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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Angelcare monitor

26 replies

Polkadot123 · 30/01/2021 20:02

Hey all. Just wondered if any mums would recommend one of those angel care style
Monitors that the baby sleeps on. Think it monitors breathing etc- but I’ve heard mixed reports. Some say they’re incredible- yet I’ve also heard they are overly sensitive and can cause unnecessary anxiety? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance :)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

BumpGrowingAndINeedPantsPlease · 30/01/2021 20:16

Watching with interest OP.

popcornfrenzy · 30/01/2021 20:17

My DD would only sleep on her from from day 1 so got one of these - if I'm honest it heightened my anxiety and made me on edge. She wriggled off it and it was going off which terrified me so I got rid of it

popcornfrenzy · 30/01/2021 20:18

*sleep on her front

LividLoving · 30/01/2021 20:20

We had one in the early days and I wouldn’t have slept at all without it.

HavelockVetinari · 30/01/2021 20:22

We had one, never experienced over-sensitivity and it really helped my post-natal anxiety - I could open my eyes, see the little green light blinking, and not have to get out of bed to check DS' breathing constantly. Just don't forget to switch it off when you pick the baby up!

FTEngineerM · 30/01/2021 20:22

I was also weighing up the idea of getting one.

Read quite bad reviews of the pad/monitor quality combo so in the end we went for just a different brand video monitor, a really good quality image, I can see him breathing. He sleeps next to me at night so that regulates his breathing whilst I sleep. As long as I can see him breathing when I’m not there I’m happy.

Pregnant with DC2 now and will stick with the monitor we have.

CrustyCrabbe · 30/01/2021 20:24

I loved ours. We used the movement sensor pad when the DC were tiny, and I loved watching the little pendulum on the parent unit to show they were breathing. When they were older we just used it for the sound. Never had any problems with them rolling off the pad. I got ours in 2014 when DS was born and it was in use until last year when DD turned 3 and we realised we didn’t really need it anymore.

Teamox · 30/01/2021 20:29

I got one when me and my little boy started keeping each other awake through the night at 5 months. He went in his own room then, which was definitely the best thing for both of us but I wouldn't have felt as ok about moving him to his own room so early without it.

We weren't able to use it too long though (maybe a month or two I think) as he started to move around far too much at night and would have rolled well off the pad.

I will say, there were quite a few times I picked him up in the middle of the night for a feed and forgot to turn it off. There's a huge rush to then turn it off during the few warning beeps before the full alarm sounds, without dropping the baby!

I'm pregnant now and will use it again from birth as I remember spending so much time just checking he was breathing throughout the night even when he was in the next to me cot.

mummabubs · 30/01/2021 20:30

Someone told me to avoid it as it used to go off spontaneously and they were constantly on edge that their son had stopped breathing when really he just wriggled. DH and I have only bought an audio monitor one like our parents had we were babies (no video) and three years on still think that was the right choice for us. I know if I had a video one I'd be staring at it for hours.

purpleme12 · 30/01/2021 20:32

I did feel better having it

But I guess I wasn't a person who worried lots about stuff like this either

There was a period where it went off a few times then we readjusted where it was. It was only a few times out of the whole time we had it on
I am glad we had it

randomsabreuse · 30/01/2021 20:38

I used it with DC1 because the little flashing light was easier to check when half awake than listening for quiet baby breathing over the sound of noisier husband so I could wake up, check light, drop straight back off. Had 1 or 2 alarms that weren't failing to turn the sensor off before removing baby but stopped using the sensor pad after we moved DC to the cot as she wandered around it at was very light so prone to setting it off.

Didn't find it helped with DC2 as he initially only slept on me/co slept and was much noisier breathing. Plus we tended to sleep separately so DH could deal with DC1 in the night without waking me/DC2 so far less need to "filter" noise on night wakings (for me)...

sherrystrull · 30/01/2021 20:39

Absolutely. Had it for both children and meant we could rest easy in the evening and overnight. Highly recommend

MotherHaryy · 30/01/2021 21:01

I have one, but only cause MIL brought it for us.

