what we used in our unit

big wooden playpen (2m x 2m, modular so we ended up using it as a 1m x 2m playpen) so good to have a safe zone and it was big enough for adult to be in there playing with her comfortably. Also took it on big outside gatherings/picnics.

safety gates on
- laundry door
- bathroom door
- office
- between kitchen and lounge
- pantry (i have all the knives in the pantry in a high drawer)
(kiddie first aid course said to put one on toilet door also, but i coudln't buy ENDLESS numbers of safety gates).

powerpoint plug thingies.

the C locks you buy at kmart, dreambaby and one other brand, can't tell them apart, same price. they break easily, so you have to keep buying them, but good for locking two handles that are close together (where two cupboard doors meet).

keep remotes in high drawer (i bought plastic drawers to do this, had no high up drawers).

keep pens, textas in a high cupboard (saves them drawing on your walls, saves you having to ring Poisons hotline).

keep tv on high cupboard

remove anything breakable that you might normally have out on display

ESPECIALLY put dishwashing tablets up high, they are fatal if swallowed.

do kiddie first aid course

fire blanket on display in kitchen, so easy to grab when needed

empty lower drawers of anything you don't want baby to get. instead, put teaotwels, oven mitts, plastic bowls, things you won't mind them touching.

special corner protectors on corners of cupboards, coffee table, if you have sharp 90 degrees corners at their eye height

be aware they will use ANTYHING to climb, e.g we had a sofa UNDER a breakfast bar, so miss bilby would climb up on the sofa and use that to grab anything left on the breakfast bar. so i moved the sofa to where it didn't give her an opportunity to get into danger.

adult exercise bikes are a danger to babies too.

if you sew, try to block off around that area, (pins that fall on the ground)

for the bath tub taps, you can get plastic knobs that go over the taps, so YOU can use the taps, but little hands can't. i got them at the Safety Shop at the local Children's Hospital.

you can also get items to make the stovetop and oven safe.

kids touch whatever they can reach, my DD burnt herself on a halogen globe, on a lamp, left on a 2ft high coffee table (at a PND clinic, that was supposedly child friendly!). so be very aware when you're not at home too.

when you're sitting down breastfeeding (if you do) or having a cuddle with your child, have your hot drink (coffee, tea whatever) in a travel mug, so you can't spill it (on you or bubs).

lock on kitchen under sink cupboard
lock on laundry cupboard
we put the hair products in the bathroom, up high
(to take care of the poisons). Remember daily used things like dishwash liquid, clothes wash detergent, are poisons too.

remember to do up your child locks
remember to shut your safety gates

and for the car, put an old towel, cot quilt over the babycarseat, to stop child getting burnt by the hot metal of the buckles. even if your car has a/c once you're going along, when you FIRST get into car, anything metal is VERY hot on a child.

so none of this is rocket science, but i was glad to have it all said to me, and reinforced, at the kiddie first aid course. i needed reminding, and a bit of a push to do things that i had THOUGHT of, but not followed up on them.