. To prevent poisoning due to accidental ingestion of household cleaners, medicines, and other toxins, invest in plastic locks or guards for the cabinets in which you store any of these items. You may want to consider switching to some non-toxic cleaners as well.
As they get even older, you may want to consider an ID kit to help identify your child if, God forbid, your child ever went missing. If your child has any medical conditions such as diabetes or allergies to certain medicines, a medical alert bracelet could provide important information to medical professionals.
We can’t keep our children in plastic bubbles, but we can take steps to protect them. Knowing that you’ve done everything you can to keep your child safe should help to ease your worried mind.
That’s me: Christina Gleason. I’m a writer, editor, and disability advocate. I'm a multiply disabled autistic lady doing my best in this world built for abled people. I’m a geek for grammar, fantasy, and casual gaming. I hate vegetables. I cannot reliably speak, so I’ll happily conduct business over email or messaging instead.
