Buying the Right Baby Monitor
Parents of newborn babies usually find it difficult to leave their baby alone for the night. Owning a baby monitor yields significant benefits because you will know if the baby is unhappy before he/she is crying loudly. No matter where you are in the house, if you are near a receiver, you can keep tabs on your beloved newborn. If you've decided that a baby monitor would be a wise purchase, you will have a wide variety of products from which to choose. Here are a few tips to help you in your search.
Audio-Only or Audio and Video?
The first thing you will notice if you've haven't been shopping for a baby monitor recently is that you now have the option of an audio-only monitor or one that provides audio and video. Now, having a baby monitor can be about more than making sure your baby is safe and happy. Being able to see a real-time video of your baby sleeping is a blissful treat for many parents. You can watch them sleeping without the risk of waking them up. Also, if you like the idea of having a baby monitor because you're alerted when the baby is whimpering (before they start wailing), you'll be able to remedy the situation even sooner by checking the baby's facial expressions.
Avoid Interference
Many baby monitors operate on the same frequency as common cordless phones or other wireless devices in the home. Most parents' first complaint about their purchase of a baby monitor is the audible static from the receiver. To avoid this possibility, make sure the frequency of the baby monitor is different than your cordless phone (2.4 GHz is a common frequency band used for both products).
Buy a Digital Baby Monitor
Digital baby monitors generally do a better job of reducing interference from other devices in the home. With an analog monitor, you run the risk of picking up other noise on the same frequency. For example, if one of your neighbors also has a newborn baby and the same baby monitor as you, your receiver may be picking up their baby, not yours. Also, analog baby monitors that operate on the same frequency as a cordless phone will pick up that signal as well. You don't want to be eavesdropping on a neighbor's phone call if you're trying to monitor your baby's well-being. Since digital monitors decode the signal as its being received from the transmitter, you won't have to worry about that.
There are other options you will want to evaluate as well, such as a unit that lights up as the baby's cries get louder. In situations where you want to keep the volume down on the receiver, having a visual cue that there is a problem helps. Hopefully, this advice has been helpful for those of you who are fortunate enough to have an adorable baby that deserves a watchful eye.
