Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

Original poster

Baby movement alarm went off...what to do now?

22 replies

Glimmerberry · 17/12/2011 19:34

This might be a stupid question, but...

We have one of those AngelCare baby monitors -audio as well as the pad that senses movement. It seems to have worked ok -we agreed to stop using it if we got lots of anxiety creating false positives, but haven't had any. It only goes off when we forget to turn it off and pick him up.

Last night, DS (14 weeks) was sleeping in his bednest next to me when the movement alarm went off. I woke up, just in time to hear him suddenly take a big gasp (like when you've been holding your breath) and the alarm to stop sounding.

Now, is this just one of those things, or is it something to react to..be concerned about?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

Glimmerberry · 17/12/2011 19:35

Should say he is perfectly well and happy today and the only unusual thing about yesterday was that he had his 3 month vaccs.

OP posts:

ChristmasCarolBrown · 17/12/2011 22:22

Newborns can have quite erratic sleeping patterns iirc. Our dd who is ten weeks also does what you've described occasionally. I think it's due to having an immature breathing centre in the brain.

ChristmasCarolBrown · 17/12/2011 22:23

I mean breathing patterns

Original poster

Glimmerberry · 18/12/2011 10:56

Yes, trying to be less anxious and decide its just episodic breathing. Thanks!

OP posts:

candrcane · 18/12/2011 11:08

I was looking this up the other day as my DS often jolts awake with arms in the air like he thinks he is falling and can gasp like yours. Apparently it is a natural reflex to keep them breathing. It also said the reason babies should be in room with parents is the raised co2 levels (I think) help them breath better but by 6m they don't have trouble with this. We decided not to get a sensor mat but I often watch him (just to check he is breathing and gave the odd poke when he was tiny )if he does it a lot.

25goingon95 · 18/12/2011 17:22

This happened to us with DD2 too..the reason i got the sensor mat was because i woke up in the early hours and decided to check on DD2 who was in her cot in our room only a few months old. I couldn't see her tummy rising so put my hand on it and couldn't feel it..i shook her once hard and she didn't move so shook her harder and she gasped and jumped, then i could see and feel her breathing. It scared me so much..i went out and bought a sensor mat and it only went off one other time, and we heard her gasp and then it stopped.

I didn't sleep very well during those early months!!!

LoopyLoopsWoopDeWoops · 18/12/2011 17:25

He is sleeping next to you and you have it on?

I think you should turn it off and give it away. It will cause more anxiety than without. Unless there's a medical reason to use it, I really think it is a bad idea. Are you an anxious person?

Original poster

Glimmerberry · 18/12/2011 19:58

LoopyLoops, he's in a bednest on my side of the bed. I'm reasonably but not pathologically anxious. Actually we bought it pre preg and then didn't use it until realising that it eliminates those moments when you get tempted to lay a hand on their chest like 25goingon says above. It's been good for us until suddenly it did what it's supposed to...the leaving us wondering, what are we supposed to do now? The thing that concerned me was that although babies do do this, it does have a built in latency which I wondered, having exceeded that time it was cause for concern. Just needed a little reassurance.

OP posts:

LoopyLoopsWoopDeWoops · 19/12/2011 11:27

If you really are worried, take him to your GP, but it is perfectly normal. I honestly would turn it off though, at least when you're next to him. :)

miaowmix · 19/12/2011 11:31

I have to say that unless you have a medical need, these things are a royal pain in the arse, and can make parents worry unnecessarily. We were given one and duly used it when dd was in her own room at 6 months, it went off all the time (basically when she was crawling or moving) and she was, and is, absolutely fine with no health issues whatsoever. I stopped using it, it was pointless!
You really don't need it on if your baby is in the room with you .

bumbleymummy · 19/12/2011 12:10

Really don't see the logic in stopping using something that just did its job . We had one for DS1 and yes, when he got older and moved around more then there were a few false alarms but it gave us peace of mind and personally I'd rather have a few false alarms than the alternative .

25goingon95 · 19/12/2011 12:20

Me too bumbleymummy.

For peace of mind they are so worth it.

Original poster

Glimmerberry · 19/12/2011 12:40

Yes, i can't see why i'd stop using it now.

So, maybe he held his breath for a bit and was startled by the alarm to restart, the same way he might be reminded to breath properly by hearing us breath next to him. Can't see how this makes using the alarm a bad thing.

OP posts:

hermioneweasley · 19/12/2011 12:44

I would keep it on and see how it goes. Sounds like the alarm did its job. If it keeps happening then I would take him to a Dr, but for a one off I'd leave it and see how it goes.

WTFlike · 19/12/2011 12:45

I loved it. I had to race up the stairs a few times to check when the alarm went off, but worth it for the peace of mind. And baby was in my room in a moses basket beside the bed.

Original poster

Glimmerberry · 19/12/2011 12:48

Hermione, that's exactly the approach i'm taking :)

OP posts:

namechangerbat · 19/12/2011 12:53

Why turn some thing off?

I don't think they make you worry more. They make me worry less. When I put dd to bed I can go down stairs and I don't have to intently listen to the monitor to see if can hear the odd breath or run up and down endlessly.

If they give you peace of mind then use it.

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 19/12/2011 12:57

New babies have horrible breathing patterns.

Tim Minchin is very funny about baby breathing watch

Really try not to worry

ChristmasCarolBrown · 19/12/2011 12:57

Sounds like the monitor is doing its job. We have used one with both our kids and we have slept better for it. It has gone off once when ds wriggled to the edge of it. I think it is important to use it in conjunction with the other preventative methods for SIDS eg sleeping on back etc and always worth knowing how to do CPR. Of course it would be incredibly rare that you would need to do it but it's a good thing to know for adults and children IMO.

candrcane · 19/12/2011 15:53

Wherethewild - love that clip, know exactly where he is coming from

miaowmix · 19/12/2011 15:57

all I meant was an alarm constantly going off when your baby is actually fine is really counter-productive, causing as it does unnecessary worry. If you were actually concerned go to the doctor's, surely?
I thought these things were only recommended for babies at high risk, but maybe I'm wrong, It's been years, thankfully!

catsareevil · 21/12/2011 10:45

But the alarm has only gone off once? Its hardly excessive. I think that those monitors are brilliant for not having to constantly check up on the baby if you are a bit anxious about them. They definitely made my life easier, as if I hadnt been able to see on the alarm that they were breathing I would have been checking much more often.

Flip