Baby Gear: Baby Monitors
We were given a baby monitor at a shower before we traveled to adopt GlitterGirl. The monitor was never used. It turns out there is no reason for a monitor when the child is always in a room with either mom or dad. GlitterGirl slept in our room with us, napped in the same room we were in, and never played in a room by herself. This is another of those things where you should probably wait until you are home with baby before you decide whether or not you need one.
Fast forward to the present, and we are using a security camera to make sure TwinkleToes stays in her bed once she is tucked in, and a motion detector
The motion detector currently in our hallway used to be outside, to let us know if someone was outside of our home. The motion sensor alerted us to movement, the camera let us see who was out there. We’ve bought an extra motion sensor to go outside now, but we’re doing without an outside camera for now. There are no windows that allow us to look out over the part of the yard where the driveway is located, which is kind of annoying, but I don’t want to buy an extra camera.
But, to explain the motion sensor, it is placed in our hallway outside of the bedrooms at an angle so it does not pick up movement that happens in any of the beds, but picks up movement near the girls’ doors, and any movement in the hallway outside of the bedrooms. I turn the noisemaker part of it off during the day, and at night once everyone is in their rooms I turn it on. It has two volumes, loud and burst-your-eardrums-loud… so I keep it on the lower setting, and it spends the night in a drawer with a pillow and a heavy book on top of it to mute the sound a bit. This way, if either girl gets up and wanders around, I know it. (To explain again, the sensor is in the hallway, it does not make noise. The alarm part that makes noise is in my drawer, and I turn it off during the day, it is only turned on once everyone is in bed for the night.) Oh, and BTW, the motion sensor is also a nice early warning device when mom and dad want to have sex.
A cousin (well, cousin’s daughter, actually, but first-cousin-once-removed is a bit long) has this video monitor and I must say it is a better option if you need video more than just at night. Our monitor is a small 5.5 inch old style CRT TV that plugs into an electrical outlet. That works for us since we only have TwinkleToes on video at night while she sleeps, and I’m in my bedroom (where the monitor is) during that period of time. But the one you carry around with you works for my cousin. She puts the baby down for a nap and goes outside for a swim with her monitor in a zip lock baggie so she can keep an eye on the baby. Leaving a previously-institutionalized child with attachment issues inside while you swim wouldn’t work, as we have to be able to get to our kids faster than that, but her little one wakes up and plays with her feet until someone comes to get her, so the swimming thing works for them.
If you don’t want the video option, then the audio-only option is much cheaper. The brand we were given was Graco, and it has held up well to the three or four families it has been handed down to in the family. The Graco I’m pointing to also seems to have good reviews, and I like the addition of the second monitor.
I want to say again, though, that for many of our children, leaving them alone is just not going to be an option. Likely the last time our children were alone is when they were abandoned. Since that time, they have been surrounded by other babies 24/7, with caretakers coming and going. If I was home alone with GlitterGirl then she went everywhere with me (yeah, even the bathroom). And when she napped, I didn’t leave the room (no, not even to use the bathroom, I went before she went to sleep). When she awoke I was within sight of her as soon as she opened her eyes.
TwinkleToes was a lot older when she joined our family, but she wasn’t alone even for a moment for at least a year and a half after we came home. It was a bit easier with two kids, I think I may have managed to go to the bathroom alone a few times while the two of them played together, though they usually follow me in there if I take more than a few seconds. Still, she was okay with her big sister in the room long enough for me to step into another room, get something, and come right back. I couldn’t even do that with GlitterGirl, she had to be in my presence at all times.
I’m pointing to a couple more video options below. If I was buying one now, I’d probably go for the 7 inch LCD option, though the other two options are basically exactly what I’ve got now (except our camera is a weatherproof security camera with infrared, which is a bit more than you need for baby’s room).
UPDATE: Some people have a need to monitor two rooms at once. The following items will allow for that:
July 7th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Love your creativity, RQ, with the pillow in the drawer. You think of everything! Especially love the early warning device for when you want to have sex and don’t want to have a surprise audience!
I have the Summer Infant Day and Night video monitor and am not happy with it. It is very noisy (static), even before it picks up sound in the room. And, even on the lowest sound setting, the slight movements that do happen come through very loud. Not all sounds are sounds you want to wake you up. I usually use the monitor part with the sound off now that my girl is in a big girl bed. Luckily my home is small and I can usually hear her without the sound part.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:40 am
We used the graco sound only monitor and it worked reasonably well but died after a year. Now we need a system that can monitor TWO rooms simulataneously (or at least switch inputs automatically every few seconds).
I’m surprised but these systems are very hard to find. I saw one from Graco but don’t want to buy one that is going to die after another year.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
we have the pink summer infant deluxe that RQ has linked. We got ours at babies r us for about $140 because I waited until it was on sale and I had a coupon. Love it! I don’t have any trouble with feedback or anything. We tried a cheaper summer brand first that had the larger screen and had tons of feedback problems, that had to go back.
