Baby monitors are an essential part of baby gear. When

you have the baby asleep in the crib, you don't have to

keep constantly checking to make sure that he/she is all

right when you have a baby monitor. You have one part of

the monitor in the nursery and the other in the same room

of the house where you are. Every move and sound that

the baby makes come through the speaker so it is almost

like you are in the same room.

The transmitters in the monitors work best when they are

within 10 feet of the baby. This is why you should have the

monitor on a nightstand near the crib, but yet you don't

need to have them so close that when the baby gets older,

he/she can reach out and touch it. You can carry the

receiver with you or leave it plugged in by your bed during

the night. The basic models have a switch you use to turn

them on and off and to adjust the volume. You can also use

batteries when you want to take the receiver with you,

rather than having to plug it into an outlet in each room.

Some of the monitors on the market have a light display

that flashes to let you know when the baby is crying. You

don't need to have the volume turned up if you use this

feature, but it does mean that you have to keep looking at

the monitor. Top of the line monitors have a camera (a video monitor) that you can attach to

your VCR. This lets you watch the baby without actually

being in the same room.

There are also disadvantages to using a

baby monitor. If you have a cordless phone, the baby

monitor can pick up the conversation so you need to be

discreet. Even talking in the same room as the baby will

transfer the sound of your voice to the receiver, so you

can't complain about visitors that won't go home. In once

case we had neighbors with the same monitor on the same

frequency and we could hear their entire night-time routine

if our monitor was on. You also have to make sure that you

keep the monitors away from bathtubs and pools because

they are electrical devices.

Overall a baby monitor is a very useful thing to have. They

give you a sense of comfort and let you get on with your

day while your child is sleeping. Never forget that a

monitor can NEVER replace proper parental care. Never

leave your baby unattended for long periods (even while

sleeping chech on them from time to time).