Do I need a monitor?

Question

The closer I get to delivering the more anxious I feel that I need a monitor like the owlet/something similar. It’s just they’re all so expensive and apart of me doesn’t want it to make me incredibly paranoid. We have an arms reach sleeper so she will be literally right next to me so that makes me feel better and as if maybe that’ll be enough? I just can’t drop 300 dollars on something that may cause more anxiety then peace of mind and all of the other ones I’ve seen have so many mixed reviews on if they really work. 😞

Answer

I look at it this way, our mothers and sisters and aunts and grandmothers and friends etc didn’t have the owlets and the video monitors. I can survive without it too. 
I got a cheap $20 on sale sound monitor, like the one my sister had (so I know how to use it) and I’ll be doing that.

Answer

I’d go with an inexpensive video monitor once baby is in their own room. We still use ours with our almost 4 year old nightly. We got one that has 2 cameras and 1 monitor about a month ago to get ready for this baby. It was like $100 on amazon. Worth it.

Answer

I just found the owlet on Facebook marketplace. The couple literally used it once and I got it for $125. I have gotten a lot of stuff on there. Not sure if that’s an option for you or not but you can usually find good stuff on there.

Answer

We slept with our first next to our bed and we literally checked with every funny sound or movement. My husband was so hilarious because he was an extra high alert. It was exhausting but I guess that it’s pretty normal for a parent of a newborn. I read mixed reviews as well and decided to stick with our first method as I was afraid of panicking for false alarms. We’ll see if I regret it when I turn into a walking zombie again after baby is born.

Answer

We set up a monitor in nursery,  but baby was in our room for first 4 months.  So technically no, you don't. We survived the first 4 months without anything.

Answer

If you have a big house, it’s not a bad idea to get a sound monitor so you don’t have to wait for baby to be full-on screaming to hear them wake up during naps, but if you’re not in a big space, you can get away with no monitor at all. 
When I was pregnant with my daughter in 2017 the Neebo wristband baby monitor was first being advertised and they said it would be released by the time she was born (august) and I wanted one so bad. It seems like a very neat piece of technology. They ended up not releasing until THIS YEAR so obviously we didn’t get one for my daughter! She’s generally healthy so it was fine. I think if you had a baby with some kind of medical condition it might be more worth it, but for a normal baby in a safe sleep situation, it’s not all that necessary. That said, for $300 the Neebo seems way more useful than the Owlet, especially now that you can actually purchase one!! 
Sleeping near your baby will definitely help put you at ease in the beginning, you’ll see and hear everything. When my daughter was brand new we rarely put her down for naps anywhere other than where we already were, we’d put her in the mamaroo or her little bed-top bassinet on the floor, or just hold her to sleep. We didn’t start putting her down alone in the bedroom for naps until about 3-4 months old. I’m not sure what we’ll do with this new baby since obviously now we have a two year old... but we’ll figure something out.

Answer

We just have a video monitor that worked great for our first. I just had the volume cranked and we heard every little thing she did. Like others have said, if it gives you peace of mind and you can afford to buy it, why not? But if it is outside of your budget, there are other options for you to explore such as a good old fashioned sound only monitor!

Answer

I think this is a very personal decision. I’m a nurse and my husband is a medic. We have seen things that you can’t forget and runs involving kids stay with you. My husband was adamant that we buy one, so we did. There is a different tone that sounds when the sock falls off. I was concerned about the false alarms, but for us personally (especially my husband) the false alarms are worth it. I dont think it’s for everyone though. I completely agree that it can cause unnecessary worry and anxiety. I think you have to do what you think is best for you and your mental well-being. I don’t think there is a wrong or right. Everyone is just very different. My husband is a little over the top lol. We have the sock, a video monitor and then an indoor camera since our monitor didn’t come with an app on your phone so we can check on her when we are working. Is it too much for some people? Sure. But it’s what brings peace to my family. Just go with what feels best and you can’t go wrong 😊

Answer

Honestly I do not recommend getting one. My son was born last week and spent 5 days in the NICU for breathing issues and a couple other things. Towards the end of his stay his breathing test was passed but they still kept him on the breathing monitors and the warning alarm would go off constantly but they said it was normal baby breathing. It will cause you way more anxiety than it's worth as they give so many false alarms. It's normal for stats to fluctuate and the monitors can't always distinguish between what is "normal" or not.

Answer

If you get one I’d try to find one for resell. I never used one with my older child and had anxiety enough as Is constantly waking up making sure he was okay. I’m sure I’d do the same with this baby. Just a mother’s instinct

Do I need a monitor?

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