Monitors

I'm not gonna bother buying one new - I'm gonna grab one off trade me. I also don't need one of those really fancy ones that you have like a little tv that comes with it.

I want one that I can have outside with me (while I'm hanging out washing, in the garage or sitting on the deck etc) when he's sleeping so I know when he wakes up.

What's generally a good brand to buy? I've noticed there are tons of Phillips ones on trade me and I don't know whether that means they are good and so many people use them or they are bad so lots of people get rid of them!

I've got 3 lol by default. Had a Fisher Price for Maya and kept it, but when we moved into our new house it didn't work well so bought a Jolly Jumper one with a night light off TM for $40. It also didn't work to well and I discovered that the problem is actually the house (there is a flat underneath us and so we get a lot of feedback) but have managed to rig up the monitor so I have one baby unit in the gremlins room and one in Maya's room on different channels, and two parent units in my room, and when I'm working I take the second parent unit into the office with me and put it on the gremlins channel.

The third one is a TOMY one I got from the Warehouse to use at Mum and Dad's.

Overall have found them to be pretty mch of a muchness, altho the JJ one has a motion activated nightlight which is kinda cool.

We didn't bother with teh Angelcare sensor ones coz I have portable apnoea monitors on the gremlins which are awesome peace of mind.

We have the entry-level Phillips type, it has two channels to choose from and it does the trick very well for us. We are in a two-storey home so without the monitor it would be very uncommon for me to hear a baby crying downstairs (our living areas are upstairs). It has battery option for if the power goes, or I have actually taken the receiver end outside with me when doing gardening. It has a belt hook thing which I clipped onto the washing line lol

Thanks I think I'll do that!

I like the idea of the angelcare one but I don't like the price at all (even on trademe! lol)

I was looking on consumer.org.nz the other day as I noticed some are available with flybuys. These 3 were the ones that came out best in their tests


Philips SCD465
Price: $160
Good points
Best overall score. Best performance. Easiest to use. Good sound sensitivity. Very good sound clarity. Best reception range outside. Best-equal reception range inside. Recharging base for parent unit.
But
Relatively expensive. No belt clip (but see "Belt clips not always great" in What we found).


Fisher Price Private Connection J8289
Price: $129
Good points
Very good sound sensitivity. Very good sound clarity. Loudest sound output. Best-equal reception range inside. Very good reception range outside.
But
No battery back-up for baby unit. No night light.

Price: $65
Good points
Very good sound sensitivity. Reasonable price.
But
Long aerial on parent unit could be awkward during handling or while unit is attached to the belt clip. No battery back-up for baby unit.


This is what they say to look for

What to look for
Number of channels is important. There should be at least two frequencies to choose from.


Battery power option gives you flexibility. Most baby monitors use mains power, with battery power an option on the parent unit so that you can take the monitor with you around the house. Battery power on both units means you can take the monitor on camping holidays or picnics.


Low-battery indicator light can be very helpful. Without it, you might be listening in and thinking all's quiet - when in fact what you've got is a flat battery.


Automatic battery back-up is useful in areas where power failures are common.


Power-on light means you can check whether the unit is on without disturbing the baby.


Volume control allows you to adjust the level of baby sound you want to hear.


Light display on parent unit shows the sound level visually, when the volume is turned down or there's a lot of background noise. Useful when you're watching TV, vacuuming, or have visitors.


A belt clip can make you hands-free (but they do have disadvantages - see What we found.).

Im buying an angelcare one because i love them! my neighbour had one as she had lost a bubs and the heart monitor put her at ease especially because bubs was downstairs and they were upstairs! PLUS! we know it had great range because when she had to pop down to pick her son up from school she would bring me the monitor next door and i would listen out and if i heard him wake id run over and get him up (we lived on farms so house was always unlocked for me).

I have Respisense apnoea monitors for the gremlins, and they have been awesome. The reason I preferred them to the Angelcare is that they are portable (they clip to bubs nappy) and so can be used in the carseat/pram/portacot etc. And they were a lifesaver, quite literally, as Mercedes had 2 apnoeic episodes as a newborn. Both times she had to go to hospital, but I still shudder to think what might have happened had the monitor not alerted me.

Emma your monitors sound interesting i like the idea of them wearing them when somewhere other than their beds Are they uncomfortable to wear for them? how much are they? and where do you get them from?

I am a paranoid mother by nature. Must be due to all the mc's we had. Wanted so badly to get the angelcare monitor as I thought it will be my only piece of mind.

But my gynae actually told me not to get it as she found that they can sometimes go off for no reason. Specially when baby moves quite a lot or is a deep sleeper. She finds that the moms freak out even more. (I am talking if you are a really obsessed freaked out paranoid mommy like me.)

I just have a normal sound monitor. (from SA.) and it works great. I havent once worried about my child.

I actually will only get an angelcare one if my child actually have breathing problems.

But like I said that is just me. You need to find out which kind of mother you are. (I am the neurotic one with the cot in my room as I never ever will sleep with her being that small in another room.)

Emma what is the cost tho...as that has to be taken into account too....but having read up on them i agree they are def lifesavers...and to be encouraged...shame cot death is not such an issue in the media etc anymore as it was in the 80's etc....it is still happening!!!