Pros and Cons of Video Vs Audio Baby Monitors
With so many endless things to buy in preparation for your new baby, it may be hard to tell what you will really need for the long run.
One item that seems pretty essential for every baby list or registry is a baby monitor.
The question usually is should you get the far more expensive video baby monitor or the most cost effective audio baby monitor.
Today's technology offers such a wide range of different monitors with so many types of features it's hard to know which one will work best for your family.
Being a month of twin toddler boys and a 10 month old baby, I have used both audio and video baby monitors and each of them have their own fair share of pros and cons.
When the twins were born we opted to go for the video baby monitor though for the first few months of their lives they were sleeping in a crib next to our bed so that we could respond to them for nighttime feedings and diaper changes.
Those first few months we were in a sleep deprivation fog and were looking for ways to get some relief.
A friend recommended that we really needed to place the boys in their own room to help us get some sleep.
When your child is just an arm reach away, it was easy to wake up for every stir or sound that they make.
But like so many first time moms are, I didn't love the idea of not seeing my child easily when they were sleeping.
My husband and I decided to go with a more costly video baby monitor.
I placed the camera so that I could watch both my children sleep.
It was reassuring to have and I did get a bit more sleep but beware of the night vision.
During the months that our boys were starting to learn to stand on their own I would frequently wake up to beady eyes that looked like they were watching me though they were just staring at the camera.
It looked like something from the movie Paranormal Activity.
As the boys got older the video baby monitor got to be more of a distraction for myself.
With two funny kids who would laugh and imitate one another in their cribs, instead of doing the much needed housework to catch up on during naptimes, I would sit and watch them play with each other till they finally decided to lay down and sleep.
It became more apparent that the video monitor was becoming less needed during nap and bedtimes.
When their sister was born, I toyed with the idea of getting another video monitor but with most second births your first time mother anxiety is usually not as bad as the first time around and realized we could get by with a sound monitor.
This was considerably far less money and when our playroom was finished in the basement, I realized I had more need to put the video monitor down there and replace it with an audio monitor for the boys as well.
Having the video monitor in the playroom is great when I have to leave the kids down there to run to the bathroom or finish cleaning up the kitchen after meal time.
The audio monitor has been adequate enough but the only con about using it is you may pick up frequencies next door.
I have heard stories of other moms who frequently spy on their neighbors with it! So if you are not using it, it's better to caution on the safe side and turn it off!
One item that seems pretty essential for every baby list or registry is a baby monitor.
The question usually is should you get the far more expensive video baby monitor or the most cost effective audio baby monitor.
Today's technology offers such a wide range of different monitors with so many types of features it's hard to know which one will work best for your family.
Being a month of twin toddler boys and a 10 month old baby, I have used both audio and video baby monitors and each of them have their own fair share of pros and cons.
When the twins were born we opted to go for the video baby monitor though for the first few months of their lives they were sleeping in a crib next to our bed so that we could respond to them for nighttime feedings and diaper changes.
Those first few months we were in a sleep deprivation fog and were looking for ways to get some relief.
A friend recommended that we really needed to place the boys in their own room to help us get some sleep.
When your child is just an arm reach away, it was easy to wake up for every stir or sound that they make.
But like so many first time moms are, I didn't love the idea of not seeing my child easily when they were sleeping.
My husband and I decided to go with a more costly video baby monitor.
I placed the camera so that I could watch both my children sleep.
It was reassuring to have and I did get a bit more sleep but beware of the night vision.
During the months that our boys were starting to learn to stand on their own I would frequently wake up to beady eyes that looked like they were watching me though they were just staring at the camera.
It looked like something from the movie Paranormal Activity.
As the boys got older the video baby monitor got to be more of a distraction for myself.
With two funny kids who would laugh and imitate one another in their cribs, instead of doing the much needed housework to catch up on during naptimes, I would sit and watch them play with each other till they finally decided to lay down and sleep.
It became more apparent that the video monitor was becoming less needed during nap and bedtimes.
When their sister was born, I toyed with the idea of getting another video monitor but with most second births your first time mother anxiety is usually not as bad as the first time around and realized we could get by with a sound monitor.
This was considerably far less money and when our playroom was finished in the basement, I realized I had more need to put the video monitor down there and replace it with an audio monitor for the boys as well.
Having the video monitor in the playroom is great when I have to leave the kids down there to run to the bathroom or finish cleaning up the kitchen after meal time.
The audio monitor has been adequate enough but the only con about using it is you may pick up frequencies next door.
I have heard stories of other moms who frequently spy on their neighbors with it! So if you are not using it, it's better to caution on the safe side and turn it off!
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