Questions for STM+ 11/8

missblaze

steph30032

So I know it’s been discussed before but I can’t find where it was posted.... I was set on having two sets of the summer video baby monitors. But now I’m stressing that the two handsets might interfere with each other. I’ve seriously considered a monitor that switches rooms, but I can’t find out if it automatically switches sound when one kid makes noise. I’m assuming that even if you have the screen set to switch back and forth, it won’t switch sound back and forth constantly. If I’m asleep at night, and one kid wakes up, but I have the sound set to the other room, how would I know?? I’ve been stressing over this monitor situation for most of my pregnancy...ideally, I want a video monitor that will switch screens every few seconds or has a split screen and will automatically go to the screen that has a child making noise......I guess my question is does anyone have my dream monitor or know if two monitors interfere? What are you all doing about needing two monitors? 

burnsmommy27

We have the Infant Optics off of amazon. It is compatible with a second camera and will switch back and forth every few seconds. I'm waiting for black Friday to see if the second camera will go on sale but that is our plan. It's this one for reference. Looks like it's on a good sale right now too

LInfant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor with Interchangeable Optical Lens https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECHYTBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dWZaAbNCAZQZK

bainidhedub

We have a Motorola with two cameras. When it's set to cycle between them, the audio switches to whichever room it's showing. But noise on one doesn't trigger the screen to switch to that room.

EmilyLove25

This is a great question... following... We bought a NICE new Samsung recently that said you could use two cameras, but I haven't looked into how that will actually work. Also just generally wondering, when do people stop using the cameras in their kid's rooms? I know it is subjective and changes from child to child but... anyone?

lmmjd

@EmilyLove25 I was wondering the same thing about when people stop. I haven't had one in DD's (just turned 3) room since we moved into our house in March. That said, she has never been one to wonder- if she wakes up, she comes right to me and her room is the closest to ours. Also, I am a super light sleeper... annoyingly so, so I can hear her if she cries in the middle of the night.

steph30032

@burnsmommy27 does the Infant Optics change audio between rooms when it switches? 

@bainidhedub Does the Motorola sound changing wake you up at night? I feel like the constant change could keep me awake at night, but I’d much rather have that security of being able to hear both kids so it would probably be worth it for me. Also, you said it switches often? Like every 10 seconds or so? Or is it like one minute intervals? I’m just worried if the audio isn’t triggered by sound, the one baby would be crying for a while before the monitor switched. Has that ever been an issue for you? Sorry for the million questions. I’m a helicopter paranoid mom, hahaha

supercoolstephy

@EmilyLove25 I've been wondering about this too. DS will be 2 on the 18th and will be sharing a room with my step-son when he's here, every other weekend and 5 weeks during the year. So I don't know that I feel comfortable having a camera in there because he's 13 and I feel like that's an invasion of his privacy. All the kids are on the second floor and we are on the first floor, so I know I need something so I know DS is up.  I'm thinking I'll just use the audio only monitors we have in DS/SS room. DS doesn't get out of his bed, even though he can, and if he does he just plays with toys, and we have the plastic door locker on his door. 

burnsmommy27

@steph30032 yes it switches audio and video with each room. I'm not too worried about the audio switch waking me up because we use white noise for DD and will use white noise for this LO too. I'm more worried about them waking each other up if one starts crying

PhillymommaX2

@steph30032 my girls are 18 mo apart and we had two summer infant monitors that did not interfere with each other. One base/monitor was on my nightstand and the other on DH’s nightstand. 

steph30032

@PhillymommaX2 Good to know! That was what I was originally leaning towards. I love the summer infant monitors.

BelhurstBride

@steph30032, every monitor we have automatically switches every couple of seconds. The audio switched with the video and no, it never kept me up. 

@EmilyLove25, we had a Samsung at one point. It was the worst of all of the monitors we've had. I returned it before the warranty ran out. We still have a monitor on the girls. DD2 still wakes up some nights and I like to try to catch her before she wakes up DD1. (They share a room by choice.) DD1 is a high anxiety kiddo and loves knowing we have eyes on her, too. 

bainidhedub

@steph30032 We don't keep it in our bedroom, we have it in the basement so we can keep an eye on DS when he's supposed to be in bed. When he was itty bitty we had it in the bedroom but ended up turning the audio way down because he was such a noisy sleeper. If we thought we heard something, the LED indicator was more reliable to tell if he was actually crying. I'd have to see how often it switches, we don't use that function too much at the moment.

conineml

Someone brought up an interesting question on HDBD...since we are due in Jan and it will be winter, should we look into maternity coats/jackets?  Also did notice motherhood has all jackets on sale for 30% off right now...
I can't decide if it's really cold enough in my area to worry with it or if it is even worth it.  Can you potentially just not button pea coats and still be alright?  This kinda sounds like a dumb question, but I feel like I'm fine just not buttoning my pea coats because of how I'm gaining weight but at the same time I'm not sure how it'll be in the next few weeks, plus if people get allll judgy on you if you don't button them and your pregnant.  

