Babyproofing Your Home: A Comprehensive Safety Guide

For babies, everything in the world is new—and one of parenthood’s earliest joys is getting to see the world freshly through their eyes. But, by the same token, every new environment has its hazards. Protecting your littlest explorer means baby-proofing their surroundings, and child safety is no small task to tackle before your baby arrives!

No matter what type of home you have, hiding every cord, softening sharp corners, and completing repairs can understandably feel like an overwhelming task. If you don’t plan on hiring a professional babyproofing team, take a deep breath: you can tackle this project one step at a time, starting with the large tasks and moving down to the granular ones.

To kick off the process, we’ve assembled a babyproofing agenda organized from big, time-intensive tasks to the tinier to-do’s. By giving yourself plenty of time to baby proof your home—and getting curious about seeing the world from an infant’s point of view—you’ll be able to convert your space into a sanctuary your family will flourish in.

#1 Conduct an Inspection

Parents tend to be most successful in babyproofing when they give themself plenty of time and take an organized approach. Your first step if you want to child proof your home  is to conduct an inspection, taking notes and photos to ensure you have all your bases covered.

You can start your inspection by making a list of each room in your house. Then, be sure to take inventory (in a journal, on a digital notepad, or in a spreadsheet) of the following:

• Heavy objects or heavy furniture in each room
• Type of entryway in each room
• Any repairs or renovations needed
• Any special characteristics of the room (e.g. if it tends to get excessively hot or cold)

During your inspection, be sure to take stock of your home’s floors. Older homes may have nails or other inconsistencies that can harm babies crawling on the floor. If you have rugs in your home, you’ll also want to install pads beneath them to protect against slips and trips.

As you conduct your run-through, it’s equally important to take stock of your home’s age—houses built before 1978 may need to have painted walls and ceilings screened for lead. If your home is more than a few decades old, it’s a smart idea to research other inspections you may need to conduct to ensure your environment is safe for infants.

#2 Organize and Timeline Your Tasks

Revisiting your inventory, try labeling tasks from A to C:

• A – For urgent, time- or resource-intensive, and especially large tasks
• B – For less urgent but still time- or resource-intensive tasks
• C – For important but more easily managed tasks (like moving all of your medications into a secure cabinet)

Different people can feel stressed or overwhelmed by different projects, so there’s no “right” way to organize your priorities. The physical changes in your body, such as when you start showing pregnancy, are just as important to consider as the changes within your home environment. Adjusting your babyproofing timeline may depend on understanding these pregnancy milestones. Knowing your estimated due date, calculated easily with our pregnancy due date calculator, can be a key part of this preparation.

Regardless of which items you’ve labeled “A,” try breaking them down into smaller tasks. This way, each project will appear more manageable as you create a timeline before your baby’s arrival. You’ll also be able to delegate “chunks” to partners, friends, and family as you work your way through.

#3 Complete Repairs and Installations

After a few months with your newborn, you’d be surprised at how quickly they start crawling! Ideally, you’ll want to take care of any postponed repairs and renovations before they’re officially on the move.

As you learn to baby proof your home, consider whether you need to address:

• Broken, loose, or puckered floorboards
• Broken or damaged walls
• Faulty or broken windows
• Plumbing issues

You might also jot down which rooms contain fire or carbon monoxide detectors so you can later ensure these are all in working order.

#4 Stabilize Large Furniture and Tech

When you weigh under 20 lbs (as babies younger than 1 usually do), most objects are heavy, so it’s important to secure any weighty object and anchor furniture in your home. This includes:

• Bookshelves
• Cabinets
• Dressers
• Large mirrors
• TVs
• Stereo systems
• Entertainment consoles

Many furnishings can be secured with brackets or anchors, but some heavy items in your home may require professional services to secure. Be sure to also move easily-tippable objects and appliances from high shelves, or store them in a secured closet.

#5 Protect Your Entryways

From pinched little fingers to unchaperoned wanderings, there are many ways doors and thresholds can jeopardize infant safety. Safety gates are one of the most convenient ways to create secure boundaries for your child, especially if you live in a home with stairs.

