I remember being six months pregnant and spending hours trying to discover what would work best for our family when it came to finding a suitable way to monitor our baby. There are SO many options available to us! Today I want to save you some time and clear up this question.
Do I need a baby monitor? My answer is yes! A baby monitor makes life much less stressful when it comes to caring for a baby, especially if you have a video monitor and are able to hear and keep an eye on the infant while they are away from you.
Keep reading to find out why I recommend a baby monitor and which monitor I recommend to keep an eye on the little love in your life!
Reasons to Have a Baby Monitor
Relieve Stress and Anxiety
Without a baby monitor it is difficult to know what is going on with your baby unless you are right next to him or her. (which is never ideal because of the risk of waking the sleeping baby up, as well as being unable to move or make much of a sound.). A baby monitor will allow you time to breathe, have time to yourself, get some much needed stuff done, and still be able to hear as well as see what is going on with the baby while they are sleeping.
A baby monitor truly makes life for a parent much easier, we all deserve a little break and having the ability to hear and see that the baby is doing well makes taking a break so much less stressful!
Get Your Sleep Back
If you co slept or had the baby in a bassinet in the early months, moving them to a nursery with a baby monitor can be life changing for the parents’ quality of sleep. Say goodbye to the days of holding your pee because you don’t want to wake the baby next to you, and say hello to the freedom of being able to move around in bed without the concern of waking the baby.
A baby monitor will allow you to get into a deep slumber with the security that if the baby wakes for some reason that the monitor will wake you up by alerting you, or allowing you to hear the baby crying or making noises.
Sleep Training
Transitioning your baby into their own room can be a challenge for many parents. Generally there can be some pretty fussy nights when sleep training and being able to hear and see the baby is helpful in knowing if they may need your assistance.
Two Way Communication
I have also found it super helpful that my monitor allows me to speak to my daughter through the speaker in my room. I can soothe her through the monitor and do not have to physically get out of bed to get her calmed down.
Recently my daughter who just turned two, has begun to wake in the night due to nightmares and we use the speaker to let her know were not far away and to snuggle up to her little moosey and go back to sleep, and it works every time!
If I can stay out of her room then the chances of her going back to sleep are much higher than if my husband or I go into her room. Generally if we have to go into her room then the three of us will be up for multiple hours trying to convince her to go back to sleep in her crib. Once she sees us she thinks that means she can come into Mommy and Daddy’s bed which is NOT ALLOWED! (due to the fact that when she is in our bed none of us get a good night’s rest)
Monitors Are For More Than The Baby Phase
Our daughter is two years old and I could not imagine not having a monitor at this point. In the near future we will be transitioning her to a toddler bed and our video monitor will become extra useful in making sure our daughter is staying in her bed, and if she is up and playing I will be able to use the two way communication to ask her to get her booty back into bed. A monitor is also great to have when your toddler is sick so you can be sure they are sleeping soundly and not suffering in their beds.
Temperature Monitoring
Many baby monitors will give you the temperature of the little ones room, which is very useful all year long. I cannot tell you how many times we have woken up to our daughter crying because she’s either warm or cold in her room. It’s great to wake to see that oh gosh, it’s 79 degrees in her room, that must be the reason she is fussy, and we can quickly adjust the temperature of the house and she will then be able to go back to sleep. It’s a super useful tool that I highly recommend having on your monitor.
Night Vision
Some of you may wonder how will I see my baby in the dark. Most video monitors should have night vision which allows you to see the baby in the dark, which is much more ideal than turning on a light to check on the baby which will more than likely wake the baby up. Night vision will certainly come in handy when it comes to keeping your baby asleep.
Different Types of Baby Monitors
Audio Only Monitors
These monitors allow you just to hear the baby, there will be no visual. Audio only monitors do let you listen, but having a visual can give you more of a picture of what is going on with your little one and help you determine if you really need to go get him/her.
Security Camera
A wifi security camera can be used as a baby monitor, and when you no longer need the baby monitor it can be used elsewhere to ensure the security of your home. My husband and I tried multiple security cameras and we ended up hating them.
With security cameras you need to leave your phone on all night, which kills the battery, we ended up just turning the camera off and using audio only to save our battery which completely defeated the purpose of having the video feature. We did enjoy the fact that security cameras have wifi so as long as you have an internet connection you could check on the baby. That was our favorite feature but unfortunately the cons outweigh the pros.
Walkie Talkies
Some people have found success using walkie talkies, I say just don’t go there! In order to have decent success with walkie talkies you will have to shell out just as much if not more than what it would take to get a video monitor which will do a lot more. One huge downside of walkie talkies is that if someone else is on your channel and they speak, your baby will hear this as well and wake up.
Video Monitor
This type of monitor is my top pick. Video monitors offer the most options, allowing parents to really pick exactly what they want when it comes to monitoring their baby. Video monitors vary in price, but a great video monitors aren’t super expensive, which in my opinion is completely worth it! Having the ability to see and hear your baby is a total game changer for peace of mind of any parent, not to mention all the other features that are usually available with a video monitor.
Here is the monitor I recommend, and if your not feeling 100 percent about my recommendation then just let the reviews of this video monitor seal the deal for you. This video monitor has it all, with night vision, zoom capabilities, auto pan and tilt, temperature monitoring, lullabies, a quality camera, and two way communication, it truly has it all!
The price point of this monitor is very reasonable considering that other competing monitors are nearly double the price! We love our monitor and after trying several we feel confident in recommending this one to you! I hope you enjoy this monitor as much as we do!
Related Questions
What is the point of a baby monitor?
A baby monitor is used to monitor a baby or toddler while they are out of your sight. Baby monitors are generally used while a child is sleeping and napping and the monitor allows the guardian to monitor the child to ensure they are okay while away from you.
Do I need a baby monitor for a two year old?
Yes, at this stage in toddlerhood it is very common to begin having nightmares, and some of the most painful teething occurs at this stage. A monitor will alert the guardian if the child is upset or in pain. Also, many parents transition toddlers to a toddler bed around the age of two and a video monitor will allow the guardian to check in on the toddler to ensure they are in there bed, and if they are not the two way communication can be used to ask the child to get back into bed. There are many more reasons that a monitor would be useful at this stage so I recommend that you still use the baby monitor at two years of age.
When to start using a baby monitor?
A baby monitor can be used as soon as the baby is born. If the baby is napping in a safe place like a bassinet the monitor could be used to keep an eye on them. Some parents choose to start their newborns in the nursery at night and those parents should have a video monitor so they can monitor the newborn throughout the night. Co Sleeping parents and parents who have a bassinet next to their beds at night do not need a monitor for the overnight hours but the monitor will still come in handy for naps.
Do I need a video baby monitor?
Yes, a video baby monitor allows for you not just to hear your child but also see them which is very beneficial. With an audio monitor you may hear a baby stirring and feel as though you need to check on them, with the video you can evaluate much better if the baby in fact needs your attention or not.
What is the best baby monitor?
This is the best baby monitor. This video monitor comes in at a great price point and has all the features a parent would want in a baby monitor to give parents peace of mind that the child is sleeping restfully.
