How to Keep your baby safe when they start crawling 

The average age for a baby to start crawling is around 8 months. You will find that some babies start crawling earlier. Once your baby starts crawling the next step is, they start to pull themselves up on chairs, the sofa, and tables and more. Your baby will also start crawling towards things that are dangerous so these will need to be covered to keep your baby safe i.e. plug sockets, wires.

A lot of parents wait till their baby starts crawling before they baby proof everything which then leads to a panic so it’s probably best to baby proof your home as early as possible as you will be busy with your baby during the newborn stage.

Now that your baby is crawling it might be best to start bathing them every day. as they are going to start getting a lot messier bath time will now be different so here are a few tips to help.

• Put a non-slip mat in the bath as your baby will be pulling themselves up on the side of the bath and the last thing you want is for them to slip and hurt themselves.
• When filling the bath make sure the water is just enough to cover your baby’s legs, you don’t want to put too much water in.
• Never leave your baby unattended at any point always stay with them.
• Make sure you only put your baby in the bath when the water is warm. Always check to make sure it is not too hot.

Now your baby can move about in the bath you might want to make sure you have tap covers so they cannot play around with the taps, you might also want to buy a bath seat that you find most suitable for your baby.

You will need to think about moving things out of reach in your house that is dangerous for your baby.

Here are somethings to make your home safer for your baby.

• If you are living in a house, then you might want to think about installing stair gates to stop your baby from crawling up the stairs or down them and having a fall.
• You might want to make sure you have child locks for the cupboards in your kitchen to prevent your crawling baby from getting into them.
• Also move any electrical cords out of the way.
• Make sure before you put your baby on the floor to let them have a crawl that there is no small objects around for them to put in their mouth as all small objects are a choking hazard.
• If you do not have a stair gate for places like the bathroom and kitchen keep the door closed as they are classed as danger rooms.

Preventing baby from getting burns

• Do not carry your baby while doing any cooking
• Do not carry hot food or drink and your baby at the same time
• Keep all hair straighteners, curlers, and hair dryers out of reach of your baby
• Keep hot food and drinks away from the edge of your counter or anywhere that your baby can reach.
• Keep all lighters and matches in a locked cupboard
• Make sure your pan handles are turned towards the back of the hobs
• Make sure all your appliances are turned off when you have finished using them

When your baby is sleeping in their cot

• Do not hang toys that are a hazard over your baby’s cot
• When your baby starts pulling up put their mattress in a lower position in their cot
• Do not leave toys in your baby’s cot
• Avoid using soft, fluffy bedding such as pillows or comforters under your baby while they are sleeping.

While your baby is crawling about, they might get their fingers trapped in the doors so you might to think about getting doorstops to prevent them getting their little fingers trapped.

It is also good to get window locks or guards as they will start pulling themselves up.

Never leave your baby unattended.   

source- https://www.ameliawilliam.com/blogs/amelia-william-baby-clothes-blog/baby-crawling