How New Parents with Disabilities Can Keep Their Baby Safe
Newly expecting parents have many different challenges that they will have to face in the relatively short term. Your baby will arrive in nine months, and there are a wide range of tasks you will have to accomplish before your family expands. This occasionally can be a source of stress, particularly for first-time parents, or those with disabilities of their own. The best way to lessen the stress is to start preparing early and to utilize all the resources at your disposal.
Courtesy of Just Ask, here are some ways you can make it easier to prepare to become a parent, as well as several online and local resources that can help you feel more comfortable.
Start preparing for your baby’s needs early
You’ll need to start stocking your house with all the things you’ll need for your baby, like a crib (which is the safest place for your baby to sleep), diapers, strollers, wet wipes, toys, and so forth. It’s also a good idea to buy yourself some nursing clothing items that will help you stay comfortable while making it easy to feed your baby.
Protect your baby from sharp edges
The next thing you will need to do is take steps to ensure the safety of your baby. Babies have delicate skin that can easily become damaged, so make sure that all sharp edges in your home are covered up. This includes the edges of cabinets, the corners of counters, and even the feet of your furniture if the legs of your chairs are square or rectangular. This will ensure that once your baby starts crawling, they will not accidentally run into something sharp and injure themselves.
Along the same lines, make sure that everything that is potentially dangerous (or can be easily broken) is put away. This may require you to change the overall design scheme of your home; however, small knick knacks and loose paraphernalia like shiny coins can easily attract the attention of a small child, who may put them in their mouth and choke. Furthermore, try not to keep valuable or breakable objects on the edges of counters or tables – any unexpected sudden impact could cause your things to fall off of their resting place and break, scattering sharp, dangerous pieces of glass, pottery, or plastic. Instead, try to fill your home with soft surfaces, or keep your valuable and breakable things in an adults-only section of the house until your child is older.
Look for the small things that could still be dangerous
Also be sure to look out for things that seem nondescript to you, but could easily be dangerous to a small child – let electrical outlets. ZenBusiness points out how easily a fire can be started by overloaded outlets, so make sure you’re using a surge protector and not plugging in too many things at one time. Additionally, block unused outlets with protective caps, avoid leaving wires and cables on the ground where your baby could get tangled, and, if you have a wheelchair, try to not leave it in a place where your child could get caught in the spokes of the wheels.
Finally, keep your house as clean as possible, paying particular attention to your floors. As your child learns to crawl, they will spend a lot of time in close proximity to the floors, so keeping them clean will help ensure your child stays healthy. If you have difficulty standing for long periods of time to clean the house, you can ask a friend or loved one to help you out. There are also resources, like Through The Looking Glass, that can help parents with disabilities raise their children or provide them with classes to become the best parents possible.
Getting ready to become a parent is difficult, particularly if you have a disability, but if you begin planning well in advance, you will find the process becomes much easier. Remember: focus on your baby’s needs and safety. And if you need assistance of your own, never be afraid to ask!
Just Ask seeks to assist individuals, particularly those with Disabilities and Senior Citizens, in securing life sustaining resources for the Improvement of their financial and survival status. Call (800)-323-5336. Article By Ed Carter
Photo Credit: pexels.com
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