When it comes to babies, few things are as important as baby safety.  Baby safety is a number one priority for parents, so start with this simple guide to safety in your baby's nursery.

Your baby will spend much of his time in the nursery, so  it's the first place to start making things safe for your new arrival.

Begin with the crib- A new crib can be expensive, but this is no place to pinch pennies. Older, second-hand cribs may not be safe for your new baby. Make sure the slats of the crib are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, so the baby cannot get his head caught between the slats. Check all the slats to be sure they fit tightly. The mattress needs to fit snugly within the crib's frame- you should not be able to fit more than two fingers between the mattress and the frame. Skip the cute crib bumpers you see in the store- your child can suffocate between the bumper and the mattress. Watch those corner posts as well- they shouldn't be any higher than 1/16 of an inch high or baby's clothing could get caught on them. The sides of the crib should be at least 26 inches above the mattress when it is in its lowest position and at least 9 inches above the mattress when the sides are lowered. Avoid using a crib with cutesy cutouts in the headboard or foot board – your baby can get caught in these and be injured.

Place the crib away from windows, lamps, heaters or even wall decorations. Once the baby is able to move around more and reach and grab, all of these can be hazards. Keep all cords up and out of reach of the baby – including the cords on the window blinds. You should also remove the crib mobile once the baby can reach it so she doesn't pull it down or break parts off of it.

Rather than cover baby with blankets, keep him warm with heavy sleepers with feet in them. Blankets can become suffocation hazards. If you do use a blanket in the crib, tuck it in tightly on both sides and the bottom so baby cannot pull it up over her face.

Make sure there is a working smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector in the nursery.

Cover all the outlets with plastic outlet covers.

Keep all lotions, oils, drops and ointments secure and out of the way.

Once the baby is old enough to get around, watch for other hazards, including the toy chest. Don't use a toy chest with a hinged lid- fingers can get pinched or worse if baby crawls inside.

It may seem as though it is impossible to create a safe place for your baby, but by taking things one step at a time, you can easily make your nursery and your entire home safe and sound for your precious new arrival.

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