Babies love to chew on everything, so make sure wires and leads are out of harms way

Now that you have a baby on the way it’s time to childproof your life – start early to make sure you’re ready for the arrival. You need to cover or fill in every hole, attach everything that’s loose and rid of anything that poses any threat to determined little tots. Always keep in mind that babies don’t understand the consequences of their actions and just because they couldn’t do something yesterday doesn’t mean they can’t do it today.

In the kitchen
Get down on your hands and knees and look at the kitchen from your little ones perspective and you’ll see what needs to be modified. Burns and scalds are one of the most common child accidents in the home. To help prevent burns to little hands from hot oven doors fit the Transparent Oven Door Guard from Clevamama (£22.99, www.kiddicare.com). The heat resistant screen drops the temperature on the surface of your oven door by up to 50 per cent and takes less than a minute to secure with the suction pads. “Children are naturally fearless,” says Martina Delaney from Clevamama. “They like seeing themselves in the reflective glass on oven doors and will often press their hands and face against the oven without realising it’s hot”. Use with the Clevamama Oven Door Lock for extra peace of mind that your inquisitive little one is safe around the oven. “All children go through a phase when they are like a magnet to corners,” says Martina. “Use cushiony corner guards instead of the traditional plastic ones, the cushions really make a difference to the many bumps they will get while they are trying to steady themselves on their feet. And it will certainly reduce the number of tears”.
To be extra cautious fix a kitchen hob guard – if your child manages to turn on the rings he won’t be able to touch them. Although these won’t stop your child opening the grill or oven doors so to be extra safe, turn the oven off at the mains.

Home, safe home
Never let your baby play or use a baby walker near or on the stairs and get stair gates at the bottom and top. Fit window catches and glass safety film to glass doors, low windows and patio doors so if your child does manage to break the pane, any glass will be held together when it shatters. Put safety catches on any cupboards and drawers within reach of your baby, otherwise they will invariably pull them right out and on top of their head. Doors become lethal around babies, use a hook attached to the back of the door which slots into a ring on the wall to stop them closing shut.
Even if you don’t use it, keep secure fire guard screens in front of any open, gas or electric fires, use one that goes all the way around the hearth. And make sure the grill is too small for your baby to poke their fingers through. If you have an open fire look at the small burns in your carpet to see how far the embers can jump, and don’t let your baby sleep or play there. Always store matches, lighters and cigarettes way out of reach.

Still learning
Babies learn by putting everything in their mouths, they also have very narrow throats and their teeth are still developing, they have to learn how to chew, swallow and breathe – in the right order. You need to be especially vigilant about leaving small items like jewellery and coins around the home. Check any new toys for removable parts and never give your baby toys meant for older children.
Don’t leave your baby alone in a high chair, carrycot or bouncing chair even for a few seconds, if they start rocking it could tip over. Keep the chairs away from worktops, mantelpieces or anything your child could pull off and play with. Make sure they are strapped in securely with the harness tight enough so they can’t slip down and get it stuck round their neck. 
Be careful of overdressing your baby in bed, newborns can’t regulate their temperature yet and are vulnerable to overheating. If you’re unsure ask your midwife for a TOG rating chart. Every item of bedding and clothing is allocated a TOG number and by adding together the TOG numbers of the vest, stretchsuit, nappy, socks and any other layers, you can make sure your baby is warm enough without overheating.
Ensure you always shut the bathroom door, and as your baby gets older fit a small bolt high up on the outside of the door. It’s a good idea to fit a toilet lock to stop them diving in headfirst and always turn taps off tightly and take the plug out. Keep all toiletries and make-up on a high shelf, out of reach.

Garden safety
When your child is in the garden it’s best to stay with them at all times. But secure your garden first by checking gates, holes in the hedgerows and any gaps in the fences. Remove any poisonous flowers or berries as well as spiky hedges and plants. Fence off ponds and waterbutts and ask neighbours to ensure they make theirs safe. Make sure any stacks of logs or paving slabs that might be around are unattainable; to a baby they look like a great climbing frame.