cyanope

@steph30032, I have been agonizing over this too! I have a Motorola for DD, and it has worked well for me, but the unit I have doesn't accommodate a second camera (boo!). I actually spent a LOT of time yesterday researching this/looking at reviews, and this is the system I put on my registry: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0742CJ6TY?colid=1JOWCVNN262Y4&coliid=IZNIWXA8DWU26&ref=br_ADD_TO_CART_title_link&th=1 It's SUPER cheap compared to other dual-camera models, but still has pretty good reviews. It also has the features I wanted: one parent unit with two cameras, the ability to "talk" over it, plays lullabies, not wifi capable (I'm paranoid about wifi monitors), and switches between cameras every 10 seconds (when on "loop" mode). I didn't want to spend a ton of money on ANOTHER monitor, but I wanted the two cameras, so this is probably the one I will be purchasing!

supercoolstephy

@conineml I will preface this with I live in TN, where it gets cold but not COLLLLLDDD. So yeah. I plan to wear the peacoat I already own. And I will button it if I can and if it's necessary. I'm not really one to care what people say or get judgey with me, my RBF game is strong. haha. I had some guy walk by me staring while I was at Target the other day and I straight up asked him "what the f*** are you looking at?" I think I scared him. haha. But seriously... what was he looking at? haha Also, I'm not going to invest in a coat that I will only wear one short season since I'm totally done with pregnancy after this one.

cyanope

I don't plan on buying a new coat, @conineml. I'll just wear the ones I have. I can still button one of them at the moment (wore it on Halloween), but probably not for much longer. So, I'll just wear them open and with scarves until the end. But...I live in San Diego so I don't really know what cold is. I think it TOTALLY depends on where you live. 

Mudge85

Anyone have an app they recommend for feedings/changings? I want one that can do multiples and also that my DH can log into, too.

auntieraindrop

I'm trying to get our insurance plans finalized for when baby comes. Obviously we'll be putting him on our medical coverage (thru dad's work) right away. I'm also going to pick up life insurance for him. I'm curious if people usually add newborns to vision/dental plans right away? Dad's dental plan will have open enrollment in July, which seems like a reasonable time to add him, he'll be seven months old or so and probably have teeth by then. It seems silly to put vision coverage on a newborn though? Or is it? Sometimes I see babies with glasses! I have had mine since I was 6.

BelhurstBride

@conineml, I live in Upstate NY and we definitely see cold. I've been debating what to do. So far I can still get into my parka and I'm hoping that continues to be the case. 

If I do have to concede and buy a maternity coat at least I know I'll have a coat I can zip DS in while wearing him. (I walk my daughters to school.) 

supercoolstephy

@auntieraindrop my dentist said to not bring DS in till he was 2 yrs so I didn't add him till this years open enrollment. I would check your medical policy because some policies cover certain types of dental/vision when it's required. I'm not sure what DH covers since this is the first time everyone is on his plan from birth so I'll need to look into this again.

cyanope

@auntieraindrop, I added DD onto ALL of my plans (dental, vision, and medical) when she was born. All of mine are combined (and my dental/vision is so minimal compared to the medical that I didn't even think about it), so it wasn't really a consideration to split them up. Most dentists recommend regular check ups within six months of them getting their first teeth (so usually before the age of 1), so you would probably be fine waiting until 7 months. But, because I'm paranoid and think all the things will go wrong, I like to cover all of my bases from the get-go!

egirl1025

@Mudge85 I used the baby daybook app.  You can have multiple babies on it and record all kinds of stuff.  I got it after the first pediatrician appointment where they asked my sleep deprived mind how many dirty diapers in a day, how many feedings, how many ounces...etc.... It also keeps track of growth which was nice.

I think it was free, but I may have paid for an upgrade on it as well.  I cannot remember.

conineml

Update:  I totally bought the coat...it was $50 with shipping and tax for a pea coat...Hopefully it fits!  And looks as adorable on as it does in the picture!  I feel like it was pretty cheap in general, let alone for maternity.  
Edited to add:  It also doesn't look overly maternity (except for the weird tie/bow they think you need to promote your bump) so hopefully I can also wear it after being pregnant!  

[Deleted User]

Catching up..
I live in WI where it gets super cold, but I'm not spending the money on a maternity coat. My winter coat is already larger, so while I may not be able to zip it for a couple months over my belly, it should be fine for babywearing if I need to. I plan to just layer a lot until this babe is born!

I haven't personally used an app, but I had some friends who used the Eat Sleep app (I hope that's the right name!)

