What is a baby monitor & why do I need one?
It might seem like an obvious question these days, but baby monitors are a relatively new innovation. At the most basic level they give the parent freedom from keeping a constant vigil at their baby's bedside (cot-side or Moses basket-side!).
A baby monitor normally consists of a transmitter and a receiver unit. The transmitter is placed near the baby and the parent keeps the receiver unit. This way the parent can hear instantly if their baby needs reassurance while doing other things around the house - or maybe catching up on some well needed rest!
Baby Monitor Types
Baby monitors now fall into three main categories. There are the traditional audio baby monitors. These alert the parent if the baby starts to cry or seems restless or uncomfortable. Audio/visual baby monitors take this a step further by letting the parent see and hear their baby. These consist of a camera unit with a microphone and a receiver unit with a TV screen and speaker.
Lastly, there are sensor baby monitors (also called respiratory baby monitors). These offer peace of mind by immediately alerting the parent if their baby's breathing becomes significantly uneven or even stops completely.
Audio Baby Monitors
Audio baby monitors fall into two further types: analogue and digital. Analogue baby monitors traditionally were subject to lots of interference from other household items that gave off a wireless signal. While this still can be true of cheaper analogue monitors, today most have more than one channel enabling you to select one that is interference free and incorporate technology that lessens outside interference.
To guarantee an interference transmission and reception you will need a digital baby monitor. Remember that a baby monitor is essentially a radio transmitter and receiver and digital radio (should you have one!) is superior to normal radio reception. The higher-end digital baby monitors use something called DECT technology. This technology came from digital walkabout phones and stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Technology.
DECT monitors will select a channel automatically from 120 channels and often encrypt the channels to stop any eavesdropping. Because of this technology these monitors are normally more expensive, but (like the Philips Digital Baby Monitor and the BT Digital Monitors) they guarantee interference free transmission and often come with several useful extra features:
Audio baby monitors - things to look for:
? Number of channels
? Rechargeable parent unit
? Belt clip for portable convenience
? Light display on the parent that shows noise level even if the sound is turned down.
? Low battery indicator
? Night light on baby unit
? Two-way transmission - so you can talk to your baby from the parent unit.
? Temperature gauge - remember the ideal nursery temperature is around 18C (65F)
Audio/Visual Baby Monitors
A recent innovation - these monitors let you see and hear your baby. This gives obvious added benefits such as seeing if your baby has come out of their blanket, or if they are sleeping in an awkward position etc. However, these baby monitor may also be useful for older children so you can remotely check on them if they are playing by themselves in another room.
The range of audio/visual baby monitors can be limited by your house layout. If your house has normal partition (or stud) walls then the range will be around the quoted 30m. However, if you live in an old house with solid internal walls the range will be reduced - especially if the signal has to pass through several walls. This will not apply when you are directly below or above a nursery as the signal only has to pass through a wooden floor (or floors) and should therefore be perfect.
AudioVisual Baby Monitors - Things to look for:
? Night vision - sounds obvious but some come without it! This is essential for night time viewing. All our audiovisual baby monitors come with night vision.
? Number of channels - helps in finding the best channel but can also enable you to add extra cameras later.
? Standby mode - if you have a portable parent unit the screen can be draining on the battery. Some units come out of standby mode if you baby makes a noise.
Sensor Baby Monitors
Also called respiratory baby monitors these monitors consist of sensitive pads that go underneath your baby's mattress. During the first year of life, infants can experience irregular breathing patterns or even stop breathing completely.
These monitors can alert when your baby's breathing changes due to a cold, high fever, or other illness. The Babysense II will continually detect your baby's motion and breathing movements, and set off a sound and visual alarm if breathing movements ceases for over 20 seconds or if the breathing rate slows to below 10 breaths per minute.
REMEMBER, a sensor baby monitor is an added precaution and safeguard which can help peace of mind but it must be combined with the important recommendations of "Safe Sleeping" (sleeping on the back, not overheating of baby's room, not smoking around the baby).
Sensor Baby Monitors - things to look for
? Certifications - the Babysense II is currently the only Household Movement Monitor to carry complete CE registration as a Medical Device and to comply with 93/42/EEC Medical device Directive.
