Hellobee Boards

we received ours as a gift, I didnt think it was necessary since we live in a one bedroom apartment, but I use it so much and plan to use it even more when LO moves to her own room. Its great to be able to just look at the screen and see that she is ok and I can talk to her through the monito too since it is a two way. It saves me from running up and down. from the kitchen, dining or living room to the bedroom.

For us its an absolute necessity. Liv wakes up several times during the night. Most times she sits up, looks around, and flops back down to go to sleep, others she turns on her aquarium and goes back to sleep. Sometimes when she cries she needs us. I can tell by watching her if shes really needing us. Standing up = GET ME NOW. Sometimes she throws her lovey oiut of the crib and is hysterical over it. Also, like pp said, it was vital for sleep training.

When she was younger, I caught her rolled over on her tummy a few times, and also saw some hands and feet through the slats. Its just invalvuable. I can peek at it anytime just to see whats happening. Otherwise Id drive myself crazy with wanting to peek in there once an hour just to see whats going on.

We moved our babes to their own room upstairs at just shy of 2 months old and started using the video monitor then. Sure, when they're full on crying, we just run up there. But more often, they are just fussing, and it's super helpful to see how much they are squirming and if their eyes are open or not. I had no idea babies could be so noisy in their sleep. Plenty of times we've all just been able to go back to sleep, whereas without it, we'd be getting up to 'comfort' them all the time when they weren't even awake!

ETA: like babybruins, we talk through it too....but mostly just to say, the other baby just woke up....i need back up, now!

OMG. You need to have him read my response. I swear it is hands-down the BEST baby purchase we made. No joke. Even DH agrees. There are many times we just watch him or check in on him, because as new parents you really need that peace of mind; especially if you're a compulsive worrier like me!

When he was a nb I had severe anxiety about him taking naps on his own and I would always run in to check on him and make sure he was still breathing. I was deathly afraid of SIDS or suffocation or whatever. When we got the monitor, I could see his chest rise and fall with each breath and it gave me a lot of peace. I still check him for breathing on the monitor.

He also grunts, squawks and squeals in his sleep. Often it sounds similar to his waking sounds. If I were to go in during those transitional stages of sleep, it would definitely arouse him and his naps would be cut short. I like to watch on the monitor to see if he's actually waking, or if he's just transitioning sleep stages. Generally it's the later, and it's nice to have dodged many bullets of short-naps.

He started rolling over around 4.5 months and since he was still swaddled it was imperative to me that I had my eye on him his whole nap. He often woke up and would be silent; no crying, no talking etc. He likes to have a quiet wake up time (don't we all!), but would then roll over. It is very dangerous for them to roll over while swaddled because then they can't lift their heads with their arms. If I had only a baby monitor, I would have NO idea he was even awake, because he was always so quiet. But the moment I saw him roll over, I was able to run to him. Even if he hadn't been swaddled, a newly rolling baby is still a hazard because they haven't mastered rolling and supporting their heads. Without his swaddle, he still had a hard time learning to turn his face to the side. Rolling is a serious suffocation hazard and I needed to be able to see when he rolled and if he got stuck (which happens often when they start rolling).

Then, at 6 months, we started sleep training and it was VITAL to be able to see him. He would roll and scoot and thrash about his crib - and sometime he hit his head on the crib or would get stuck in the slats, which you always can't hear on an audio monitor. I always knew when I had to go to him, or when I could let him be.

I always liked to know when he actually fell asleep. Now, I can put him in his bed and often he doesn't cry to sleep anymore, he just lays there or rolls around for 10 minutes before falling asleep. But sometimes he is quietly awake for up to 30-45 minutes and because he's on a schedule and I need to know how long his naps are, it's important that I know the time he falls asleep.

Even at 7 months old my video monitor gives me more peace of mind than anything!!! I am sure it will continue to do so even throughout the toddler years. I think it was Mrs. Yoyo... or was it Mrs. Wagon - I can't remember - said that they watching their son on the monitor when he went through the phase of trying to climb out of his crib!! That would definitely be something I would need it for as well.

Good luck convincing your DH! Tell him to join the dads board and ask my DH how he personally feels about the video monitor- seriously- DH loves it so much. Maybe more than I do!

We use an $80 audio only monitor, we don't sleep train, so not necessary at all for us.

Love the video monitor, it's awesome to check in without opening the door. You'll love it.

every single night for both kids. we bought a second camera when olive was born. couldn't live without it!

I don't have one, we didn't think it was necessary because our house is so small and LO is just across the hall.... but man do I wish we had one now that she's regressed with her sleep.

I have the hardest time not going in to check on her when she's just lightly fussing or moaning... because "what if she's on her belly?!", what if, what if, what if. So I break down and check on her and she ALWAYS sees us come in if she's awake. I feel like I'd be doing her a favor if we had one and I could reassure myself to look at it and just stay out of her room and let her drift off on her own.

We have it on whenever she's sleeping. It's nice to see if she's really up or if she's just making noise, especially because now if I go get her before she's fully awake and standing up in her crib she's a big cranky pants. I would never know if she was standing up in her crib if I didn't have the video monitor.... and then I would go in way too soon just because I heard some noise and then I'd be screwed for the rest of the day.

@shopaholic: hahahaha that is so funny! Oh, and a btw - I had every intention of no paci either... until my nb baby screamed the entire time we got in the car. Then it became a lifesaver. SO don't be totally opposed to some things that don't hurt baby. DS weaned himself off the paci at 5 months so it was never an issue. But I sure did appreciate it during those early months!

@cocobee - I know. Everyone tells me they were against pacifiers, and then they needed it. DH just brought it up because he said his friend's LO "would scream bloody-murder" every-time you tried to take it away."