Tips to Avoid Changing Table Mishaps

As a parent you will have quite a few new worries that pop up as you travel this journey. One of which may be worrying about your baby falling off of the changing table.

We have put together several tips that you can use to make sure that there are no mishaps with a changing table.

Restraint

When you use the changing table make sure that you actually use the child restraint that comes with. This means that the child will have an extra layer of protection when you are changing him or her. The restraint is designed to make sure that the child is not going to be able to move around a lot when on the table. In other words, the child will be able to stay in place while being changed.

Inspection

Before putting your changing table to use you need to inspect it. You want to make sure that no pieces of the table have become weak or loose. This is something that is very common with collapsible tables. This means that you should not put your child on the table until you have inspected it thoroughly. If you see any problems, then you will need to get someone to repair it immediately. It is not recommended for you to try to fix it yourself, because you could be putting your child’s life in danger.

Supplies

Put all of the supplies that you need in order to change the baby are within your reach. It is never a good idea to leave your child unattended when you have him or her on the table. This is because a baby could roll off the table and get serious injuries like a fracture or a concussion. Therefore, you will need to be able to reach for all of the supplies with your arm. This is the best way that you can avoid having to leave your child unattended.

Hazards

Take care and make sure that there are not any dangerous items within the baby’s reach. This includes things like open pins, creams, bottles, or any type of small things. It is a good idea to store all of these things inside a drawer. If you leave these things on the table, then the child could reach for them and put them in his or her mouth. This is something that could cause a child to choke if you are not around.

Attention

Maintain the baby’s attention during the whole process of changing. Babies are going to have a lot of energy, so they are going to want to wrestle when they are getting their diaper changed. Some babies might try to crawl away, fuss, or even cry during this time. In order to minimize the chances of a child’s getting injured, you will need to keep his or her attention. A good way to do this is to play some music in the background or give the baby a toy to play with.

Routine

Make sure that you have some type of routine for the procedure of changing the baby. If there are any changes in the routine, it can be very stressful for the baby. You can use this time as a chance for the baby to interact with new things, and you will need to support him or her so that process becomes familiar. This is the best way to allow the child to feel like he or she has some type of control and security. Plus, your baby will learn what to expect when you are changing his or her diaper.

Supervise

It is very important that you are always supervising the child while he or she is on the table. This is because the baby is not going to understand what it is like to be in danger. Babies are very curious about everything that is going on in the environment, so they are going to want to explore it. The more mobile a child is, the more adventurous he or she is going to be. This means that the child is going to be a lot more dangerous to him or herself, so your supervision is crucial.