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Baby Monitors – Being able to hear newborns and babies when you’re out of the room offers freedom and security

All parents, but in particular the parents of a newborn, tend to be overly sensitive and tuned in to any sounds coming from a sleeping infant’s room. It’s very reassuring to be able to hear the faintest sounds alerting you that baby is awake. Baby monitors offer the parents freedom to move around during baby’s naptime and the security to sleep better at night knowing their baby is being monitored.

Baby monitors are radio transmitters that consist of two parts, a receiver and a transmitter. The transmitter is normally placed really close to the baby’s crib so you can easily hear when baby wakes, cries, fusses, or moves around. The receiver is the part that picks up the sounds. It can be either portable or stationary. Portable receivers are handy because you carry them where you go. Stationary receivers are kept in one place, so you may want to have more than one located in the areas that you visit frequently throughout the day. Since they are radio transmitters, beware of privacy issues when the unit is turned on, never discuss anything confidential in case others happen to be listening in.

Choosing a Baby Monitor

• They are available in one or two-way communication systems. With a one-way monitor you can hear the child while the two way monitoring system allows the child to also hear you. Not only is this great for soothing sleepy infants and older babies back to sleep but is a valuable tool for communicating with older kids.
• Video monitors allow you to not only hear but also see your child; however video is more expensive than audio-only units.
• Decide if a portable or stationary system would best suit your needs.
• Check the range of the unit since some are more limited in the distance they can transmit.
• It may be a good investment to get a set with more than one channel in case you find problems with interference from portable phones, cell phones, or even other baby monitors that may be used by others in your neighborhood.
• Choose the right bandwidth to suit your needs. The higher the bandwidth the greater the range as long as the interference is minimal such as you’d find in a home in the country or suburbs (up to approximately 900 megahertz). If you live in the city with lots of interference from cell phones, portable phones, etc. than you’re better off with a lower bandwidth (say around 40 megahertz).
• You have a choice of battery operated or plug in monitoring sytems. If you decide on battery operated, be sure to check the batteries quite often. To save money you can buy rechargeable batteries. If the unit plugs in, be sure the wall plug or extension cord are out of reach and pose no threat to your baby’s safety.
• Some models will monitor movement as well as sound. If your baby even just moves without crying or whimpering, you’ll be notified.
• A worthwhile investment would be a system that lights up when sound is detected. If you’re busy doing chores such as vacuuming or doing dishes, or just relaxing and watching TV, you may not be able to hear your little one crying or fussing.
• Make sure the unit you decide on gives ample warning that it’s not working, such as giving an alert when the battery is low, the transmitter and receiver are out of range of each other, etc.
• Some units offer a room temperature sensor to alert you if the nursery is either too hot or too cold.
• If more than one person will be monitoring the little one, be sure to get a unit that comes with more than one receiver.

Recommended Merchants:

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Visit DreamTimeBaby for baby sound monitors, and other products to keep your little ones safe and secure.

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