So your precious little bundle is not quite so little any more and gone are the days of popping to the loo, leaving your baby perfectly still on the floor!

As your baby gets older, she'll start to crawl and walk around the home. Now is the time to guard against possible dangers by and do a home 'safety check' from your child's point of view.

Here are a few quick and sensible things you can do to 'baby-proof' your home:-

1. install stair gates at the top and possibly the bottom of your stairs
2. do not leave your child unsupervised in any room of the house
3. keep matches, lighters, cosmetics, medicines, toiletries and household cleaning products out of reach or in locked cabinets
4. install smoke alarms on landings, halls and near kitchens - if you already have them installed, check the batteries and test the system
5. stay within arm's reach of your child if she is near water buckets, water tanks or in the bath
6. hot taps remain hot long after the water has run - be aware
7. keep bedroom windows locked and keep furniture away from windows to avoid the temptation for little feet to climb onto
8. keep doctors and emergency contact numbers close to hand for all the family members to see
9. for curiousity in the kitchen - keep a cupboard empty and simply fill it with child friendly toys - that way, she'll be happy in the kitchen with her own special cupboard - wooden spoons, plastic buckets and noisy toys will keep her occupied nicely
10. if you have wooden, stone or tile floors, once she is toddling, keep slippers on her feet or let her go barefoot to prevent unneccessary tumbles
11. you can buy plug socket covers from most stores and from an early age, let it be known that electricity is off limits!
12. keep your children away from the cooker, hob and kettles, again, teach them the dangers of heat and steam

for more information visit: www.homesafetycouncil.org or www.mothercare.co.uk