The Caregiver's Checklist

This came up recently in conversation, and I realized how much knowledge and information about infants I assume (yes- assume) everyone else knows. Since I'm OCD and a control freak - especially with Chase- I know the list of rules/suggestions/methodology is staggering... but... important.

In a perfect world everyone would be certified for infant CPR (i.e., 30 compressions using your pointer & middle finger over baby's heart to every 2 breaths covering baby's mouth & nose, to the speed of the song "Stayin' Alive" or "Everyone Bites the Dust") Or know how to respond if baby is choking ( Choking First Aid Five & Five method- start with 5 back blows with the butt of your palm, baby supported head/face down on your thigh, then alternate to 5 chest compressions until object is dislodged) - those are just the basics. Recognizing the signs of them being necessary are another story.

Other safety things I took for granted as common knowledge are as follows:

• Back To Sleep - I've heard so much about this the past 5-10 years that I guess everyone knew as well. This is not the case though, and have realized many who have never really been around children, or not in the past 10 years or so- haven't been aware of this movement and "rule." It has been shown to reduce SIDS by about 50%- even though they aren't sure exactly why. It is something I'm not willing to question too much in the gamble. 
• Other sleeping rules - when leaving for bed/naptime- not putting any blankets, toys, stuffed animals, etc in with him. If it's cool then I dress him in a long-sleeved sleeper (like overnight with the fan on high), or during the day I just turn the fan off. Watching Chase on a normal day, he is infamous for pulling stuff on his head, shoving things in his mouth, etc. So many dangerous possibilities that can happen in a matter of minutes.
• Warming milk. This cannot be done in the microwave! Aside from who-knows-what that it does to the breastmilk, it can scald it, and in turn hurt the little one. Both in the hospital, and here at home, the best method is by placing the bottle in a larger cup and running warm/hot water over it until the milk warms. On the same note- baby needs to eat the milk within 30-60 minutes- anything after that has to be discarded. It cannot be reheated or refrigerated afterwards. 
• Solids- generally speaking I'm going with unless you are specifically asked to feed him solids, do not give him ANYTHING other than what was approved by Mom & Dad. Sometimes it's about not having tried for allergies yet on new foods, or the chances of possibly choking on something -especially when not paying attention every second- is high. There are guidelines to introducing new foods that can be important, so unless you know exactly what is approved, please don't give it! 
• Honey! Absolutely  no honey for baby until after 1 year old. That also goes for chocolate, cow/soy milk, etc. Choking hazard foods include small, round, harder foods like grapes, berries, nuts, popcorn, anything soft & sticky, etc. 
• Toys- please don't allow baby to play with anything other than his approved toy stash- sometimes the most innocent looking kitchen tool or random house item can be dangerous. A spoon can easily be jammed down their throats- so not worth the risk. 
• Orajel- or any other medications- again- unless expressly approved and asked to be given, just don't. There are dangers that can be associated with Orajel relating to breathing and other life-threatening conditions, so although the teething baby can be a bear, just try to stick with what is recommended by Mom & Dad.
• Seatbelts! - This goes for highchairs, strollers, swings, etc. I know it may be a matter of "I'm watching him" - but all it takes is a split second of arching the back and sliding, and out he goes. I've seen this nearly happen, it's not worth the risk. Car seats- well, I'm not even touching this one since I don't plan on anyone driving him anywhere in the next decade (slight exaggeration)- but still- see the post Car Seat Safety
• Baths- again- please leave this to Mom & Dad unless expressly asked to. Too many dangers period. A heavy, slippery, squirmy baby is not the easiest to deal with, and the risk is just not worth it. A washcloth or baby wipe does wonders in the meantime.
• Smoking/Drinking- this should go without saying- don't do it around the baby- period.

Other than that? Enjoy him! I know you probably won't listen to the idea of letting him lay on his own, and will spoil the crap out of him by holding him the whole time and letting bedtime come and go, but he'll survive. It may drive us batty later as he's off schedule, but the previously mentioned things go beyond annoyances- and are about life threatening risks and prevention. So please, please, know it's not meant to offend anyone- but about keeping the little buggers safe. Others have shared their baby monsters and encountered some of these already- I guess when I eventually get to the point of being able to leave Chase somewhere for an hour or two, I want to know that the refresher course has been taken...