Having a little baby is a wonderful thing, bringing endless moments of joy to the new parents. Lurking behind that joy, though, is always the fear that something could go wrong. As parents, we'd love to spend every minute of the day and night with our baby, but it's just not possible. Apart from anything else, new babies produce a LOT of washing! With a baby monitor, though, you can still hear your baby's breathing, every little movement, which is almost as good as being in the room with them.



A baby monitor operates in a similar way to a cordless phone, and generally has multiple channels so you can pick the clearest one. The best monitors have a portable receiver, so that you can move freely around the house, perhaps even short distances outside, and still maintain constant contact with your baby. Having a baby monitor can't stop you from worrying, but they can certainly give you enormous peace of mind when you need the freedom to move about in the house and get things done.

The baby monitor market is very crowded, and there are a lot of similarities between the different models. However there are still a few key decisions you need to make. Firstly, you have to choose between AC and battery. This will mostly be determined by how much freedom of movement you require. If you regularly move your baby's sleeping location about the house, it may be better to have a battery model that is easy to shift too. This is particularly true if your power points always seem to lurk in difficult places behind furniture! Many AC models have battery backup, or even a battery option, which means that if the power fails the baby monitor will still work. It also means that if you only need to move the monitor occasionally, you can simply unplug it and use the battery option in another location.

Modern baby monitors often include a display monitor. This can range from a simple light showing you when the baby monitor is on and functional, right through to a display that tracks the level of sound picked up by the monitor. It can be helpful to have an "out of range" indicator, so you know if you're no longer able to receive the transmission. Most models with batteries also come with a low battery indicator, so you know when to change the batteries.

It's important to place the baby monitor as close to the crib as possible, so that the majority of the sounds transmitted are the sounds of the baby, not background noise. However you must be careful to make sure that the transmitter isn't located where it might get knocked down if the crib moves suddenly.

Baby monitors range in price from the super budget models right through to top of the range. $40 is quite an average price, and certainly if you're going to pay a lot more than that, you need to think about whether you're paying too much. In the end, the right model for you will depend on what features you want. So paying a rock bottom price for your baby monitor may end up costing you a lot more in frustration, if it doesn't suit your needs.

Once you know basically what features you need in your baby monitor, it's worth spending some time shopping online to find the models that meet your requirements. Then you can start looking for the best price. Discount and baby stores, too, often have a reasonable range of models and prices, and sometimes you will be able to test a model in store.

There are also websites that compare and rate baby monitors based on consumer feedback, which can help you make a decision. In the end, you're entrusting the safety of your baby to the baby monitor, when you can't be with your baby in person, so the last thing you need is a model that doesn't work properly for an extended period of time.

Remember, too, if purchasing a baby monitor isn't quite in your budget right now, that someone amongst your friends and family may well be keen to give you something so useful. Your baby can only wear so many cute outfits, whereas a baby monitor is a gift that will definitely be both practical and welcome. Even if you're not the one expecting a baby, a baby monitor can be a great baby shower gift.

It's easy to get caught up in all the cute stuff that's available for a baby's nursery, but all the cute stuff in the world can't give you the peace of mind a baby monitor can.