DH's work bundles all medical plans, so DD was automatically added to dental and vision even though we haven't used it yet. We already had a family plan for both of those when he added me, so it didn't cost anything extra for her to be on them.

steph30032

@auntieraindrop Right now we have the medical, dental, and vision for DH and myself. DS turned 2 in September and we have him on our insurance plan for Medical and dental but not vision. When DD comes, she’ll just be on medical, without the vision and dental. We were told not to bring DS into see a dentist till he was close to 2, so that’s the only reason he is on dental right now. When the new baby hits 2 years old, or around there, she’ll be added on to dental. We’ll probably wait till around 3 to add them to vision, however both DH’s and my family have always had perfect vision with no one in glasses, so it’s not much of a concern for us. 

crizz13

@Mudge85 we LOVE the baby connect app which was what my BMB with DD overwhelmingly recommended/used. We’ll use it again for this LO. 

@auntieraindrop FFTC we still don’t have DD (almost 3) on our dental and vision. We’ll add her to dental in January and take her soon after. The pediatrician was very good at checking her vision along the way and had there been an issue, we would have added her. We aren’t planning on taking her to an ophthalmologist unless recommend in school after vision screenings or unless we become concerned for some reason. 

Dani0329

@auntieraindrop
We had DD for just medical when she was born.  We put her on dental when she was 18 months old.  Our insurance won't cover vision for a child until 4 or 5, so we will likely private pay for her first check up to make sure she doesn't have any problems!

Dani0329

@cyanope
I was happy with the baby optics for our dual choice and now I don't know! Thanks for the recommendation, definitely like the price better.  Time for some choices!

jakobaby

@auntieraindrop We put DS on all medical when he was born and I’m so glad that we did! It isn’t bundled together either. Reasoning is that DS had a tongue tie. One that couldn’t be clipped by the pediatrician. This particular tie had to be lasered by a pediatric dentist. Once he had this procedure done, nursing was a dream but was horribly difficult for the 6 weeks prior. Because we put him on the insurance during the 30 day window after his birth (again so glad I signed him up) the procedure was covered in full. We got lucky.

You never know when you may need a pediatric dentist for an emergency either. I’ve heard of young children falling and either knocking their teeth back or up into their gums. Maybe other moms here have additional advice that would rival this however due to my personal experience, this LO will be on full medical coverage ASAP.

@EmilyLove25 admittedly, we haven’t used the monitor for DS since we moved him to his new room in August. He is 2.5

sjb2215

Regarding the maternity coat, I also live in WI where it was in the 30s today, brrr! Luckily my cousin had a maternity coat in the group of clothes she lent me so I've switched to that. I'd also check out buy, sell, trade groups to see if you can find one used!

BelleZBoo

I just wanted to say I love all these questions- you ladies rock. 

KatieEl

@Mudge85 another vote for the Baby Connect app!

Re: maternity coat, I have one and have zero regrets about it.  They usually can be found fairly reasonable on sale, and they're great for baby wearing postpartum too.

missblaze

@auntieraindrop I immediately put DD on my medical when she was born. I didn't put her on dental until she was 2. The pediatric dentist in the area gives a free exam/cleaning prior to age 2, so we did that. She's been doing every 6 months for a cleaning since that time. I know that a lot of dentists say to delay taking your child in for a cleaning, but the dentist I saw said that she disagrees and that many kids come in already with cavities by age 3. As for vision, the pediatrician does a vision exam for an extra $20 (it was only offered this last year at her 3 year well child check). 

madcouplewithabox

Ok, odd question. Do you physically feel lighter after birth. Will this heavy feeling go away or does it take time? 

PhillymommaX2

madcouplewithabox said:

Ok, odd question. Do you physically feel lighter after birth. Will this heavy feeling go away or does it take time? 

It feels amazing. I could sleep on my stomach, roll over without issue, put on my shoes without grasping for air etc..   You still look 4 months pregnant but it is so much easier to move around/ get around. At least this was my experience. 

burnsmommy27

Yes @madcouplewithabox it will feel much better. For me I still couldn't sleep on my stomach bc of breastfeeding. I would get super engorged over night  (I had an over supply) and laying on my boobs was killer. But it all evens out eventually.

BelhurstBride

@madcouplewithabox, I can't say I felt lighter, but more able bodied. I could freaking do stuff again because there wasn't a watermelon wedged in my gut. 

steph30032

So I had been saving my Medla breast pump from DS (so it’s about 2 years old), and now I’m trying to decide between getting a new one from insurance for free or just using the same one I had...would the old one stop being as effect after a certain amount of time? Or would the tubing and stuff need to be replaced either way? Anyone else planing of just going new just because they can? 

[Deleted User]

@steph30032 I just got one last summer with DD from insurance, but I'll be getting a new one this time around (from insurance). One of my tubes must have a hole or something in it, and I haven't wanted to buy more. But the main reason is we have a mold problem in our apartment, so that makes me a little nervous that maybe there's some inside the pump that I can't see and I just don't feel comfortable using it again.

supercoolstephy

@steph30032 I had a Medela that I picked up with my insurance and would not have been able to get a new pump for 3 years. I'm on DH insurance this time and I've heard such great things about the Spectra that I ordered that and will use adapters for whatever Medela parts I still have.