Video monitor saved our family bed!

[Sfcmama]

Or perhaps our marriage...? And my sanity?

It's a long story but I'll try to summarize. After making fun of our (non-cosleeping) friend's video baby monitor for some time, DH and I started to reconsider its usefulness for a couple of reasons:
1) dd had started rolling a lot as well as sleeping on her tummy
2) my nerves are still recovering from the febrile seizure dd had in her sleep (that happened while I was laying next to her)
3) dd is a light sleeper and often gets woken up by one of us opening the door to check on her
4) because of the above, my dh or I usually ended up going to bed early with dd to make sure she was safe

We happened across a cheap monitor on craigslist, impulsively bought it and... We LOVE it!!! We put her to bed, turn on the monitor and, voilà, FREEDOM! DH and I can have couple time and I can instantly ease my anxiety about DD with a quick glance at the monitor. (yes, she's breathing; no, she's not dangerously close to the edge; no, her wiggles are not a seizure, etc.)

I never thought we'd go this route but it has relieved so much tension and anxiety, leaving me with a peaceful evening I hadn't realized I'd been missing!!!

Just thought I'd share. Happy family bed to all!

[cparkly]

I am glad that you have found a way to ease your mind. You have encountered some real sleep challenges. Best wishes to you and your little family.

[lucy_v]

After sprinting up and down the stairs no less than a dozen times in 40 minutes to check on DD tonight while DH and I tried to "relax" together, I can totally appreciate your post! When I was pregnant, my SIL wanted to get me a video monitor, but I said I didn't need one, it would just make me obsessively watch it. I didn't know at the time we'd be co-sleeping, and now I wish I hadn't turned down such a generous offer! Now I'm looking to get one. Hope I find a good deal too!

[marinak1977]

we have one and it's been super useful for naps. Also DH turns it on when I'm breastfeeding so that if I need something I don't have to yell through the whole house.

[Sfcmama]

Originally Posted by lucy_v

After sprinting up and down the stairs no less than a dozen times in 40 minutes to check on DD tonight while DH and I tried to "relax" together, I can totally appreciate your post! When I was pregnant, my SIL wanted to get me a video monitor, but I said I didn't need one, it would just make me obsessively watch it. I didn't know at the time we'd be co-sleeping, and now I wish I hadn't turned down such a generous offer! Now I'm looking to get one. Hope I find a good deal too!

I was reluctant to spend money on it and now I don't regret a single penny spent!!! DH and I joke that it was cheaper than couples therapy or anti-anxiety meds ;0)

[St. Margaret]

I LOVE our video monitor. That way if we're watching TV or vacuuming or what have you, downstairs, we can SEE or hear immediately if DD is up (I should say past tense, we haven't used it for a long while, the fuzzy sound was annoying eventually-- but we'll be using it again with new baby!) It was a gift but I am so glad we asked for it. I read somewhere that video monitors are extravagant and wasteful, but it's the only piece of plastic, electronic "baby gear" we wanted and in a multi-floor house, a life saver.

[leahmn12]

We are huge fans of the video monitor. We don't use ours anymore because DS isn't at risk of falling out of our high, king-sized bed like he used to be. But new baby on the way, and I am SO glad we made the investment the first time around. Not only that, but when our first one stopped working after nearly a year, I contacted the company and they sent us a new one! Amazing sanity saver for sure.