Movement/breathing monitors - are they more trouble than they are worth?

hi there,

i am 7 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child, and with my first child (who's now 13mths) we just bought a normal baby monitor. i am wondering whether to buy a new movement/breathing monitor for this new baby when it arrives.... because with my DS, i spent many an hour with the monitor attached to my ear listening for sounds of breathing, and if i couldnt hear anything for a period of time, i would creep into the bedroom to check (i STILL do this!). i'm not obsessive about it.... although i guess everyone has a different definition of obsessive!

has anyone used a movement/breathing monitor for their baby and have they found it useful? or more trouble than they are worth? my friend's friend had one and said the 'dripping tap' noise was just so annoying... and the alarm went off regularly because their baby crawled off the sensor mats....

what does everyone think?

have a read of this thread I had going a couple of weeks ago:
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ad.php?t=41577

With the Angelcare monitors you can turn the ticking noise off.
As for babies moving off the monitors, I've found the pads for the Angelcare quite large and with Nina walking and crawling around her cot, I've never had the problem of false alarms.

worth every cent we have had a couple of false alarms but too us they are no biggie because one day they may have been a real one, we only have the 1 pad angel care on sale @ target this week and have had no problems nursery stores will say you need the 2 pads but IMO it doesn't matter

We've got the Angelcare 2 pad thing, and have had no false alarms so far (DS is 4 months old). I think they're great for peace of mind (although even with it on, I will still go to DS every now & again to check he is still breathing!)

I would highly recommend one. We bought on with ds2 because he was sick and the apneo monitor the hosp gave us would constantly fall off him.. We only ever had a couple false alarms when he was a toddler.

if you want peace of mind then I would say go get one. as Rach said target has the one mat ones on sale this week. I have 2 pads and prefer 2 pads but thats me..

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And the mats with the BabysenseII that is out now are even larger - MAssive infact
Each pad is 2 of the Angelcare mats so in affect its like having 4 angelcare mats

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They must be massive Caro. I'll have to look at that one and compare with Angelcare when I buy another for our next baby.

I got an Angelcare for DD and never used it. I used the sound monitor, but not the breathing/movement part. She wouldn't sleep on the pad.

Kirst what do you mean she wouldn't sleep on the pad???

I dont know if they're changed in the last 3 years (DD is now 2.5), but the pad that we have is hard and quite bulky. She just wouldn't sleep on it.

Did you put it under the matress?? I would center it and it picks up movement from all over.

ditto nic

:lol: I saw the bottom of you sig Rach and just skimmed it and was thinking how weird all her boys names are the same as mine then I read the Aunty bit and thought wow thats so weird :lol: um then it clicked

:lol: you dumb ass.........................

I know I know.. Can I blame it on baby brain

I started using mine on DD as soon as she went from basinette to cot - I love it, it is so reassuring.

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Did you put it under the matress?? I would center it and it picks up movement from all over.

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To be honest, I don't even remember.
I may try again with this one, as the house that we now live in is far bigger than the last one and I won't be able to hear the bub as well as last time, and I think that it would set my mind at ease.

We LOVE our Angelcare Sound & Movement monitor! It is the BEST money we spent on baby stuff (well, that an my rocking/glide chair). It is great to know that you have that peace (piece?) of mind and it definitely helps with sleeping at night (for me). :) We've never had a problem and have used it for 10 months now (in the basinette and cot). :)

We have used our Angelcare since DS was home from Hospital. We absolutely love it and wouldn't be without it, he is now 16 months old and we only use the sound monitor now when he is having his day sleep as our house is quite large and I can't always hear him wake up. A definite must have for any slightly concerned new Mummy and Daddy. BTW we've not had any false alarms, just remember to turn it off when you lift your little one for a feed as it gives you both a shock if you forget and you are all suggled up feeding and it suddenly goes off at 2 am because bubs isn't in the cot anymore!

I only have a sound monitor. I never even had one of those until DD was 6 months (i just left the bedroom door open, her cot was right against my side of the bed and she often co-slept with me until 6 months) then i got one when she went into her own room.

TBH i don't know anyone in the UK who has one unless bubs was premmie or ill. The hospitals lend them to parents who've suffered a loss to SIDS, but it's not the norm to buy them as far as i know.

I'd say go with your gut. If you'd feel better having one and you can afford it, then why not?

Bec

For what you want it for, an angelcare moniter would be great. I don't think I am over paranoid, but when the kids were smaller being able to hear the thud thing was what I really liked, especially for Parker cause he was such a light sleeper I couldn't go and check on him cause he would wake.

If you get one with two mats, you don't get the false alarms. I do know people with the one mat and they do get a few alarms when they grow off. The only times mine have gone off, was when Parker was having apnea, which is what it is mean't to do KWIM? Coopers never went off once.

I bought a newer one cause Coopers broke (after 2 years under his cot and about a year as a normal moniter, and it broke more due to the kids throwing it LOL), it is blue, this one I wouldn't recommend if you want to hear breathing, cause it is really clear no interference but only kicks in when there has been a bit of noise, so breathing, a small cough etc... doesn't get picked up. The white one though you can here everything.

And you can turn off the beat if you want, or lower the sound I like having it on low cause you hear it and it isn't annoying.