Door knob covers and locks can also provide coverage, though these may be better to install a few weeks before your baby is born. You might also consider using a baby gate or door stoppers to lower your little one’s risk of getting their extremities caught.

#6 Buffer Sharp Corners

Most nursery furniture is designed to be soft and forgiving—but sharp corners run rampant in many other areas of the home. Corner guards are a newborn-prep essential when it comes to babyproofing and protecting your child in the first years of life. Similar protective tools include:

• Edge protectors, which use foam or rubber to buffer sharp edges
• Furniture guards, which cover edgy furniture to reduce hazardous impact
• Corner cushions, which pad furniture corners and edges

Just remember that it’s important to periodically check corner guards after your little one is born, as they may fall off or become less effective over time.

#7 Prioritize Nursery Safety

Newborns spend plenty of time sleeping (between 11 and 19 hours daily!), so making their crib a safe haven is a top baby-proofing task. To start, be sure to purchase a crib that’s safety-verified. You can also promote safety by:

• Checking for splinters
• Ensuring mattresses fit well
• Getting rid of any blankets or pillows (a smothering hazard in the first year of life)
• Vetting for any crawl- or fall-through spaces
• Securing any mobiles high above their crib (beware of dangling!)

Like corner guards, be sure to check their crib regularly to ensure it’s a safe place for them to spend time alone.

General Tips for Baby Proofing and Safety

Your final trimester may be the best time to take care of the more specific tasks—both structural and chemical—on your baby-proofing to-do list.

Be sure to check all of the following prior to your little bundle’s arrival:

• Remove dangling cords – Blinds, curtains, and any non-wireless tech that comes with cords can be a strangling hazard for curious babies. While window treatments can usually be remedied by tying up loose cords, consider investing in cord shorteners or protected cable organizers for any extra wires in your home. Decluttering cords can also lower the risk of trips and falls.
• Cover electrical outlets – Exposed outlets, especially those near the floor, should be covered with safety plugs and outlet covers to prevent electric shocks.
• Protect your windows – Window guards and safety netting are a priority in baby-proofing, particularly if you live in a higher-story apartment. You might also invest in window stoppers, which help ensure your windows don’t open more than 4 inches.
• Lock away small choking hazards – Loose change, buttons, office supplies, and the like should all be stored in secured drawers or cabinets. Keep an eye out for small objects like fridge magnets, which can easily dislodge (and blend in with larger furnishings and appliances).
• Store sharp objects – Audit your kitchen, home studio, and any other rooms that could have sharp utensils like knives and scissors, and store any sharp objects in a secured drawer. A few months before your due date, it might be helpful to get in the habit of storing sharp implements after use (rather than leaving them out).
• Put away medications – Vitamins, medicine, and other supplements can be moved and stored in a secure, locked cabinet or drawer.
• Sequester chemicals behind locked cabinets – Cabinets, particularly those containing cleaning or laundry products, should be secured by installing a cabinet lock for each to prevent spilling or ingestion. Be sure to double-check under kitchen and bathroom sinks and other areas where you store substances like bleach, ammonia, or disinfectants.
• Keep liquor out of reach – If you drink alcohol, it can be helpful to move all of your liquor into one area. You might consider storing perfume and essential oils well, as these can be hazardous if ingested.
• Create bathroom buffers – Toilet locks can help prevent toppling for infants exploring outside of bath time. It’s also a good idea to store electric bathroom products like hairdryers out of the bathroom or in a secured cabinet.

Preparing your home for your newborn’s arrival involves a range of tasks, from babyproofing to emotional preparation. For more tips on getting ready for a baby, including setting up your nursery and adjusting to new routines, additional guidance can support you through this transformative phase.

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Sarah Cacia

Sarah Cacia, currently leading as the Director of Business Development at Gateway Genomics, parent company of SneakPeek, brings an impressive blend of bioengineering expertise and clinical business acumen. Her extensive experience, marked by roles at renowned institutions like Genentech and UC San Diego's Cardiac Mechanics Research Group, underpins her deep understanding of biotechnology and clinical research. A UC San Diego alumna with a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering: BioSystems, Sarah's rich professional background empowers her to provide authoritative insights into the cutting-edge developments in the field.

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