to wonder why motion sensor monitors are not more widely used?

[sausagelover]

Having read a little bit about keeping baby in your room or not and lots of people on thread are talking about SIDS... I wonder why motion sensor monitors (pad under the mattress detects breathing and alarms if no motion is detected) are not more commonly used and I think they must help to prevent SIDS?

Not sure because it is something that most parents worry about at some time.

Although I suspect the people who advise on SIDS would want to avoid widespread panic, even though they're kind of spreading it by publicising it so much. Bit of a fine line really.

I wouldn't have used one with any of my DS's.

They all wriggled like crazy and they would have been going off constantly - they never stayed feet to foot always woke up with their heads against the top of the cot. The thought of rushing in every time they wriggled would have made the sleep deprivation even worse.

I had one with my monitor but decided not to use it. I would have been a gibbering wreck listening out for it all the time.

I used one of these with DD1, who was 7 weeks premature and weighed 3lb 30z at birth, which led to me being a very anxious mum. The damn thing used to go off all the time as it was VERY sensitive. In the end my brother took it off when he came to visit and watched me panic all night long!

I think it gives peace of mind though, as you don't need to keep checking them. If everyone used one, then surely the SIDS cases would go down? If baby has 'forgotten to breathe' the alarm can apparently remind them, and parents are alerted to a problem straight away and can get help etc.

Because the cheapest you can get them is £60 - and its free to get up every now and again and check on them.

And because it would simply add another layer of panic to being a parent. You'd be worrying about the baby and the machine working correctly. Totally not worth it IMO.

Not sure why you would worry about the machine working correctly - it's plugged in at the mains and if the one in cot stops working the other part of the alarm sounds to alert you that it's gone off. Haha I sound like I am trying to sell the things!

I used one with all 3 DC's, they had just come onto the market when DS1 now 12 was born. The alarm went off one night with DS2. He hadn't wriggled off the pad, and everything seemed fine. I will never know if it was a false alarm, or if he had stopped breathing and the commotion of the alarm had prompted him to start again. I'm very glad I had the alarm.

YABU
Maybe because we trust our own instinctive response mechanisms. I often wake about 2 mins before DS (now 17mo and in his own room), regardless of when that is (4.30 this morning - cheers DS).

If I had one of these sensors I think it would make me more agitated and not allow me to sleep as well as I do now iykwim. I think that they are made and sold on the basis of a very natural fear for the safety of our babes. I would get one if my DS had a breathing difficulty and a doctor advised one, but other than that I think it's just another device made to make money off overly worried and maybe slightly neurotic parents.

Sorry but I simply cannot understand why it would make any of you more agitated/worried/panicked parents? The way I see it, it takes away one of your worries, as you know that they are breathing.

I had one for ds - 7 weeks prem and had episodes of stopping breathing (loads in hospital and fortunately only a couple of times once he came home). If I hadn't had it I would have ended up spending all the time he was asleep watching him.

I co-slept (and I seem to be doing so tonight too ) so I didn't need one. And also my DS has very mild sleep apnoea - he stops breathing for a few seconds every now and then - and that thing would have gone crazy and given me even more grey hair than I have already

I had one, it worked fine, and I still was up and down like a yo-uo every night,just in case... Also, when it went off twice in one week, I had DD2 to Dr, just in case had sleep apnoea(sp).
Dr was lovely by the way(obviously recognised mad mummy syndrome), and nothing wrong with DD2, as hale and hearty as you could wish.
Would probably get one again, but not really sure if gives real peace of mind, in my experience, there is no such thing when parent of new babe.

YABU there is little evidence to back up claims they prevent sids.
If your so concerned you should have one of the monitors that you clip onto the babies nappy. I hope you don't let your baby sleep in the car seat or out in the buggy too or upstairs alone. See it's a slippery slope.

PS DD2 slept in cot 5 inches from my bed as well...lost cause, me...

If they go off all the time as some posters suggest, they wouldn't make you any less nervous, because you'd never know if the alarm was a real one.

Its just something else to worry about. You worry enough as a parent, especially as a parent of a small baby - why add anything else into the mix?

I would end up laying awake waiting for the alarm to go off. Sleep deprivation and I don't mix together very well.

And I still think they're so overpriced anyway.

How can it NOT prevent SIDS? If a baby stops breathing it detects it straight away, either startling them back to breathing or giving you the best chance of saving them.

OP are you advertising these / researching for them or something?

It shouldn't go off all the time, if it does then you can put a board underneath the sensor and that apparently helps it to pick up movement all over the cot. Cory - no you wouldn't know if the alarm was real, but you'd have to get up and check in order to stop the alarm.

I had one with DS1 - he was a wriggler and wriggled off the sensor at least once a night. Cue alarm, frantic parents, breathless rush into his room in a blind panic to find snoring baby.

sirboobalot - no I'm not but I realise it does sound like it!

I do have one in DS's cot and I feel that it has given me great peace of mind and helped me to sleep easier.

I agree sausagelover. Used for all three of hours - the loud tick was really reassuring and worth the few false alarms. Also useful when you want to know when your roaming toddler has got out of bed ;-)

i remember prodding my sons to make them move when they were tiny, i wouldn't have trusted a machine