Why we love having a video monitor

When we were registering for our first baby, it was SUCH an overwhelming process.  When we were making our wedding registry, it was all based on our taste and style.  But with a baby, it was all about safety and highly-charged parental opinions:

“You NEED the inclined swing with bells & whistles.  Your baby’s brain will be stimulated and they will learn not to be held all the time…”

“If you put your baby in one of those swings, you’re not nurturing your baby.  They will feel isolated and alone, and they won’t respond to human interaction…”

“Pacifiers give your baby nipple confusion.  They should never be used…”

“Pacifiers teach your baby to soothe away from breastfeeding.  They are essential…”

“Put the baby in their own crib on their first night home.  They should never sleep in your room…”

“Putting the baby in a bassinet next to your bed is critical for the first few weeks…”

“Co-sleeping is the most natural way to raise your baby – it solidifies your bond & the breastfeeding relationship…”

Oh. my. word.  I felt like I couldn’t make any decision without second guessing it.  It wasn’t until I actually has Isaac that I got it alllll figured out.

Um, yeah.  Of course not.  The night we got home from the hospital, I vowed to myself that I would never judge another mom ever again.  It was all about survival mode.  Whatever it took to get through the day or night was fine by me. 

15 months later, I’m pregnant again.  Yay!! 

While I still second guess myself all of the time, I’ve definitely found what works best for my little family.  Again – I honestly try to never judge the decisions another mom is making, because whatever gets you through the day is fine by me! 

With all of that being said, there is one thing that is the FIRST thing we’re getting for our second baby.  It wasn’t even a question.  We loved loved LOVED having a video monitor for Isaac, and we will love using one with baby #2 as well!

Of course, there were those “voices” that told me otherwise in the beginning.  They told me that it was unnecessary, and I was going to be a helicopter parent if I used one.

Here’s why using a video monitor was absolutely the best thing for our family:

• Our baby had medical reasons
  • Our little guy had silent reflux.  This means that he would spit up, but then swallow it (gross, I know).  This also means that he would choke – a LOT.  One morning I woke up to him crying, and then he just stopped.  His face turned bright red, his mouth was open, and he couldn’t breathe.  I was able to get the spit-up dislodged in a moment of sleep-deprived panic, but it was so so scary.  This was when he was still sleeping in a bassinet next to our bed!  The doctor said, “Now would not be the time to transition him to his crib.  Keep him next to your bed for a little while longer.  Does your family have a history of SIDS?” Talk about making a worried mom more of a wreck!! 
  • When we finally did transition him to his crib (at 6 months), I was really worried he would have another one of these episodes.  Having a video monitor allowed me to have eyes in his room, but I was able to be on another floor of the house.  The sense of relief that gave me was enormous!
• It really helped with naptime issues
  • Our guy fights sleep with everything in him.  He always has.  When we finally decided to do sleep training (something I swore I would never do) the video monitor was essential.  I was a mess listening to him cry, but I could see that he was physically safe.  Just having eyes on him was such a relief! 
  • As he’s gotten older, having the video monitor has helped me recognize his naptime patterns.  For example, he will stir after he’s been asleep for 45 minutes.  It’s like clockwork.  I know that if I want him to continue sleeping, I must stop everything I’m doing (yes, even breathing ) until he settles into a deeper sleep. 
  • Sometimes when he’s going down for a nap, I will hear him cry much louder than usual.  I can look on the video monitor to see what’s going on.  Usually, it’s something that I can visually see and help fix the problem (his leg is stuck in the crib rungs, or his blankie fell on the floor).
• Peace of mind is priceless
  • By nature, I am a worrier.  I wake up in the middle of the night, and I’m worried that someone has come into our house and stolen our baby.  (Please tell me I’m not alone!!) It’s such an amazing thing to be able to look next to my bed and see my baby sleeping safe & sound in his crib.  If I didn’t have that, I would have to walk to his room and risk waking him up with the creaky wooden floor in the hallway.  It’s SO worth it for me to have that peace of mind in the middle of the night!

We used a Motorola baby monitor for Isaac, and they gave us every reason to get another one for our second baby!  It had amazing ratings, a color LCD screen, night vision, and it was really easy to use. 

We got the Motorola MBP36S video baby monitor, and I can’t wait to use it to give me peace of mind with our second baby.  I’m going to figure out how to use it in both rooms, because it’s got an awesome picture- in-picture feature that lets you keep an eye on two rooms at the same time!  You’d better believe I am still watching Isaac on a video monitor!

I highly encourage you – mother to mother – to research this for yourself.  Please check out the amazing Motorola baby video monitor (they’re sold at Target!) for yourself and see if it’s the right decision for your family.  Please also share this with anyone that might benefit from hearing it!

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.