Expecting a baby soon? One of the best ways to get ready for parenthood is to prepare your home for your new baby. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when baby proofing your home.

1. The very first thing you need to do when preparing your home for the baby is to get down on your hands and knees and crawl around your home looking for danger. These hidden dangers could be underneath or behind your beds, couches, or shelves. This also includes pet bowls or pet toy storage.

2. When choosing paint for your little one’s nursery, make sure to choose something that doesn’t contain any volatile organic compounds or VOCs. These have been found to be linked to many adverse health effects and birth defects.

3. Babies spend about 16-18 hours a day sleeping. With that in mind, you want to make sure their crib is as safe and as comfortable as possible. The only thing that should be in the crib is a mattress covered with a tight, fitted sheet, and there shouldn’t be a gap between the mattress and the sides of the crib.

4. If you opt to purchase and install a baby monitor in your baby’s room, you need to make sure to place it a suitable distance away from the crib. It should be at least three feet away from the crib to avoid any accidents between the baby and the monitor and its cords

5. Avoid hanging any heavy artwork or mirrors above your baby’s crib, and do not place your crib near a window or air vent in the nursery. You must also avoid using floor lamps or curtains that hang to the floor because as soon as babies become toddlers, these things will certainly become a hazard.

6. Make sure that your diaper changing pad is secured properly on the changing table. While we’re at it, make sure to have your diaper pail within reach so you can always have one hand on the baby as you reach for a fresh diaper.

7. Remember to buy and install all the baby proofing materials you need. This includes outlet covers with sliding outlet plates, a cover for all sharp corners in your home, anchoring all furniture to the wall to avoid tip-over accidents, and so on. The earlier you do this, the better, as it might forget as the days become busier.

8. Make sure to secure all the dangerous areas in your home. So this means you should put gates at the top and bottom of your stairs, have your cooking and cleaning supplies and appliances out of the baby’s reach, and so on.

9. Make sure your home has working smoke detectors and at least one carbon monoxide detector. A smoke alarm should be installed over the door to the nursery, as well as in every other bedroom of your home.