baby monitors....are they an essential?

[Shellbelle]

i too have an angelcare movement and sound monitor. Has been a godsend. As everyone has said - not a necessity depending on your house design. I have found it useful during summer when DS is in the room with the aircon on, and I am outside etc I can hear him when he wakes, so he doesn't have to be screaming and distressed before I hear him.

[mbear]

We had one - didnt use it much. I got given ours from a friend, so luckily didnt waste my money. But if anyone ever asked me what was the one baby product you have that you never used/needed, it would be a baby monitor.
OUr babies slept with us till at least 12 weeks old, then we moved them in the room next to ours. They were always fairly good sleepers.

In saying that, if i had a two storey house, or a larger home, i could see they would be much needed.

[~Kim~]

I have an el cheapo fisher price one and it's fantastic. Basically used is because Darcy was upstairs and we were down - now she's at the other end of the ouse.

[tan32]

With my DD i didnt use one, our house was small and her room was next to ours and her window backed onto our backyard. With DS we used one as his room was down the other end of our new bigger house and i felt that i would not be able to hear him if he woke, we will use it again with this one, i picked it up on special from Coles its a fisher price and i payed $7 for it as it was clearance stock. However DD was the best monitor for me, she would come and wake me to tell me DS was crying......lol

[Shellbelle]

Wow, $7 for a baby monitor, what a bargain!!!

[Karina]

We borrowed one from friends, but we only used it once or twice before we decided we could hear her anyway as her room is so close to ours.

[~Trish~]

I love our monitor. I don't need it at night because our rooms are close together and I wake up to the slightest sound that either of my boys make, but during the day it is great. I spend most of the day outside or up the other end of the house and wouldn't be able to hear DS2 without the monitor. I use a Philips monitor which is fantastic.

[Celsie]

We sleep soundly at night knowing that if our son stops breathing,the angelcare monitor will alarm and we'll be there in a second.

Although, we have had a few false alarms, where he's been sleeping on the edge of the cot and not on the sensor pads. First few times scare the hell out of you. It's amazing how fast you can run while you're still half asleep.