The prospect of bringing home a tiny baby can be daunting, which explains why baby monitors are becoming increasingly popular with new parents.
Nothing could be more important than the safety of your precious baby, but with your new parental status, you will also need rest, not to mention you’re having more tasks to do each day. No one is realistically able to watch over their baby 24 hours a day.
This is where Baby Monitors provide such peace of mind for both new and experienced parents alike, and providing a way to always be at the ready should they need you. Baby alarms, were originally quite basic pieces of equipment, which worked by transmitting only audio. They provided a way to hear your baby should they wake and cry, when you were away from their immediate location.
These days there are so many types to choose from, offering a wide selection of features, which will not only let you know when your baby wakes, but can also alert you should they experience a period of not breathing. While it is rare, the possibility of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is a very real danger, and it is reassuring to know that you can have some immediate warning should they exhibit any dangerous signs or symptoms.
One type of alarm has movement sensor pads which lay under the baby and detects their regular breathing pattern; if there is any break or interruption for longer than usual it will alarm, providing you the opportunity to act quickly and potentially avoid a serious problem.
While highly unlikely you would ever need such an alarm, it still provides that peace of mind which might allow you to get some much needed rest when you have the opportunity.
Some of the best baby monitors with camera attached include the Summer baby monitors, Fisher Price, Summer Infant, Angelcare, Philips, Samsung and Safety 1st. These high quality brands tend to get the best reviews and can come with any number of extensive features including high quality audio, wifi, digital HD video cameras and even heart monitors! When you compare the top rated monitors on Consumer Reports and other comparison websites, Summer Infant's products tended to get the best reviews in 2011 despite many models being quite affordable if not downright cheap.
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With purchasing a baby monitor there are some things to consider. Problems can occur, such as getting interference from other wireless devices, although this can be greatly eliminated depending on the quality of alarm you choose. Some of the features that you might want to look out for include:
• Checking the MHz and range – a greater range will help with the quality of the sound even if you don’t use it to the full extent of its potential?
• Considering the number of channels available, and the technology used so that you can minimize any issues with interference.
• Seeing if the monitor you are looking at has rechargeable capabilities, or are you going to have the ongoing expense of purchasing batteries?
• Checking if you can get extras for your unit, like more than one hand piece, extra cameras or even an extra room monitor?
• Finding out if it has out of range and low battery alarm?
• Water resistance on the portable hand pieces – this could be a useful safeguard, particularly if you take it outside and get caught in rain or it gets splashed near a pool, water feature or Jacuzzi.
• The inclusion of things like video, temperature or movement monitoring?
As you can see, there are quite a number of options to choose from when you are looking at baby monitors, and it all comes down to what particular features you feel are going to be most valuable for you and your baby.