What Baby Monitor Is Best to Use With A Newborn?

Life with a newborn can be difficult and you may feel like you need eyes in the back of your head. What if we said you could have just that? With a baby monitor you can get about the house, get stuff done and have a little space between you and your little one. We have the perfect guide to choosing the right one for you and your little one. 

What Is A Baby Monitor?

We all know how busy life can get as a mummy, especially when your little one is a fussy sleeper, you can often feel tied to the bedroom to keep an eagle eye on them. A baby monitor makes getting about your daily life much easier, even with a sleeping newborn. Most monitors comes in two parts. The transmitter will sit in the baby’s room within a short distance of your little one. The other part, the actual monitor, will be carried around the house with you and you will receive alerts to make checking on your little one easier.

Do I Need A Baby Monitor?

Not all parents choose to have a monitor in the house, some don’t feel the need to have one but others have said they couldn’t have lived through the newborn stage without it. As a newborn, they have a pretty hard time of mini meltdowns, demanding to be fed and the frequent 3-5 hour nap here and there. Keeping up to date with chores, social events and even personal hygiene can be difficult with a newborn but with a monitor, you have time to be a mother, as well as be yourself. It gives you that extra 30 seconds to brush your hair or an extra minute to iron the same top you’ve been wearing for the last 5 days of parenthood. So the answer is all dependant on the preference of the parents. Do you think it’s necessary to have a monitor?

What Qualities Should I Look For When Buying A Monitor?

When it comes to buying a monitor, you have to look at it with the same perspective as buying a car, without the test driving aspect. You should have a good understanding of what qualities you should be looking for when choosing the perfect baby monitor, which we have broken down for you.

🔉Sound-activated Lights:

If you're wanting to be getting chores done and can't always hear the monitor, the sound-activated lights will alert you of any change in the room or any noise it picks up. Your ears can have a little bit of a rest and you can get some hoovering done, watch a TV series or just have a chat with a friend. You can be made aware of your little one waking up through the flashing lights instead of listening out for a cry. 

🎶Lullaby and White Noise:

Some monitors can have built in "put a baby to sleep" settings by playing white noise or simple lullabies. Your little one may find this soothing when first put down but also it can be good for self soothing if woken during a nap. They can usually put themselves back to sleep if a noise is played as if they're not alone in the room.

🔋Battery Life:

You should make sure the battery life is good on the monitor and it should have a rechargeable battery to extend the time you can move about the house. 

🌙Night Light:

Save yourself some money and buy a baby monitor which has a built-in night light which can be good for getting your little one to sleep. We've all been in that phase of being afraid of the dark, or just feeling calmer with a little light on in the corner of the room. You may notice your baby is less restless and has a peaceful sleep. 

📷Sensored Mat:

Some of the pricier monitors can come with a sensor which is in the form of a mat which is placed under your baby's mattress and detects any movement of your little one and will alert you of this. It's main focus and main alert will be if your little one hasn't moved in a set period of time. This can be a little bit of a pain as sometimes it can cause unnecessary worry. 

🌡️Temperature:

Many monitors now have the feature of checking the temperature of the room and will alert you if there is anything which is not normal. You can make sure your little one can sleep peacefully without being too hot or too cold. This is perfect for when your little one is restless, you have one thing checked off the list of "why's". 

🗣️Two-Way Sound:

Monitors have been made which makes engaging with your baby, whilst being out of the room, that bit easier. Whilst your baby is sleeping they may stir or become a little restless. This feature allows you to talk to your baby without being in the room, making it easier to soothe them without having to enter the room. 

📹Video:

You may find you can have that little bit more peace of mind that your little one is safe if you can see them, without being in the room. Having the video feature allows you to see your baby on the monitor and see that they're not at risk of any harm or if they need you to be in the room. It is best to make sure it has infrared night vision camera as it will provide you with a better picture, even when the room is dark. These are better than the audio only monitors. 

What Baby Monitor Should I Buy?

There are many monitors to choose from, with and without the added features we've spoken about. We have chosen the top 5 baby monitors, all with different features that can benefit both you and your baby, taking the research out of the process for you.

5. BT Digital Audio Baby Monitor 400

This monitor is an audio based monitor with the added benefit of the sound-activated lights which give you that added bit of freedom. This also has the ability to check the temperature of the room and alert you if anything has a dramatic change. 

4. Motorola MBP30A Video Baby Monitor with  Handheld Parent Unit and Remote Pan Scan

This monitor has the access to video and it makes keeping an eye on your little one much easier. This has a built in temperature reading and will alert you when something isn't right. This also comes in a few different colour schemes which can compliment any nursery. 

3 Babysense Video Baby Monitor with Infrared Night Vision

This monitor is small and compact whilst being very powerful. It has the ability to have a clear image of the night thanks to the infrared night vision. This monitor has the distance for up to 300 metres which gives you the freedom to get stuff done. 

2 HelloBaby Baby Monitor with Remote Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera

This monitor has the ability to tilt and zoom which means no area of your baby's room is uncovered. This device also has a rechargeable battery which makes using the monitor much more efficient.  Again, it is small and compact, with a simplistic look, to be suitable for all nurseries. 

1 Angelcare Baby Monitor with Camera Video and Wireless Movement Sensor Pad