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Original poster

Who still uses a baby monitor?

33 replies

PureedGoodness · 15/03/2013 06:26

Wondering when is a safe time to not use the baby monitor anymore. My ds is 7 months old and i do get a disturbed sleep when i hear the slightest noise. But also scared to turn it off in case i dont hear him cry.

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vvviola · 15/03/2013 06:36

DD2 is 18 months and we still use one. She's not that far away, but it means I hear her before she really gets going. In theory I could probably manage without it overnight.

We still used a monitor for her sister until she was gone 4. Not overnight, but the layout of the house & DH's need for the TV to be on quite loud (deaf in one ear) meant that even if she had been shouting we wouldn't hear her when she was downstairs. So the monitor was left plugged in and was used as a kind of intercom

Some people will tell you they never used one, some will be like me and use them a lot longer. I think it's really up to what you feel comfortable with.

TiredyCustards · 15/03/2013 06:46

Depends how far away he is.

Just do what you feel comfortable with. It's not a developmental step iyswim. Perhaps have it on quieter? If you're woken by every little noise you're probably more 'tuned in' to his sleep patterns than you think!

BlingLoving · 15/03/2013 07:00

We have a bt one with a muteLow button - basically only activates sound when ds makes proper noise, not sniffles . We used that for a long time. Now we just leave our doors open a bit. He's 21 months.

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xMinerva · 15/03/2013 07:03

Never used one with ds2 as we co-slept until he was 16months.

With ds1 we used one as his bedroom was a floor up and on the opposite side of the house, but we never bothered with it after we moved to a much smaller place, he was around 9months.

xMinerva · 15/03/2013 07:11

Sorry posted too soon.

In the evenings between ds1 going to bed and us going to bed we used it because of the house layout, by the time we moved house though he was sleeping through and I would have heard him straight away.

We were in a 2bed flat when ds2 came along so even though we co-slept, it wasn't a problem in the early evening as again, I would hear him.

It really just depends on what you feel comfortable with. If you're scared of not hearing him then just turn it right down, so you're not hearing the sniffles and grunts but will hear the crying, although unless you live in a huge house, I'm sure you'd hear him anyway.

matana · 15/03/2013 13:18

DS is 2.3 and we still use ours

In my defence, he sleepwalks sometimes and i'll often hear him crying, only to enter his room and find him wedged in a corner of his room disorientated. He also has occasional night terrors. His cot has been converted to a bed, he's able to get out and come and find us if he's ill, but as he's not properly awake when he has night terrors and sleep walks his cognitive brain isn't switched on so he doesn't think to come and find us. I have no idea when i'll ditch the monitor. I just can't bear the thought of not hearing him if he gets into trouble with his night time activities!

Maebe · 15/03/2013 13:23

14mo and we still use it in the evenings before we go to bed. Mainly this is because with her door pulled too and us in the living room with the telly on and door shut, we wouldn't hear even if DD was screaming absolutely blue murder. Also she just seems to cough a lot, and I like to hear in case she has a major coughing fit and might need some water. I think I'll have the monitor on like this for quite a while, certainly until she is able to get out of bed and shout for us if she needs something. Having said that, unless she is obviously upset or in pain, I don't actually react to any noises she makes

We've never used it at night, though, as her room is next to ours.

You turn it off when you are ready to turn it off. Your DC won't know it is on, so it's not something they have to get used to.

LancyLass · 15/03/2013 15:00

I get disturbed by the slightest noise too, but if I didn't have it I'd get less sleep as I'd worry too much about not hearing him (DS is 10 months)! Although I'd proabably hear him anyway if he was crying, it's the smaller things that worry me - like choking! He had really bad sickness and diarrhea a couple of weeks ago and I only knew about the first episode of being sick because I heard it over the monitor. There's no way I'll go without a monitor for a very long time now after that!

helpineedajob · 15/03/2013 15:02

both my DC were load enough, I have never used a monitor

JollyYellowGiant · 15/03/2013 15:03

DS is 22mo and we still use one downstairs but we don't take it up to bed with us :)

AmandaPayne · 15/03/2013 15:06

We have never used one at night - I assume you mean you have DS in his own room and the monitor in your room to hear him more easily?

