Before the babies are born or come home

 

Check all baby equipment for safety. A good resource is the booklet "The Safe Nursery" from the US Consumer Products Safety Commission.

Replace batteries in your smoke detectors. Consider buying a carbon monoxide detector.

Purchase two car seats appropriate for infants. Current car seat guidelines are detailed in the Twins Magazine Guide to the First Year. Install the seats in your car and get them checked for proper installation. The phone numbers to call to schedule a car seat check are:

• Colorado State Patrol 224-3027
• Fort Collins: Poudre Fire Authority 416-2897
• Loveland: Thompson Valley EMS Academy 669-1235
• Loveland Fire Prevention Bureau 962-2537
• Berthoud: Berthoud Fire Protection District 532-2264

Post the office number for the babies doctors near all phones in your home.

Begin the basics of childproofing. Install outlet covers. Move poisons and potentially dangerous cleaners to a safe place (garage. basement, locked high cabinets), and lower the temperature on your hot water heater to 120° or less to prevent scalding. Take an infant CPR class.

 

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When the babies become mobile

Once the babies can roll well, even before they can sit up or crawl, they can move quickly through a room. It is important to created a safe space for them so that you can answer a phone call, the front door, or do other tasks that might take your attention.

Select a room to create a safe space. This can be the living room or nursery .Once they can get out of their cribs by themselves, the nursery will need to be completely safe as well.

Measure room openings or other locations for gates, for example in front of the fireplace. For multiples, it is best to have gates that use hardware to mount into the wall rather than pressure gates because two or more babies together can easily push down a pressure gate. Good resources for gates are One Step Ahead (www.onestepahead.com)Safety First O and Babys R Us (www.amazon.com). Move freestanding lamps out of the gated area.

• Test all furniture to make sure it will not fall over if the babies pull on it or climb on it. Anchor anything that seems even slightly unstable to the wall. You can purchase tether straps specifically for this or use angle brackets.
• Relocate coffee table to another area or pad any sharp places where babies might fall and hurt themselves. Crawl around the room on your hands and knees to what is enticing from that angle.
• Check for sharp hardware under tables and couches.
• Put away anything the babies can reach that you do not want destroyed.
• Install cleats high on the wall to wrap mini-blind cords.
• Remove all plants from the gated area.
• Make sure all baby care products are stored in a high place.
• Install a barrier between the rails supporting your banister if an upstairs hallway is part of the safe area.
• Close doors and use inexpensive door knob covers (or old socks) to prevent babies from entering unsafe areas.
• Secure all electrical cords including the stereo and television.
• Clear all low shelves of everything except baby toys and baby books.
• If you have older children, make sure they understand the importance of keeping gates and doors closed. Frequently vacuum the area to pick up any small choking items.
• Secure sliding closet doors and bifold doors.