Baby Proofing

Congrats! You made it to 6 months! At this point, you’re enjoying full nights of sleep, solid foods and watching your little one’s personality develop. You have done a great job of establishing healthy routines and should be feeling confident in your parenting as you watch your baby achieve new developmental milestones! (If you’re still struggling with getting those consistent routines in place, don’t worry! Go ahead and order this game changing guide for 6-15 months now. The first order of business is sleep–once you’re all sleeping through the night, all of the other pieces start to fall into place and this book will guide you through it all step-by-step!) At 6-12 months, you’ve grown past all of the registry must-haves for newborns, so what do you need to have on hand now? Here are a few of my favorite baby products I used the most with my own 3 kids! Feeding Products Our five most used feeding items from 6-12 months were: Sippy cups – There are so many options and you will probably have to try a few to figure out which works best. Here are all of our favorites. This is the sippy cup that worked the best consistently with my 3 kids. Highchair – I wanted a highchair that was as easy on the eyes as it was functional. We found that this clip-on highchair worked best with our kitchen’s configuration. It does not take up any floor space, is easy to wash and allows our youngest to eat at the counter with her two older brothers. We also keep this one on hand for when we are eating outside.  Our youngest uses this one at our nanny share and if a clip-on highchair didn’t work in our space, this is what I would pick as our primary highchair. Bibs – Yes, I know they will end up with stuff all over them, but bibs should still be cute! We found that the silicone bibs irritated their necks and these are a cinch to wash. Plus, they have long-sleeved options for more protection! Spoons – These are my favorite for when you are feeding them. As they start to feed themselves, a shorter handle works better. I love these because they are flat and the texture helps to hold onto food. Check out this reel for a fun way to teach them to feed themselves! Sit to Stand Walker There’s a lot going on with this toy, but it’s something that will entertain and grow with your baby! My kids loved the music and different buttons to push once they were able to sit up and face the toy. As they grew, they learned to pull themselves up on it and use it as support to stand. The wheels lock so it doesn’t roll away until they’re ready. And then once they’re ready to start taking some steps, you can adjust the speed of the wheels to slow them down or speed them up. We got this sit to stand walker 6 years ago with our first baby and our third baby is still using it today! Bubbles Who doesn’t love bubbles?! So simple, but so entertaining. Plus they help with baby’s fine motor skills when they try to grab and touch the bubbles. Bubbles are also a fun way for an older sibling to play with baby! We love these bubble guns and bubble machine. Lovevery Subscription We were gifted a subscription to Lovevery’s Play Kits and I have been blown away with the quality of the toys and, most importantly, that my youngest actually plays with them! The toys in each Play Kit have been spot on for her age and stage. I also love that the toys are built to last and made with sustainably harvested wood, organic cotton, nontoxic paint, and baby-safe plastics. Sound Machine We’ve gone through a lot of sound machines and this is hands down, without a doubt, the best sound machine on the market. The sound is perfect, it gets loud and it’s built to last. We have replaced all of the sound machines in our house with this one. For a glance at all of Moms on Call’s favorite products (and available promo codes), visit our Products We Love page. We love partnering with you and your family to make birth through toddlerhood to bring you confidence, clarity and better sleep. We hope that these recommendations do just that! Crib Mattress Having a dual-firmness crib mattress was important to us! This simply means that the crib mattress has the extra-firm support that infants need on one-side and less firmness on the other side to provide the comfort that toddlers prefer. Other features we looked for were a waterproof cover and eco-friendliness. This mattress is made by one of the leading industry crib mattress manufacturers and checks all of our boxes (and then some)!

Accidents happen when our little ones begin to walk, run, and climb. It is super important for all caregivers to be prepared if an injury happens to their child or someone else’s child. How can you be prepared with first aid basics to best care for a child in an accident? Know what to do for common child injuries. Have a well-stocked first-aid kit and medicine cabinet. Know Infant + Child CPR and Choking Skills. How do I know what to do for common injuries and illnesses? The Moms on Call 6-15 Months Book is a great resource to have on hand (keep it in your medicine cabinet so you know exactly where to find it)! Take a First Aid Course. Moms on Call offers a First Aid Online Course that includes handouts you can print and keep in your first-aid kit to refer to at any time! Your pediatrician is also a great resource for minor injuries and illnesses. Their number should be saved in your phone. You should have the pediatrician’s name, address, and phone number on your babysitter sheet for all caregivers. In the event of an emergency, always call 911! Next, we will cover three common accidents that happen to children. Be Prepared with First Aid Basics: Falls Falls are the leading cause of injury among children, especially babies, and toddlers, as they are still learning movement control and balance. In our experience as nurses, most result in a bump on the forehead. There is little soft tissue on the forehead, so it usually looks like a big “goose egg” when the swelling occurs.  Try to apply ice packs to decrease swelling for up to 20 minutes. Getting a little one to stay still is tricky, even for a few minutes! This is a great time to turn on their favorite show to distract them while trying to keep the ice pack on the bump. Continue to observe your child after a head injury. Do not give any pain medication. If the pain is severe, call a pediatrician. Early toddlers often bang their heads against the floor to alleviate a headache. Look for that sign in conjunction with other symptoms, such as sensitivity to light, awakening, confusion, difficulty walking or talking, breathing abnormally, nausea, or vomiting more than twice. Seek medical care immediately if your child is showing any of these symptoms.  Be Prepared with First Aid Basics: Poisoning “Poison centers answer more than 1 million calls yearly about a child under age 5.” Safekids.org Poisoning happens when a child swallows cleaning supplies, a small battery, or medicine that could be found in Mom’s or Grandma’s purse. Always call the poison control center immediately if you think your child has swallowed a poison or other substance, such as medicine, that they should not have had. Do not try to give anything by mouth or try to induce vomiting. Do not delay calling poison control or 911. Make sure to keep all clean supplies, medicines, alcoholic beverages, and chemicals out of reached and locked! Be Prepared with First Aid Basics: Drowning Children ages 1-4 have the highest drowning rates. This doesn’t just happen in the pool but can happen around any water source, including the bathtub. According to Safekids.org, “Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death *in the home* for children 1-4 years old.” Never leave your child unattended in a bath, even run to another room to get your phone or a towel. Always drain the bathtub immediately when bath time is done.   Give your child(ren) your full and undivided attention while they are in the bathtub and around any source of water (pool, creek, lake, inflatable pool, ocean, bucket of water, etc.). Children can drown in a few inches of water. If you are around natural bodies of water, such as a lake or ocean, always ensure they have a life jacket on – this is important, even if they already know how to swim. Life jackets can also be used in and around the pool. Drowning happens quickly and quietly; there needs to be a designated adult watching the child(ren) around any source of water. Learn the life-saving skills of CPR! If a child does drown, you need to be able to respond quickly! Are you ready to become confident in caring for your child or someone else’s child in an emergency? Take the Moms on Call Infant + Child CPR, Choking, and First Aid Online Course! We even include quick reference guides for you to print to have on hand to refer to at any moment!