Angelcare baby monitors

[Thegirlhasnoname]

Hello

Slowly but surely sorting out all the things that will be needed (relying on checklists on the internet mostly!) before first baby is due in October and noticed yesterday that the Bounty app has a code at the moment - until the beginning of August - for 30% off of Angelcare baby monitors. I know of the brand from YouTube mums that I have shamelessly become hooked to watching but have never met anybody that has actually used one and can tell me if they live up to the hype (without getting paid by the company to say as much!)

Has anybody used one of these in the past and can let me know if they’re worth it? 30% off is good and all but if I can get better elsewhere then I’ll do that!

Thank you :)

Are they the ones that beep if the baby stops breathing? Or the ones with the camera? Or both?

I had the angel care monitor for both of my children and they gave me peace of mind.
I didn't watch obsessively at all, just felt more relaxed when they were upstairs.

I had one for 4 of my 6 children they are a great indicator of your baby takes longer on a breath and the alarm goes off. I would recommend them to anybody. With anything not 100% but a good back up indicator.

The discount applies to any that have the movement sensor so could be one with video monitoring or just audio. If I were to get one I think I’d lean more towards just audio (unless somebody can persuade me otherwise!)

I didn’t use a monitor at all but I think if I do have another baby I will invest in one, just for the peace of mind more than anything. I spent the first few months with dd being petrified of SIDS and checking her constantly. I have no idea why I didn’t buy one then!

I think the movement monitors encourage anxiety and distrust of your own instincts, plus they have false alarms all the time apparently. I'd just get an audio one personally. Video might be useful for later e.g. if you want to leave the toddler in bed and want to know whether they're playing quietly or smearing shit up the walls

I had a Tommee Tippee movement monitor and it was excellent. I got it when DS was about 6 weeks old and I couldn’t relax and watch TV because I was worried he would stop breathing (I was a first time and very anxious), the monitor changed my evenings.

It definitely didn’t make my anxiety worse, it lessened it greatly. However other mums I knew at the time did become anxious because they were constantly listening out for the beep.

I personally will be buying one for sure this time round.

They don't reduce SIDS in term healthy babies. Because SIDS is caused by a brain stem malfunction (we think), the blunt truth is that by the time the monitor went off it would already be too late. It's better to prevent SIDS in the first place by following safe sleeping guidelines, because you can't reverse it.

I understand the appeal in reassurance terms, but they don't protect your child.

QueenAvaris where did you get that information?

As queenaravis says, there’s no evidence that they prevent SIDS. They may reduce anxiety and the need to obsessively check for breathing but with SIDS, by the time the monitor goes off it’s too late.

Which bit?

It's been demonstrated in studies that they don't protect healthy full term babies from SIDS. And premature or ill babies who have extra needs need medical monitoring with physical observation. What would you actually do if the monitor went off and your baby wasn't breathing, anyway?

They are reassurance devices. But they can just as easily do the opposite due to false alarms.

I have one for DS and still use it, he's almost 2. We had already purchased a video monitor before I knew Angel monitors existed so bought the basic movement one.

We followed SIDS guidelines for safe sleeping but once he moved into his own room I felt better for having it and still do. Though we now never use the video monitor. I would definitely recommend it for additional piece of mind. I do still check on him lots but it makes me feel like he's monitored when DH & I are asleep

I would resuscitate them.

Which studies? This is a genuine question and not at all a goady one. I’m a student children’s nurse so this really interests me from a professional and personal perspective.

And I’m always looking for research ideas for my dissertation.

*or start resus until the ambulance came anyway.

That’s the point justvent - it’s not possible to resuscitate a sids baby. Hang on and I’ll try to find the paper.

I found it helped in the early months for me to go back to sleep in the night.

Look at flashing light is so much easier than listen for light fast breathing while tuning out DH's slight snore and my own breathing so I woke up and went straight back to sleep rather than being awake for a while.

Video more useful later as you can check if they're awake without going close enough to wake them if they do the yell and go back to sleep thing!

I had one for DS. Had one false alarm that scared the shit out of me and DH forgot to turn it off every single time he got up for night feeds. Every. Single.Time. So the alarm would sound. Also found it was quite difficult to explain how it worked to family members when they babysat.

”What many parents may not know is that there is no monitoring product that is recommended for preventing SIDS. No device has ever been found to prevent SIDS and research has found that monitoring devices do not reduce SIDS incidence 3. There may be some place for hospital provided monitors for some babies with medical issues. For healthy babies however monitor use is not recommended nor is its use without medical supervision 2. SIDS organisations alongside the FDA and NIH all recommend against the use baby monitors as a safety device.”

From evidencebasedparent.blogspot.com/2015/03/bad-science-in-baby-shop-baby-monitors.html?m=1

Save your money. Follow the guidelines to reduce SIDS risks including trying to breastfeed (formula fed babies are twice as likely to die from SIDS)

I love the video monitor, but have it on a setting where I have to press a button to see him, rather than seeing him all the time. I never got the beeping mat thing, as I thought I would be on edge with it.

www.researchgate.net/profile/David_King41/publication/268791176_Marketing_wearable_home_baby_monitors_Real_peace_of_mind/links/551990cb0cf2f51a6fea1da7/Marketing-wearable-home-baby-monitors-Real-peace-of-mind.pdf?origin=publication_detail

We have a SnuzaHero alarm. It clips onto their nappy and monitors their breathing. It vibrates initially to startle them into taking a deep breath and if that doesn't get a response an alarm goes off. I prefer it to the angel care mat as it is mobile and you can lift the baby up to cuddle or feed without setting the alarm off.

The above is just a commentary but the references for the original studies are at the bottom. These monitors have actually killed babies (strangulation from wires), they don’t save them. Also many parents use them to make themselves feel better about moving young Babies into their own rooms - this actually increases the chance of SIDS - there was a study that looked at this and moving into own room/unsupervised daytime naps was a common theme for parents using these monitors.

Personally i’d Rather just keep my baby close.

Fair enough, justvent, and you may have resus training from your work, but the vast majority of parents don't, and an ambulance is going to take, at best, several minutes to get there. And resus isn't going to work if the baby has stopped breathing due to SIDS. The advice on "what to do if the alarm sounds" is rather tragicomic on some of these devices for that reason - "check the settings are right/the battery has power".

As Isadora said, one evidence-based thing you actually can do, other than back-sleep them, keep them with you, and keep away from smoke and smokers, is breastfeed. Breathing monitors are expensive soothers for parents, which is fine if you want to spend the money. But possibly not so fine if you justify not following safe sleep guidelines because of the monitor.

And it's worth bearing in mind that Angelcare were forced to do a market recall some years back when two babies strangled to death on the cords from the sensor pad.