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Baby breathing monitors

30 replies

Angelinthenightx · 14/12/2019 21:58

Does anyone have one? Whats your views on them?

OP posts:
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dementedpixie · 14/12/2019 22:13

They dont prevent sids

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PowerslidePanda · 14/12/2019 22:50

They dont prevent sids

More accurately - there's no proof that they prevent SIDS. There's also no proof that they don't prevent SIDS.

If my baby stopped breathing, I'd want to know about it as soon as possible. OK, I might not be able to do anything about it - but equally, I might. There's a chance I might be able to take action that would save their life. If I don't find out until minutes or hours later, there's no chance.

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Katlia · 14/12/2019 23:01

I had one for my dd6 and my mum must have had one of the earliest ones 21 years ago for my sister. It went off once when my daughter was a few weeks old. I ran in and snatched her up. She was ok. Maybe she forgot to breathe, maybe she would have started again by herself had I not ran in or maybe me running in and picking her up startled her into breathing again idk but I was a very anxious new mother and it helped me sleep at night. I will be buying another if I have another baby. The only thing you need to think about is if you're planning on using one of those co sleeper cribs like the next to me, it won't work because it will pick up your breathing rather than the baby's

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Katlia · 14/12/2019 23:05

More accurately - there's no proof that they prevent SIDS. There's also no proof that they don't* prevent SIDS.

If my baby stopped breathing, I'd want to know about it as soon as possible. OK, I might not be able to do anything about it - but equally, I might. There's a chance I might be able to take action that would save their life. If I don't find out until minutes or hours later, there's no chance.*

Well said.
I'd rather pay a hundred quid for a breathing monitor than a fancy pram. Don't really understand people who don't want one

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Teachermaths · 14/12/2019 23:08

I don't know anyone who has used one. None of their babies have died.

I'd say they were a gimmick. Baby should be asleep in the same room as you.

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Radicalradiator · 14/12/2019 23:09

Used one and it allowed me to sleep. As soon as it starts going off randomly when they roll get rid of it as it’ll freak you out

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jayde28 · 14/12/2019 23:09

Hi, I used one with my daughter and 100% would use one again. It gave me peace of mind as a new mum and when it kept going off helped to lead my daughter to having an operation she needed whereas initially the GP said I was just an anxious new mum when saying she kept not breathing whilst sleeping.
They can sometimes give a false alarm once baby can roll etc if they roll too far from the sensor so be warned! X

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Radicalradiator · 14/12/2019 23:10

@Teachermaths what a stupid thing to say. Most babies don’t die. Until one does.

Even if in same room as you you can’t tell if they’ve stopped breathing when you’re asleep.

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PopcornAndWine · 14/12/2019 23:10

We have an under the mattress monitor, we follow all other safe sleep guidelines and I certainly wouldn't see it as a substitute for those but it does provide some extra reassurance especially as baby is now rolling and often ends up on her front.

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welliwasntexpectingthat · 14/12/2019 23:11

I have used Angelcare with all 3 of mine...why wouldn't you?

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Teachermaths · 14/12/2019 23:12

I'm just making the point that they aren't essential for survival. In fact I'd argue they feed into people's anxiety. There's no evidence they have saved any babies lives.

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alislim · 14/12/2019 23:14

We used one for my now 3 year old. It went off once and me and hubby both ran in. He did appear to be in a deep sleep. Maybe he had just paused but it may have saved his life.
Gave me peace of mind and I still use the video monitor bit to this day. Value for money investment for peace of mind x

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Katlia · 14/12/2019 23:15

Don't tell me that having a baby sleeping in the same room as you would mean your motherly super power would kick in to tell you it had stopped breathing?! Like I said, mine went off once. She hadn't rolled off it and it was not faulty. I used it until she was about one and it was the only time it went off. She just hadn't breathed for long enough to set it off. I asked the midwife and she said 'sometimes babies forget to breathe'. Well if that's the case I thank Angelcare for alerting me because I might not have a 6 year old sound asleep next door now

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Teachermaths · 14/12/2019 23:18

Having them in the same room reminds them to breathe because they can hear you.

This is one of the most scaremongering threads I've seen on here. In real life people barely use these mats.

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Radicalradiator · 14/12/2019 23:19

@teachermaths How do you propose that evidence would be gained? Think about it.....

They alarm if a baby doesn’t breathe. It’s a no brainer

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Radicalradiator · 14/12/2019 23:21

@Teachermaths plenty of people use them - most people I know did.

No-one is proposing ignoring other safety advice.

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Katlia · 14/12/2019 23:25

In real life? I can assure I am real and my mother is real. She was a midwife and bought hers 20 years ago directly from a company that sold to the prem baby units in hospitals. Lots of people buy them. As others have said, you should still follow the guidelines and have baby in the room with you etc but they offer an extra layer of reassurance. Also nobody is going to be in the room with their baby every second. I was actually in the bathroom when mine went off

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scaredycatz · 14/12/2019 23:36

I was planning on having the cot next to my bed with the side taken off, would these monitors not work for me then because I would be too close and it would pick up my breathing?

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Katlia · 14/12/2019 23:41

It should be ok as long as you haven't got the crib attached to your mattress. Mine worked fine a couple of inches away from the bed. You'd need to test it with baby not in the crib and see if it goes off when you're on the bed.

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Katlia · 14/12/2019 23:43

Sorry just re read. No it wouldn't work if you were close enough to have the side off.

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SlB09 · 14/12/2019 23:48

We used one, not straight away but my son didn't breathe when he was born and had severe reflux and I found that plus being a first time mum meant I literally couldn't actually sleep for fear he would stop breathing and I wouldn't notice. This allowed me to just relax a tad more, no substitute for safe sleep practices which we followed but I did find it reassuring rather than feeding the anxiety and we stopped using it at a point that felt natural (probably longer than most!). If the option is there then why not?x

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HabbyHadno · 14/12/2019 23:55

As a mum who had to give CPR to my baby the day after we were discharged from hospital, I'd say get one. Every second counts when you're in that situation, if I hadn't been holding mine at the time she wouldn't be here now as I'd have assumed she was asleep in her basket. No they don't prevent SIDS, but they alert you fast enough to spring into action if needed.

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HeyMac · 15/12/2019 00:23

As a family member of a lost baby I would definitely use them. The flippancy of people on this thread makes me feel sick.

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LucaFritz · 15/12/2019 00:33

I have a Snuz one that clips onto the nappy itself and monitors movement and breathing its purely for my own peace of mind so I'll sleep when the baby sleeps but even if they didn't work surely the peace of mind is worth it Confused

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