I'm more paranoid now that I have a sensor mat. It has gone off completely random when baby is absolutely fine. Monitor is grainy sometimes and I personally don't think I would pay for it? I don't know how much it was?

Baby now sleeps in my bed (and has done since about 3 months old) and I just watch her on the monitor.. so it's kind of a waste..

Mmr224 · 30/01/2021 21:04

We have one and have never had issues of oversensitivity. There has been a cot death in the family so we were pretty anxious. It helped me sleep to be honest.

natalienewname · 30/01/2021 21:07

I had one and I'm fairly sure it saved my son's life

WickyWackyWooWa · 30/01/2021 21:08

I had one for DD now 9.

She stopped breathing in her sleep at 6 weeks old and was rushed to hospital. It wasn't the pad being over sensitive as I picked her up and was definitely not breathing, but took a big breath in when I shook her very gently to wake her.

I hate to think what would have happened without the angle care pad and monitor

WickyWackyWooWa · 30/01/2021 21:09

The alarm on them goes off after 30 seconds

Inkpaperstars · 30/01/2021 22:59

I wanted to get one of these but I don’t think it’s going to be right for our set up, we get a lot of vibrations from people walking in other flats which could apparently affect it, and also it might not work if you want to have the baby sleep right by your bed as it can pick up parents moving. Also doesn’t go with certain cots or co sleepers. So not sure what to do. Thinking of maybe going for a snuza monitor that clips on to the nappy instead, they are partnered with the Lullaby Trust I think.

If anyone has any knowledge of any of the issues above would love to know!

From what I have read OP, I really think it is worth getting some type of movement monitor and Angelcare gets pretty good reviews but does require a certain set up.

Twistiesandshout · 30/01/2021 23:10

I didn't have one with dd1 and woke up constantly to check on her, even though she was sleeping so well I barely slept!

I bought the kind with a matt for under the mattress for DS, I slept SO well!! It was brilliant. The alarm only went off a few times but I was so thankful I had it.

With DD2 I bought a little button monitor that I clipped to her baby grow and synced to my phone. Much simpler than the matt and worked just as well.

blitzen · 30/01/2021 23:18

Hi OP, I would recommend angel care. Still using mine and my baby is nearly 20 months now in his cotbed. I know plenty of parents who haven't even used a sound monitor though. It's personal preference really, but I am happy with mine, and you get used to it pretty quickly. It went off once when I forgot to plug the monitor in and it had low battery, and once or twice in the early crib days when my baby wasn't quite lying on the sensor pad, or had rolled right to the edge, but otherwise great and it has given me peace of mind.

Original poster

Polkadot123 · 31/01/2021 08:23

Some excellent responses!! Thanks so much all :)

OP posts:

Ek3009 · 31/01/2021 12:54

We use the owlet for our wee girl and I would definitely recommend it. It goes on their foot when they sleep and monitors heart rate/oxygen levels etc and also tracks sleep so it’s good to use to check quality of sleep from the night before etc. Definitely don’t think it makes me more anxious. The alarm has never went off on ours.

It’s great because it’s easily portable, can use it in the Moses basket or anywhere they sleep really and can be taken to grandparents house without hassle etc.

I would 100% recommend it :) x

PuntoeBasta · 31/01/2021 12:59

There's no evidence that they prevent SIDS but that is not really their primary purpose. I'm not a great fan but they are reasonably harmless as long as they aren't used as a substitute for safer sleep guidance or instead of seeking help with postnatal anxiety.

pumkinpopsickle · 31/01/2021 13:44

We had the angelcare AC517.

It was expensive but worth its weight in gold. Would not have been without it. Worth looking on eBay etc as you can pick them up a bit cheaper.

cliffdiver · 31/01/2021 14:46

We had the Angel Care monitor for DD1, didn't get on with it. It would sometime go of randomly, and, worse, would not always go off if I forgot to turn it off after getting DD out her cot.

For DD2, we bought a Motorola which also came with a video monitor - that was excellent and I would highly recommend.

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