Product Spotlight: Baby Monitors/ Safety Gear (7/30)

okayestmom12 · July 2018

This is a place for FTMs to ask questions and S+TMs to share the wealth of knowledge they've accumulated on baby products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week it's....Baby Monitors/ Safety Gear!

Please use the prompts below to try to share as much relevant info as you can in a format that is easy for those reading to absorb/respond to. If you'd like to recommend/ask questions about more than one product, please copy/paste the prompts as needed.

For S+TMs:

Favorite [Baby Monitors/ Safety Gear]:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
What you like about it:
What you don't like about it, if anything:
Is there a [Baby Monitor/ Safety Gear] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
Additional thoughts on [Baby Monitors/ Safety Gear]:

For FTMs:

[Baby Monitors/ Safety Gear] you're interested in:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:

To view past product spotlights, add suggestions for future spotlights see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NZB2b3JaDWH7WnSQ0ZZMP4cMmKjUHFjlPanVeDTuzPY/edit?usp=sharing

Please feel free to add in suggestions at the bottom if there is anything you want to discuss... if you can't edit the spreadsheet, tag me below or shoot me a message.

(Also just a reminder that if anyone wants to revive old threads to ask questions as we get further along and it becomes more likely everyone is doing further research, please feel free!)

BourbonBiscuits · July 2018

LOVE this thread. We're considering a new monitor for this baby, but here's what we've got right now:

https://www.motorolastore.com/baby-monitors/video-monitoring/mbp-36.html
It wasn't wildly expensive for a video monitor, but we were given it as a gift. I was anxious about a wi-fi accessible monitor when DS was born, so at the time I liked that this one was on a closed circuit and couldn't be accessed by any other devices. I like that it has a pretty clear picture so I can always see what he's up to, but it doesn't rotate or move at all. I feel like it's supposed to be able to do that. The one thing that I really don't like about it (and this may be something other people do really like) is that it's SO LOUD. Even on the lowest volume it's still blaring. This could be because of DS's white noise machine, but I just wish it had more of a range of volume.

This time around we're considering a monitor that connects to our phones via an app. I'm not as worried about someone hacking into our monitor anymore. I also want to have two cameras that both show up on one feed. For now the kids will be sharing a room, but our current monitor won't cover both cribs/beds with one camera. I haven't even started doing research on that ...

adough27 · July 2018

Favorite [Baby Monitors/ Safety Gear]: Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Monitor
Link/picture: https://www.amazon.com/Infant-Optics-DXR-8-Monitor-Interchangeable/dp/B00ECHYTBI
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): 165.99
What you like about it: It is a great monitor with great range and picture. You could also add additional cameras for any future children or other rooms you would to put a camera in. Does not run on WIFI, therefore alleviates security concerns. They also have a clip that attaches the camera to the crib when little one is small for optimal viewing.
What you don't like about it, if anything: Nothing, I had the samsung camera prior to this and it had a short battery life, and the camera broke after 6 months of use.
Is there a [Baby Monitor/ Safety Gear] you don't have but are considering? Why?: n/a
Additional thoughts on [Baby Monitors/ Safety Gear]: For safety gear make sure you measure for gates, we had trouble finding a gate for our stairs. Also, keep in mind how often you are going to be walking through an entry way, therefore consider gates that swing open rather then are spring loaded. Baby proofing seems to be an ongoing process as our child discovers has to "use" or get into new things. Therefore we started baby proofing when DD started to crawl (i.e. outlet covers, tv mount band, cabinet locks), then when she started walking, we started securing certain door handles and putting in gates. Then as she got taller, we got gas range covers, and started securing furniture to walls. When you think you are done, they always discover something else to get into that's dangerous.

wifemomme · July 2018

Safety gear can be tricky when you are on a tight budget. Luckily, like @adough27 mentioned, you don't need it all in the beginning, so that makes it easier to budget. Securing furniture to the walls and covering electrical outlets are the things that I do right away. I feel like everything else can wait until the baby is more mobile.

I have always lived in a small house or apartment so never felt like I needed a baby monitor. I can hear what is going on, so I never felt like it was worth the expense for me, but I know that for a lot of parents they provide an important feeling of security and control. If that is important to you I would put it in your budget, but I wouldn't call it a necessity for every family.

BourbonBiscuits · July 2018

@adough27 that's so true - when they're just a little sack of potatoes you don't really have to worry about baby proofing. Once they get moving you realize what all you need to get. It's definitely been a gradual process in our household ...

adough27 · July 2018

BourbonBiscuits said:

@adough27 that's so true - when they're just a little sack of potatoes you don't really have to worry about baby proofing. Once they get moving you realize what all you need to get. It's definitely been a gradual process in our household ...

LOL, I miss the sack of potatoes phase. There are so many things I had no idea a toddler would get into... I now understand why there are professionals you can hire.

BourbonBiscuits · July 2018

@adough27 I miss the sack of potatoes phase too! Who would have thought I'd need to find a way to not let DS flush the toilet 75 times in a row? He's already overflowed it all over our bathroom once; that's really not a mess I want to clean up again.

kayjay44 · July 2018

We don't use a baby monitor. We had an audio one with our first and didn't use it with our second.

