Top Reasons to Own a Baby Monitor

Why a baby monitor will help you and your baby rest easy

Bringing your baby home from the hospital is a big deal. No matter how much preparation and learning you’ve done, your first days and nights together as a new family will most likely bring you equal parts joy and nerves. First-time parents know this especially well, not having had previous experience being responsible for a fragile newborn who’s suddenly appeared in the world.

Once you get into a rhythm as a family and start adapting to the tremendous task of caring for a tiny human, it all starts to feel more natural—everything from feeding your baby to learning their sleep patterns eventually start falling in place and become routine. In addition to keeping your baby comfortable and happy, you’ll also start looking for ways to create a healthy, engaging and safe environment for them to develop and grow.

A baby camera is a crucial tool for both you and your bundle of joy

Of course, a major need of any new parent is having a reliable way to keep a close eye on your baby while they sleep or when you’re not in the same room as them. After all, you still need to do things like shower and get some sleep yourself! Everything in your home changes so much when you welcome a new baby, and a baby monitor camera is the most reliable way to make sure you can see everything that is happening at all times while still going about your day with at least some semblance of self-care and maintaining a routine.

There are a lot of options available for monitors, with features like Bluetooth connectivity and nightlights. When you’re choosing the best baby monitor for your setup, consider things like your routines and schedule, the age of your child and how much you plan to rely on it for keeping tabs and checking on your baby.

The main types of baby monitors you’ll find include:

Video monitors. Using both visual and audio feeds, a video baby monitor gives you the advantage of high-definition visual observation so you can directly view what’s happening at any given moment, whether from your phone or directly from the handheld video monitor device.
Wearable monitors. These include a soft, sock-like wrap that slips on your baby’s foot and monitors their vitals, including heartrate, oxygen levels, room temperature and more. This is the highest level of monitoring you can achieve, especially in models that are combined with an additional baby monitor camera. Wearables also typically include a monitoring app for your smartphone for portability and ease.
Audio monitors. The most classic and time-tested type of monitor is the audio monitor. This simple device lets you hear when your baby cries or stirs. Like the other types of baby monitors, most modern audio monitors have a smartphone app component as well.

The benefits of using a baby monitor

Some people might shy away from the constant surveillance of a baby monitor, or it may even provoke anxiety from anticipating that you’ll see something go wrong. However, once you begin using one, you’ll likely feel peace of mind and able to relax a little more, knowing that your baby is always being watched over even when you aren’t in the same room with them.

Check in without disturbing their sleep

When you enter the nursery to look in on your baby, it can be hard to truly get the reassurance you need when it’s dark, even if there’s a nightlight. When you use a baby monitor camera, you can simply glance at the screen and double-check that your baby is sleeping peacefully—no need to wake them by accident.

Similarly, if you use a wearable baby monitor, you’ll have important insight on your baby’s current state and whether their nursery environment is ideal, like if the room is too warm or too cold, or needs an adjustment like a humidifier. This can help you sleep better knowing you can check in from the comfort of your own bed during more quiet times without disrupting your baby’s hard-earned sleep.

This can be especially useful for sleep training, when you actively avoid re-entering the room simply because of crying. Find the best wearable monitor for your baby to make sure you’re getting the most out of it and using it correctly.

Reclaim some alone time

One of the best uses for a baby camera or monitor is that you might actually get a few things done requiring your full attention, like take a shower, make a phone call or even take a nap when your baby does without worrying that you’ll miss something. Alone time can be scarce when you’re a new parent, so when your baby is ready to safely have a little bit of time apart from you here and there, you can use a baby monitor to keep an eye on them from another room.

Capture precious moments

Imagine glancing at the screen of your video monitor and seeing your baby happily laughing, smiling and full of glee. This can be a perfect moment to use the record option and have video you can save directly to your phone and revisit later. Grandparents and other relatives will appreciate when you send them these little moments, and you’ll treasure having these memories down the road.

Communicate with your baby

When you have two-way audio capabilities in your monitor setup, you can actually speak to your baby. If they’re crying or in another state of minor distress, simply being able to speak to them in a soothing tone so they can hear your voice my help to calm them. You might also try gently singing to them, which might also put them right back to sleep without you ever having to get up from what you were doing. This is perfect for times when you can tell it’s not an emergency, but want to reassure them nonetheless.

A baby monitor can give you peace of mind

Once you find the best combination of monitors to pair with your other baby health and wellbeing accessories, you’ll feel more in control of your environment and on top of the challenges of parenting. Having a new baby at home with you can be the most joyful experience, especially when you have the peace of mind knowing that you’re covering all your bases in baby care.