Baby Monitors
Baby monitors will give you the peace of mind that even when you're elsewhere in the house, you're still keeping tabs on your sleeping baby and will be able to hear if she wakes or if there's a problem.
Many different types and models are available, with different features and prices. How can you choose between them?
Audio, Video or Movement
The three main types of monitor are audio, video and movement. As you'd probably guess from the names, an audio unit lets you monitor by sound, while a video monitor will also let you see into the nursery without risking waking your child. A breathing monitor will also monitor your child's natural breathing movements and alert you if nothing is detected for 20 seconds or so.
Audio monitors are the least expensive, and are perfectly adequate for most people. However, a video type will mean you can reassure yourself that all is okay without actually going into the nursery and risking disturbing your baby. This may be especially useful in those first few paranoid weeks of your baby sleeping alone, when you're constantly checking that she's okay!
A full breathing monitor may not seem necessary, but can be especially comforting to parents of - for instance - premature babies, or others who may have a special reason to want more extensive monitoring.
Mobile or Fixed
With most monitors, the base unit (transmitter) is fixed in the nursery near to where baby is sleeping, and plugged into a mains socket. The listening unit (receiver) can be fixed or mobile, where the mobile option obviously gives you more freedom to move around the house.
Even the mobile units will need to be powered though, so most models come with a fixed charging unit that you'd probably want to keep in your bedroom, which lets the unit charge overnight, while you carry the receiver around in the hours between baby's bedtime and your own (or possibly minutes if you're especially sleep-deprived).
Channels
Baby monitors are a kind of radio device and can be affected by interference from other radio transmitters in the area. Make sure that the monitor you buy lets you select between more than one radio channel, so that if interference is a problem you've got a chance to change channel and avoid it.
Digital or Analogue?
Traditional monitors were analogue, while more modern ones are digital. What does this mean? Basically, a digital one will usually have clearer sound quality, be less affected by interference, but will probably be more expensive.
Range
Make sure that the monitor has a long enough range for your needs. If you're living in a small apartment then range probably isn't an issue, but if, for example, you have a garden then in the summer months you'll probably want to make sure your monitor will still work there rather than you having to stay indoors.
Prices
Prices vary widely, with the cheapest available at less than £20, and rising to over £100 even for just an audio monitor, more for video or breathing monitors. All will work perfectly well, but it's worth getting the best one you can afford - you need to trust that a monitor is working correctly, or you'll forever be going checking on your baby, which rather defeats the object of getting a monitor in the first place!
Featured Audio Monitor
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Tomy Walkabout Platinum Digital Baby Monitor  £99.95 from Baby Monitors Direct
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Featured Video Monitor
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NScessity LCD Camera and Digital Baby Monitor NSCM-228S |
Featured Breathing Monitor
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AngelCare Movement and Sound Monitor |
Protecting your home and your children should be your number one priority and a good way to do this is by investing in some reliable security products such as security cameras and CCTV monitors. With video surveillance you can keep track of the baby in the nursery and the rest of the house as well.
