Holding your baby after nine long months of dreaming fills you with the kind of happiness that nothing can diminish.
Well, almost nothing, anyway. While your baby adjusts to life on the outside, it’s no secret that their sleep cycle will be out of whack. By extension, so will yours.
A baby monitor is a time-tested way to lessen the anxiety of overnight sleeplessness.
Baby monitors have gotten more advanced, packed with technology to make your first few months as a new parent a little less stressful.
If you’re asking “Do I need a baby monitor?” keep reading. We’re going to outline all the benefits of a baby monitor for your new little one!
1. Reduce Your Stress and Anxiety
It’s deeply ingrained in our nature to spend our time in the early days of parenthood worrying about our children. The stories are true: you absolutely will check on your child a few times a night just to make sure that they’re breathing.
That natural desire to protect our young mixed with the pressures of post-partum anxiety and depression make the early days of parenthood a hotbed of stress and anxiety.
Some parents find it difficult to put their babies down let alone leave the room that they’re sleeping in.
One way to help alleviate that stress is to buy a baby monitor.
When first invented, baby monitors were only good for listening in at short ranges.
But today, baby monitors are highly advanced. You can watch, listen, and even speak to your baby in some cases.
Many monitors allow you to use your phone as the receiver as well, making them the perfect tool to use to check in on your baby when they’re with a babysitter and you’re out and about.
A baby monitor is a great tool to use for peace of mind when you’re adjusting to your new life as a parent.
2. Improved Success at Sleep Training
Many babies aren’t ready to start sleeping through the night until they’re 4 or 5 months old. It’s natural for them to wake up a few times a night for a feeding or comfort. Their little systems just aren’t ready for long times away from their parents yet.
But when it’s time to start sleep training, a baby monitor is a great tool to help.
There are many different ways to train your baby to sleep through the night without having to endure the stress of listening to them cry, and a baby monitor will help give you the confidence that your baby is sleeping safe and happy in their room.
3. Easier Night-Time Check-Ins
It doesn’t matter how old your baby gets, you’re going to want to check up on them throughout the night. It’s a natural instinct and it’s there for a good reason.
But when you creep into your child’s room to check on them, no matter how quiet you think you’re being, no matter how good at real-life Minesweeper you think you are, you run the risk of waking them up.
Seriously. You don’t want to wake them up.
A baby monitor helps you get the night time check-ins out of the way without keeping everyone up past their bedtime.
4. Health Monitoring
If you have a baby who was born with health issues, a baby monitor is an essential piece of gear that helps you keep an eye on them when you can’t be there. You’ll be able to hop up and help soothe them back down to sleep no matter what arises.
Some baby monitors even come with temperature reading technology, so you will know instantly if something more serious is wrong.
5. Communication and Soothing,
When first introduced, baby monitors were only good for one way communication. But now many monitors come with the ability to talk back through the monitor to your baby.
If you’re lucky, it might be enough to simply calm your baby down with your voice rather than having to come to soothe them physically.
Also, it’s never too early to teach your baby how to soothe themselves. But it’s hard to listen to them fuss or cry without wanting to immediately rush to their side to make sure that nothing is seriously wrong. If you rush to them every time they cry, they’ll never learn how to calm themselves in the future.
A baby monitor can help you know when to intervene and when to let your baby try to soothe themselves back down to sleep.
Beyond Babyhood
Many people think once their child sleeps through the night consistently that it’s time to pack up the baby monitor. But a baby monitor can be a great tool to help your older children as well!
In large houses where it takes some time to get between your room and your child’s room, a baby monitor with two-way communication is a great way to check in on your child when they wake up during the night.
Whether you’re protecting them from nightmares or answering the call for one more post-bedtime glass of water, you let your child know that you’re always there to help them sleep more soundly and securely.
Do I Need a Baby Monitor?
If you’re asking yourself “Do I need a baby monitor?” keep in mind all the ways that a baby monitor can provide you with peace of mind in the first few months of parenthood and beyond.
You won’t always be able to be in the same room as your newborn, and it’s good for your baby to learn how to self soothe. When you add a baby monitor to your must-have gear for parenthood, you’re making it easier for both of you to cope with the long nights ahead.
For more tips and tricks on first-time parenthood, check out the rest of our posts for new moms!