? Mattress type - some sensor baby monitors will not work properly with a spring mattress
? Mattress thickness - check your mattress thickness. Some are certified for thicknesses up to 12cm and some for thicknesses up to 14cm.
? Mattress base - sensor monitors work best on a flat base. This should be no problem with a cot, however, if used in a Moses basket you are advised to put the basket on a flat base.
Sarah Cooke. Mother of two and Director of MonitorMyBaby - Baby monitor specialists a site specialising in all types of baby monitor.
How To Clone The Perfect BabySheep, Cows, pigs, mice, donkeys,... Read More
Most parents bond instantly with their babies, an intense feeling... Read More
Did you know the first strollers appeared during the early... Read More
This Spring many new parents will welcome new additions into... Read More
Perfect Baby shower idea lists for necessity type baby gifts.... Read More
Are you expecting a baby? You might be tempted to... Read More
Parents everywhere believe that they have the cutest baby in... Read More
The best time to wean your baby onto solid food... Read More
Books and Babies - For babies from age 6 weeks... Read More
When bringing home your new baby, there are so many... Read More
Limit the time you allow your child to use a... Read More
So you're holding a baby shower? Then you will need... Read More
Music is a wonderful way for you to calm and... Read More
Goodbye Bertha, Hello Kaitlyn! The top baby names of today... Read More
It is up to you as parents whether you want... Read More
How Can We Help Children Learn about Character?Children learn about... Read More
With you or without you, your baby will be learning... Read More
An excellent source of information providing the perfect baby shower... Read More
Your Gemini Baby..May 21 - June 20Gemini children are lively... Read More
Choosing a baby name for your new born can be... Read More
The teething process can be a difficult period for both... Read More
When you choose a baby bedding, choose the one which... Read More
Baby furniture can be made up of many different pieces... Read More
Take Your Time The worst thing you could do when... Read More
Those little containers of baby food sure are expensive once... Read More
Having a child is a life altering event for you... Read More
Free baby shower invitations are the best! Everyone knows that... Read More
When my daughter Layla was born I had a hard... Read More
Setting the Stage - Reading is One of the Big... Read More
Do you invite dad to the baby shower? As per... Read More
As many as one in 700 babies are born with... Read More
Your baby shower invitation wording can be either generic or... Read More
A new baby with colic is one of the most... Read More
The addition of a new child to a family is... Read More
What your baby needs and may not need.There are so... Read More
To the uninitiated parent, buying a car seat for your... Read More
As many as one in three babies are born with... Read More
Music is a wonderful way for you to calm and... Read More
What happen during the first month of your newborn, does... Read More
It's 2am and your baby is up for the third... Read More
Etiquette for baby shower used to be quite rigid, but... Read More
A new baby brings a lot of joy and hope... Read More
I recall how wonderful the baby swing in particular, was... Read More
There is something so amazing and joyous about watching a... Read More
While drinking more water is a good idea for everyone,... Read More
Baby smiled her real smiles at you and you were... Read More
Baby is into her fourth month now.Mom's milk is best.Breast... Read More
A baby shower is often the highlight of an expectant... Read More
The idea of using potty dolls to potty train toddlers... Read More
You are getting ready to welcome your baby into your... Read More
Every parent hopes and prays that their newborn will be... Read More
With you or without you, your baby will be learning... Read More
A baby shower is a great way to welcome a... Read More
Are you expecting a baby? Are you planning on having... Read More
Having a baby can be one the most life-changing experiences... Read More
First of all, in case you do not know, what... Read More
With all the different features of baby cribs, it can... Read More
Installing a car seat correctly is the most important thing... Read More
Getting a baby to adjust to a normal sleep schedule... Read More
Getting ready for a new baby requires a lot of... Read More
As a baby matures and starts to show the first... Read More
* A baby is born every seven seconds.* Babies are... Read More
Baby Gifts from gift certificates to very expensive toys. Something... Read More
Buying educational toys for infants can be difficult, because infants... Read More
So you carefully fill a spoon with medicine for baby,... Read More
Robeez shoes help your baby put their best foot forwardIf... Read More
Babies & Toddler |