Baby Monitors Explained
Baby monitors are an essential part of baby gear. When you have
the baby asleep in the crib, you don't have to keep constantly
checking to make sure that he/she is all right when you have a
baby monitor. You have one part of the monitor in the nursery
and the other in the same room of the house where you are. Every
move and sound that the baby makes come through the speaker so
it is almost like you are in the same room.
The transmitters in the monitors work best when they are within
10 feet of the baby. This is why you should have the monitor on
a nightstand near the crib, but yet you don't need to have them
so close that when the baby gets older, he/she can reach out and
touch it. You can carry the receiver with you or leave it
plugged in by your bed during the night. The basic models have a
switch you use to turn them on and off and to adjust the volume.
You can also use batteries when you want to take the receiver
with you, rather than having to plug it into an outlet in each
room.
Some of the monitors on the market have a light display that
flashes to let you know when the baby is crying. You don't need
to have the volume turned up if you use this feature, but it
does mean that you have to keep looking at the monitor. Top of
the line monitors have a camera (a video monitor) that you can
attach to your VCR. This lets you watch the baby without
actually being in the same room.
There are also disadvantages to using a baby monitor. If you
have a cordless phone, the baby monitor can pick up the
conversation so you need to be discreet. Even talking in the
same room as the baby will transfer the sound of your voice to
the receiver, so you can't complain about visitors that won't go
home. In once case we had neighbors with the same monitor on the
same frequency and we could hear their entire night-time routine
if our monitor was on. You also have to make sure that you keep
the monitors away from bathtubs and pools because they are
electrical devices.
Overall a baby monitor is a very useful thing to have. They give
you a sense of comfort and let you get on with your day while
your child is sleeping. Never forget that a monitor can NEVER
replace proper parental care. Never leave your baby unattended
for long periods (even while sleeping chech on them from time to
time).