thread: How old was your baby/toddler when you ditched the motion sensor?

  1. #1
    2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Mar 2008
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    How old was your baby/toddler when you ditched the motion sensor?

    Hi again with another question!!

    Our baby monitor operates with a motion sensor - so if DD was to stop breathing, the monitor would beep and go bananas to let us know. We still use it, mainly because its part of the intercom bit too - we can't use the sound monitor without the motion one.

    How old was your LO when you stopped using these things? She isn't a loud crier, so I'd want to keep the sound monitor still, but because she moves around the cot at night a lot, the sensor pads sometimes don't pick her up and they go off, sending DH and I into mad panic. When we get to her, she's snoring away, not a worry in the world, free from blankets etc.

    TIA

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jun 2006
    Perth, WA
    679

    My experience probably won't help because both slept in with us for at least the first 3-4 months (S slept in our room until he was 9 months, because we didn't have anywhere else for him! Then we moved and he got his own room) BUT saying that, I was reading somewhere that the motion sensors aren't much help after about 6 months, for both the reason you mention (baby moves) and also the fact that around that age they can work out that if they hold their breath it goes off, so they hold their breath in order to get you to come ... sneaky, right?!! If she's over 12 months I would think she'd be fine with just the monitor. It might mean you sleep a bit better at night! If you're worried about her getting caught up in blankets, have you considered the all-in-one sleeping bags to keep her warm? That way they can't get caught over her head or anything.

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Add ~Serenity~ on Facebook

    Dec 2008
    Perth
    2,030

    Never had them but I have a tiny house so can hear crying with open doors and dd2 is still in our room alot thought I'm not sure how she scams that lol but I would agree that the montion part wouldn't be that useful and those sleeping bag suits are great

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Add Rach75 on Facebook

    Oct 2005
    Moura, QLD, Australia
    3,754

    when jack moved into a bed at 2 yrs 3mths mind you the first month of him being in a bed I couldn't sleep cause I kept getting up to check him

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    melb
    8,498

    I weaned myself off using it when DS1 was 15 months in preparation for DS2 birth.

    We have a big Boori sleigh cot and I just spaced sensors out and it was fine, never false alarms (apart from DH getting him out of cot and not turning off)

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Aug 2006
    Melbourne
    485

    We stopped using out movement monitor when Caitlin went into her big girl bed at 2y 4m.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    Melbourne
    3,737

    I have stopped now dd2 is in a bed at 16 months, no need anymore unless she is sick.

  8. #8
    2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Mar 2008
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    Thanks everyone. I'm not worried about blankets - she's in a sleeping bag and she refuses to be under blankets at all. Worked that out the hard way, after many many sleepless nights!!

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Oct 2008
    Victoria
    4,601

    I'm wondering this myself! Moo just turned 1. We recently moved his room around & I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep using it due to power points. Thankfully it still reached which was a big relief. I'm obviously not ready to switch it off!

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Apr 2010
    1,118

    Never had one - I have a toddler that keeps me informed on the baby's status.

    When the toddler was a baby? It was so nice to NOT have screaming we were too busy sleeping to stress about her.

    The oldest one? Baby monitor didn't even cross my mind ...

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Nov 2008
    Perth
    3,686

    We have a big Boori sleigh cot and I just spaced sensors out and it was fine, never false alarms (apart from DH getting him out of cot and not turning off)
    :yeahthat:

    Exactly the same for us - we've never had a false alarm and have a big Boori cot too. We have the sensors spaced out so it must always be able to detect our DD as she moves all around the cot and is often tucked up in a corner. We have two sensor pads though, not sure if you can get them with only one pad.

    We both love it and wouldn't go without it now. I plan on taking it out of DD's room when we have our next baby if all goes to plan, so when DD is roughly 2.5 years. I may consider ditching it when she's 2 though as that's well and truly when SIDS is pretty much no longer a risk.

  12. #12
    2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Mar 2008
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    Ours is two sensor pads too but the cable that connects them is only about 5cms long, so they don't go very far apart.

    Thanks for the replies everyone.

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    ★ nor here nor there ★
    4,134

    DD still has hers and we will be buying another for bubs, but only because she has lung issues and is on meds for her breathing, so it is security for us when she is ill, and her Paeds said it won't be until she is three before she should her lungs grow wnough for it to be less of an issue, but we haven't had any false alarms with ours.