Be Ready with Your Baby for Disasters.![]()
Disasters come in all shapes and sizes. Just as you take/took little steps every day to prepare for your baby’s arrival, here are a few tips to help you get prepared to keep you and your baby safe and healthy during a disaster.
- Be Informed. Sign up for AlertOC to keep informed of emergencies in your area and get time-sensitive critical information.
- Make a Plan. Determine in advance how you and your family will contact one another and where you will go, depending on the disaster. If you are expecting, this includes talking to your doctor or other health care provider about where you will get prenatal care or deliver your baby if your doctor’s office or hospital are closed, and what to do if you are in labor during an emergency. If you have a child or children in childcare and/or school, find out what their emergency plan is and how/where you will be able to reunite with your child(ren). Be sure to have several up-to-date emergency contacts on file with your child’s care/school. See ReadyOC-Make a Plan for more information.
- Build a Kit. Access to groceries and other necessities may be limited during a disaster, so advance planning is key. You’ll need food, water and health supplies for at least 3 days. See ReadyOC-Get a Kit for a list of what should go in your disaster kit and how to build one. If you have a baby, you will need additional items in your kit such as single-serving, ready-to use infant formula, baby food, pacifiers, bottles, diapers, disposable wipes, diaper rash ointment, bibs, baby blankets, extra clothing/socks/shoes, infant toys, baby lotion/shampoo/soap, thermometer, infant medications including non-aspirin pain reliever (i.e., ibuprofen or acetaminophen), and a copy of their vaccination record.
For more information, see Disaster Safety for Expecting and New Parents.
