Several friends just had kids and asked for advice about which baby monitor to use. I have one answer: – video.
The sound may be terrible and the picture may be fuzzy. For new parents, watching your kid sleep is better than anything on television. (Okay, so maybe not better than 30 Rock.)
I was skeptical at first. Mrs. GeekDoug and I had picked out a fancy audio monitor with flashing bars and a long range. It was highly rated by Consumer Reports and noted for crystal clear sound. We had done our homework. We thought this was the best monitor on the market.
Then, a relative gave us a video monitor. We were skeptical. We checked the reviews. Poor sound quality. Poor picture. Short range. Prone to interference.
We were even more skeptical but felt we needed to at least try it.
We were hooked.
What was missing from the reviews was the magic of seeing your new baby fall asleep, wiggle, stretch, yawn, and all the cute gyrations. Non-parents don't understand. I didn't understand before I had a baby.
Video is especially useful when we first started putting the baby to sleep in his own room. I could put an image with those cries that cut straight to my heart. I was sure he had mustered superhero strength and thrown himself out of his crib. Or he had wedged his leg between the slats and broken it in half.
Video let me see that he had his head on his pillow, eyes barely open, and all his limbs intact. Video let me know that he was going to be asleep very soon. Video let me see that going into the room would just wake him up. He slept better. I slept better.
Except I was staying up late watching him sleep.