I agree with RQ that you should probably wait to see what you need when you come home (but keep looking for those coupons!! babies r us has a 90 return policy) Our girl was 11 mos at gotcha and although was in the swi from day 2 of her life with a nanny and 2-3 other cribs in the room, had few problems being transitioned to a crib in her own room. And, when she wakes up she is content for a bit playing with her blankets, stuffies, feet until I go get her.
I guess my point is, I wouldn’t assume anything about your child (including that they won’t be able to sleep in their rooms) because you’ll probably end up being surprised no matter the assumption made.
susan
July 7th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
DS has always slept well in his own room and cries as soon as he wants us to come, so we just have a sound monitor. I do not remember what kind it is, but it is nice in that we can bring it outside to garden or walk to the car in the parking lot and it still works. I would think even if they are sleeping in your bed, you might want a monitor since presumably they go to be well before you? Our townhouse is tiny and laid out with all the bedrooms on one floor with doors facing one tiny hall so we do not need a monitor at night – we just hear him. When DS is awake he is never alone.
I never thought about getting a monitor that would listen to two rooms simultaneously – that would be useful once #2 comes home.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
zhaonuer – I went to bed when my kids went to bed. Once they were asleep I either turned on the lamp and read, or turned on the TV and watched it at a low volume. There is no way either of them would have gone to bed alone, without either RK or I there with them.
Even now, I go upstairs and go to bed when they go to bed. They won’t go upstairs to their rooms and actually fall asleep unless someone else is upstairs with them. RK stays downstairs and cleans the kitchen while I take them up and get them ready for bed and get them tucked in.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I’ve added some options at the bottom of the original post for those of you who need to monitor more than one room.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
We bought the Summer Infant video monitor when we came home in 2007. It does get very staticy, but it’s been worth it. Our daughter was opposite of most recent adoptees. She would not sleep if we were in the room with her, and was also a light sleeper who woke at the slightest sound. I couldn’t go into her room to check on her for months. That video monitor saved my sanity. We still use it though I don’t carry it around all the time like I used to do. I just use it now to check on her if I hear unusual sounds coming from her room.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I have the Graco, but not for multi-kids. I keep the monitor downstairs with me, while she naps upstairs during the day. At night, my room is right across the hall, so the monitor was actually keeping me awake because I was hearing everything twice as loud! I don’t do that now…I sleep much better! DD is a great sleeper!
July 7th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
For those of us who live in older homes without air conditioning and who rely on steam heat and window air units, I cannot recommend enough getting a monitor that has a thermometer in it – it has been a livesaver in terms of knowing if the room is too hot or too cold at night and during naps.
July 7th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
We use a summer baby video monitor and I have been really happy with it. I’m not sure about static because we never use it at night (kids slept with us until 3 and 5, now they sleep together and baby is with us, we gate the hallway so they are limited to our room and theirs at night).
During the day I put the 3 year old and baby in our bed together and our 5 year old lays down to read. With the video monitor I can jog on the treadmill, work in the garden, etc and watch to see when someone is up and getting out of bed. We tried a sound only monitor but discovered our kids could silently get out of bed…
July 7th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
I also had the summer infant one from years ago and was not impressed with the static on the video screen. Eventually I dropped the little tv and used it as a sound monitor- but the static was bad and i gave up.
I want to mention a monitor that I had- which may not be appropriate for an older child, but maybe for one with health issues or young babies. When my middle son was born- I bought an Angel Care Sleep monitor. It had a sensor pad and it would sound an alarm if movement was not detected in a certain amount of time- thus alerting a parent to a possible breathing issue- whether it be suffocation or health issue. It had the ability to be set on different sensitivities- so you could so so to your liking. Even when the baby was fast asleep and gently breathing- it could detect the movement- but when my son would roll to the side and push himself against the side of the crib or bumper- it would alert me that he may need to be repositioned and I would check on him. Some of my friends said this monitor would cause them panic attacks. For me- it was peace of mind. It did send me into a panis two times when he rolled to the side of the crib- but I also liked that so I could get him away from the bumper and railing. Just another option. I am pretty sure they still make them. :)
July 8th, 2009 at 7:26 am
I have the same monitor as your cousin and I love it.
I definitely recommend the video (not just audio) option. My DD does not make a sound when she wakes up. She sits and plays. I have tried to teach her to call out to me for a year and half now with no success.
I carry that monitor around with me and I can see her stirring. I usually get upstairs before she opens her eyes.
Since I’m single, I have to leave the room when she’s sleeping. I get up at 4 or 5am and take a shower, clean the house, pack her breakfast, pack up the car, etc. And I carry that handheld device everywhere I go (except the shower – i leave it on the counter – LOL).
July 8th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
We have the sound only by The First Years.
It came/comes in handy during nap time, I can wander with the monitor, outside and in. At night it didn’t matter because her room is next to ours so we always hear her.
I found it was most useful when we went from co sleeping to her staying in her room all night. We showed her how we could even hear her whisper for us. So we would always be there if she needed us. We did come and comfort drills. She still likes the drills from time to time. And after 2 1/2 years she sleeps peacefully in her room all night. Secure we can hear her.