Baby movement monitors for the nursery?

Question

I have a baby shower coming up in 3 weeks (the invites are out) so I was just looking over our registry to make sure we had what we needed. We registered for a simple baby monitor but I am such an anxious person that I was starting to look into those Angel movement monitors. Can someone explain how those work? My husband is wary that they even work and is nervous the alarm would keep going off. Does anyone have experience with these that could explain?

Answer 1

Oh my goodness...I am in love with this invention.  Let me start off by saying I am a Pediatric Social Worker, and I work in a hospital that sees alot of things.  While I have rationalized that I see a very small percentage of what is reality, I have become very "cautious" in caring for my children.  With my first child I was a nervous wreck going to bed every night (and nap times).  I co-slept, and not necessarily by choice.  I did end up liking it though!  Had I had an Angel Monitor with my first daughter, things would be different as far as sleeping arrangements go.  I decided to purchase this monitor when I was pregnant with my 2nd daughter, and have never slept so good.  The monitor is meant to alarm when it ceases to sense movement.  The only time it has gone off for us, is when I take her out of the bassinet, and forget to turn it off first, so no false alarms. The only thing you have to watch out for are things that could make the bassinet vibrate anyway, such as a ceiling fan on anything but low, or the bassinet being too close to a piece of equipment (ie: a dehumidifier, etc.).  This could give it a false sense of baby movement. Once I figured out that those things effect whether or not it would go off, I changed some things around.  But overall, it is a phenomenal piece of baby equipment.  I am so glad I invested in one! They are cheaper than some of the baby video moniors, and only $30-40 more than a good sound only monitor. (It does both.)

Answer 2

There are two models of Angelcare movement sensor. The more advanced model AC401 has more features and is less prone to interference from other wireless devices at home.

Answer 3

Unless you have a huge house, you don't need a monitor at all.  I have one (just sound, no video), just to make me feel good, but I rarely use it.  I'm not even sure where it is.  I could always hear my babies, monitor or no monitor.

The movement sensors are really unnecessary.  You'll spend enough time worrying that your child is not breathing without adding a gadget to the mix.  I'm sure that the monitor has saved some lives somewhere, but I really don't think it's worth the cost, frustration and anxiety!

If your baby has apnea or another issue like that, then you may need to use a movement sensor, but just relax, mama.  Besides, you may have a baby who refuses to sleep in his crib anyway!

I completely agree with the sling suggestion--low tech, cheap and proven to work over thousands of years.

Answer 4

my daughter was born at 25 weeks and spent over 3 months in the NICU before coming home. She had a lot of problems, the main ones being breathing problems. She suffered from apneas (where the brain is so premature that it forgets to tell the baby to breath. I've seen my daughter turn blue and and have to be bagged to get her to breathe again so I was extremley worried about bringing her home and this happening. So i asked the experienced NICU nurses about the angel care monitor and they told me that I shouldn't waste my money because the monitors that she was hooked up to in the hospital are thousands of dollars and sometimes they go off for no reason at all (which is true. I've seen them go off when nothing was wrong) so they highly doubted something that cost 100 dollars actually worked efficently and have heard stories where they would continously go off when nothing was wrong. Of course as a new mom you're going to be worried about SIDS but if you take all the precautions (sleeping on there back, no pillows or heavy blankets and you check on them every once in awhile ) im sure your baby will be fine. Youèll just drive yourself nuts with the monitor if it keeps going off. Relax and enjoy mommy hood!

Answer 5

We just got a cheap regular one and it works just fine. I was a very nervous worried pregnant woman too and I thought that we needed that monitor so that you know when that baby stops moving and it monitors the heart rate and I thought it sounded great. But, we didn't get it and haven't felt the need for it. It's really whatever you feel comfortable with, though.

Answer 6

Here's my advice, newborns thrive on being held. Get a baby wrap or sling and carry her with you around the house. Then no need for a monitor, you know exactly how she is and she will love being with you even if you're only washing dishes. Baby's also fall asleep in wraps and slings much easier than a crib. If you're nervous about her, really this is a good option. You will learn her cues very quickly and when she's older and on her own a bit you won't be so nervous because you will understand all her sounds.

Answer 7

We have a one week old baby, and are using the Angelcare monitor.  It is our first baby and I was worried that I wouldn't sleep for checking his breathing all the time which is why we got it.  It is fantastic.  Although he sleeps in our room so we wouldn't need an ordinary noise monitor the movement sensor is very reassuring and you can set the display to just a visual of a pendulum swinging to signify he is still breathing.  It means when I wake rather than sitting up and looking at him or touching him and disturbing him, one glance at the monitor tells me he is OK and I can go back to sleep.  We've not had any false alarms and the only time it has gone off is when we have forgotten it is on and taken the baby out of the crib!  They work with a sensor pad placed under the mattress which sends info to a monitor you have with you - it will make bleeps / clicks to reassure you he is breathing or just set off an alarm if he stopped.  I would recommend one.  However, get to grips with it before your baby comes - we didn't and it was hard figuring out all the functions (there are many and the manual isn't too clear) when you are sleep deprived and busy! Good luck with the baby.

Answer 8

Idk about those but I have a camera one that I looooooove. I can see her at all times.