As for safety gear - I wouldn't worry about it until at least 6 months. But I also live in a ranch without stairs and have late movers. Mostly, keeping baby safe is going to be keeping my daughter away from the baby since she would love it to death.

etnyah · July 2018

Here’s a question: We live in an apartment and are not allowed to secure furniture to the walls. What do people normally do in this situation? We have a couple heavy bookshelves and a dresser.

madreofdragons · July 2018

It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

jessier19 · July 2018

@grebretso I’ve always just ignored that sort of rule from landlords. Usually I’ve found that they don’t notice the little holes in the wall when I move out. If you’re worried about losing something from your security deposit, you can always just spackle and repaint when you’re leaving.

kayjay44 · July 2018

grebretso said:

Here’s a question: We live in an apartment and are not allowed to secure furniture to the walls. What do people normally do in this situation? We have a couple heavy bookshelves and a dresser.

I wouldn’t worry about it myself until LO starts pulling up. They make adhesive versions that don’t require screws. We only secure furniture in their rooms.

etnyah · July 2018

@madreofdragons @jessier19 True. I’d rather have a non-crushed child than my deposit back.

@kayjay44 Good point. I think the stuff might be too heavy for a kid to tip over anyway, but better safe than sorry!

kayjay44 · July 2018

I'm more worried about an earthquake here than my kid tipping over furniture TBH @grebretso. And both my kids are climbers.

etnyah · July 2018

Ugh yikes, I don’t even want to think about that @kayjay44. We’re in the basement of an old three story building, sitting on the edge of a ravine. If we’re home when the big one hits, we’re dead.

kayjay44 · July 2018

grebretso said:

Ugh yikes, I don’t even want to think about that @kayjay44. We’re in the basement of an old three story building, sitting on the edge of a ravine. If we’re home when the big one hits, we’re dead.

I work near the stadiums on areas made entirely of fill. The ground is just going to liquefy.

hannahbananas11 · August 2018

I'm glad that some of you S+TM are saying you didn't use baby monitors. We're not going to use one, either, and have gotten some backlash from my best friend (has a 1yo), who thinks that not using one is akin to child neglect.
@grebretso I second the "ask for forgiveness rather than permission" comment. Or just spackle it and hope they don't notice. We had small nail holes in our old place that we spackled, and we still got our deposit back when we moved out. Some "move-out-day donuts" for the leasing office helps smooth things out a bit, too.

kayjay44 · August 2018

@hannahbananas11 - I could understand using one in a huge house. Our house is a ranch and you can hear crying from the other side of the house while asleep. It’s just not necessary. If we ever need one, we can use an iPad and an iPhone with an app.

etnyah · August 2018

I might get a baby monitor for the sole purpose of hiding it on my upstairs neighbor’s balcony. They’re always REALLY loud around 10 pm and I’m certain they’ll wake the baby several times. If they have to listen to crying, maybe they’ll stop.

danixbanani24 · August 2018

I live in an apartment where the two bedroom doors are literally across from each other less than 5 feet away but I sort of wanted a monitor anyway? Like in the winter it’s fine because I can leave the doors open but in the summers when I have the AC units going and they are SO loud I’m worried I won’t hear...hmm I’ll have to dwell on it. DS broke his monitor when he was able to stand up in the crib lol

BourbonBiscuits · August 2018

Yeah we leave the monitor on silent all night, but my anxiety brain likes to be able to see DS snuggled in his bed when I wake up in the middle of the night

cmjenkies · August 2018

This will be baby #3 for us and we have also never used a monitor and don’t plan to this time either. Baby rooms in for the first couple of months and then their room is right next door. I always wake up to kid cries, so I’m not worried about missing them and the nighttime video feeds creep me out

knottie4d785f8a8c08b0d5 · August 2018

@grebretso I use a bar of soap the color of the wall and run it over any nail hole in our rentals. Landlords never even notice there was a hole there!

As for baby monitors I didn’t use one with my first and we won’t with this baby either. I have a 5 year old so most of the ‘baby’ proof stuff we just grew out of so here we go again lol. I won’t be really baby proofing anything until the baby becomes mobile either.

okayestmom12 · August 2018

My oldest is 6.5 and we still use a “monitor” in her room - ha! It’s more security camera than monitor - Wyze Cam ($25 and so worth it). I love being able to creep on my sleeping/ playing kids.

Here’s my middle little snoozing away at nap.

becks_726 · October 2018

Can we talk baby gates for a moment? I think I'm going to need them sooner rather than later to keep the dog and the baby apart. (He will absolute lick baby to tears, I'm sure.)
Does anyone have any experience with retractable ones? With attaching a gate (not necessarily a retractable one) to a banister on one side?
Thank you!

allthingsgo · October 2018

My SIL has a retractable one that is like a mesh screen. She got it for the dog originally but it has been working great to keep her 11 month old contained.

Product Spotlight: Baby Monitors/ Safety Gear (7/30)

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