We do, however, still have one set up downstairs during the evening and for naps for both DD's (nearly 4 and nearly 2). With the older one it's more to catch the 'getting up, getting a book, faffing about' stuff rather than for hearing her cry (as obviously she would just come and get us). DD2 gets into a state if she wakes up from a nap and we don't hear her when she calls us - the kitchen particuarly you don't hear her from her room.

randomtask · 15/03/2013 15:06

DS2 is 32 months, DS3 (9 months) moved in with him a couple of months ago and we hadn't stopped using it in 'the gap'. Never take it downstairs (figure we can hear them if we're awake), check on them before our bedtime and we have it 'low' in our room.

Just know if I didn't I'd be nervous so I figure we keep going until we aren't so nervous!!

minicreamegg · 15/03/2013 15:20

DS will be 1 on Monday and I've never used one. Mainly because if he naps during the day I don't put him in his cot as he would be awake again within 10 mins so I leave him on the couch while I get tidied up mumsnet in the living room. Or if I need to tidy the upstairs I put him on my bed. At night the slightest noise and I'm awake so never felt the need for one, plus he shares a room.

DancingInTheMoonlight · 15/03/2013 15:27

Still using one with 26 month old ds but mainly due to him having febrile convulsions. Also useful to hear the first cot escape...

EarnestDullard · 15/03/2013 15:38

We have a sodding video monitor for our 3yo. DH thinks we still need it. We only live in a 2 bed flat

KatAndKit · 15/03/2013 16:33

Stopped using at 10 months as I was waking up when he didn't need me. But he is in the room right opposite us and we leave both doors partially open. It does mean I only hear him once he has actually woken up and started crying rather than grumbling in his sleep. I think it depends on your house and how well you would hear it.
We still use the monitor in the evening before we go to bed as we would not hear him easily from the living room if we have the television on.

pegster · 15/03/2013 16:39

DS 18 months & we still have the monitor downstairs for naps & when he first goes to bed but I've never taken it to bed with me. I can hear him from my bedroom when he wakes (& shouts for me)

beela · 15/03/2013 18:31

Still use one downstairs in the evening for 2.5mo DS because he keeps waking up in the evening

We've never used it upstairs as he is only in the room next door to us and my theory is that if he needs us he'll shout loudly enough.

TheSeniorWrangler · 15/03/2013 18:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cakecrumbsinmybra · 15/03/2013 18:48

Totally depends if you can hear them or not! I use a monitor for DS2 (2.5) early evening as I wouldn't hear him otherwise as our house is quite big, tv on etc. At night, despite being a floor up from him, I don't use it because I'm a v light sleeper and I literally hear either of them the second they cry out! So I wouldn't want to hear every snuffle on the monitor too. Having said that, he's just been really poorly and I kept the monitor on in my room incase he was sick in the night.

Cakecrumbsinmybra · 15/03/2013 18:49

That's quite odd earnest, but rather sweet

poocatcherchampion · 15/03/2013 18:49

not upstairs, never have!

PoppyWearer · 15/03/2013 18:49

If you have two iPhones or an iPad and an iPhone, the BabyMonitor 3G app is fab! £2.49 I think and you can sell the monitor...you always have the app as a backup if needed plus it can go anywhere with you.

Purplecatti · 15/03/2013 18:52

My friend's dd is 3 and they have just stopped using it as the little monkey would pick it up in the night and shout MUMMY MUUUUMMY MUUUUUMMMEEEEEEEE at full volume if she woke up

KLou111 · 15/03/2013 19:37

We haven't used one overnight since our son was about 8 months, he was in the next room, thin walls etc, so we heard him, and the movement alarm if it went off.
I have just received a replacement today for our angelcare monitor, as all 3 off the chargers went up the swanny, then we bought another one and blew up the room monitor as bought the wrong one! Anyway, I feel like I have my arm back on now I have it back. Been without it for about 4 weeks, 2 of those on holiday, it was not a nightmare, but so happy we have one again. My son is 19 months and we live in a 3 storey house, his room on the top floor, so it's been a challenge!

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