Do I *need* a monitor?

[NickyB]

As the title suggests.

We have a small two bedroom house. Our baby will sleep in our room at first, then in the second bedroom once she's outgrown the moses basket. I think the sound travels well, and I'm wondering whether we really need one.

Has anyone else decided against it?

 

[Jade&Evie]

I don't have one. Our flat is only small and Evie is quite good at letting me know when she wants me!!!

 

[Melly+2]

through personal choice ive always had one, even though shes only in the next room, even have one now its each to their own and if you feel comfy without one then you go for it girly

 

[CoreysMummy]

We have one, live in a two bedroom house, 2000sq foot, so not a bad size for a two bed but not big by any means.

I got the one with a motion pad that goes under the mattress, so if baby stops breathing an alarm goes off. He naps there and sleeps there at night, crib is still in our room until this weekend, when hes moving out!! it goes ok tho I will miss him!!

Its all personal choice though, I also like getting to him when hes snuffling about, before he starts screaming for a bottle.

 

[Strangeness]

I got one for aaron because we lived in a house with 3 storeys but I didn't even use it to be honest, it just got in the way and you can hear a baby cry.

 

[Hazel]

I've bought one with a little monitor on it but my hearing isn't the greatest.

 

[Sherlock]

I never found a need for it in the early weeks at all. Like you we live in a 2 bed cottage and sound travels. We didn't have one till a few days ago. It was a present from OH's aunt and grandmother back in Oz. So we splashed out and got the BT 150 one for £50 (£20 off). Bargin. We use it mainly for when out in the garden now and LO inside napping. Our garden is quite big and it saves us keep running in to check on him. We are also using it at bedtime when he goes down in his cot. But that is proving to be more hassle than its worth so I shall probably keep it switched off at that time. He still sleeps in with us but when I've crashed in the spare room I've heard him in ours and gone back to see to him so proved to myself we don't need one between bedrooms. Heard him loud and clear when he was quietly chatting away to himself.

As to splashing out on anything else, like one with a sensor pad, decided against that before LO was born. Tbh would probably only cause me more worry than relief (alarm going off because LO rolls off the pad or you forget to turn it off before lifting baby out etc).

 

[Sherlock]

Nah even if you do have one you still spend every 5 mins watching thier chest .. ...

Hehe how very true Still doing that now sometimes when I wake in the night. I take comfort in knowing full well I am far from the only Mum that does this. I always figured if I am doing it, then so must a lot of other Mums out there

 

[daftscotslass]

We got one as a present and use it when she goes to bed and we're still up. Can hear her from the living room anyway as we live in a flat. Definitely wouldn't bother with one with a sensor mat or monitor for reasons mentioned above.

 

[LisaJ1986]

I have one but it's rubbish. But i'm forever feeling her chest and watching her breath!

 

[Leese]

We have one, again, my hearing isn't great and we knew we'd need one for visiting as both OH and my parents live in big old houses with thick walls. We went abroad for a month as well and it was useful then.

 

[Becky]

We got one, mainly for my OH as his hearing is rubbish but its also good for when you want to pop outside and hang the washing out or just sit in the garden when they're asleep. If you don't think you need one, wait and see, the shops will still be there after LO is born and you might find you really don't need it.

 

[Squiglet]

We never had one when Tia was a baby and we lived in a tiny 2 bed flat...but I have one for lil miss but our apartment is twice the size...saying that lil miss can throw her voice effectively enough that the monitor was never really required to hear her... so we just have so that if she stops breathing the alarm goes off...

 

[aramintalovegrove]

We are not bothering this time, dont know what newer systems are like but we tried a few with DS and used to pick up another baby who must have been a few streets away rather than ours Twas interesting to hear the conversations of other people though

As others have said most of the time they are loud enough to hear (I have a 3 storey well built victorian property and could hear him) and you spend alot of time checking anyhoo!!

 

[maybebaby]

I've got one in our little 2 bed but only because I keep the doors shut at night to keep the cat out of the bedroom. If we didn't have a cat & I left the doors open I wouldn't need one at night. Even then, I still think it'd be worth having one for after he's gone to bed while we're still up in case we don't hear him over the tv.

 

[ozzy]

i have the one with the sensor pad . baby was prem and would ' forget to breathe' in hospital so bought one for home as they were using them in the hospital too. i was just going to get a standard monitor before he was born but its a personel choice really if you think you need one xx

 

[Bagpuss17]

I think it all comes down to your comfort zone.

We lived in a smallish house when we had our son, we thought sound travelled well too but we wouldn't have always heard him if we didn't have the monitors. We still use them now and he's 2.

For me it's a "need" item but it's a personal choice.

 

[mary70]

i have one and we use it every day when she is in bed for her nap and when she goes to bed at night, i have one that can be taken outside so when she has a nap i can take it with me wherever i go eg different rooms, garden, we also take it on holiday with us

 

[lea m]

Nah even if you do have one you still spend every 5 mins watching thier chest .. ...

Hehe how very true Still doing that now sometimes when I wake in the night. I take comfort in knowing full well I am far from the only Mum that does this. I always figured if I am doing it, then so must a lot of other Mums out there

I still do it now! My eldest is 9 but when I go check on them at night I still feel their chests!

 

[Sherlock]

Nah even if you do have one you still spend every 5 mins watching thier chest .. ...

Hehe how very true Still doing that now sometimes when I wake in the night. I take comfort in knowing full well I am far from the only Mum that does this. I always figured if I am doing it, then so must a lot of other Mums out there

I still do it now! My eldest is 9 but when I go check on them at night I still feel their chests!

Awwwww We never stop worrying about them. Its a natural thing

I joked to my friends before Galen was born that I'd see them next in 2026 I had been joking but now he is here I realise I was serious Its so hard to not worry about them, even when things are fine