When did you stop using your baby monitor?

[Anonymous]

Looking for your insight... DD is 5.5 months old. She wakes up 1-2 times per night to feed, but she awakens briefly other times. She can put herself back to sleep, and does unless she is hungry. The problem I have is that I have the monitor in my room at night and I wake up to every little move! By the time I get back to sleep, she really is awake ready to eat... ARGH!!

I am thinking I should start turning off the monitor at night so that I can get some sleep (and so that I don't prematurely run into her room when she would otherwise put herself back to sleep). Is 5.5 months too young? She rolls over and sits up by herself for about 1-2 minutes...

Sincerely,

Sleepless in the 'burbs

[Anonymous]

I totally sympathize with your situation--I was the same way; I wasn't getting a wink of sleep because I would wake to every rustle. That being said, however, 5.5. months seems way too young to stop using the monitor, unless you're 100% certain you can hear her without the monitor if she cries. Even if she normally is a good sleeper, babies and toddlers will sometimes cry when you don't expect them to, because something is wrong or they are sick or something, and you definitely don't want to miss that because the monitor is off.

One solution I found was to put in earplugs and simultaneously turn the monitor up to a medium/loud setting--specifically, a setting that enabled me to hear the baby's room through the earplugs if there was actual crying, but prevented me from hearing the minor rustles. That worked like a charm. HTH and good luck.

[Anonymous]

Our dd's room is right down the hall from us and I stopped using the monitor sometime around 4-5 months. I was reluctant at first, but it was totally worth it. I definitely hear her if she cries (even a little) but I don't hear all of the snorts/rustles/sleepy moans, etc. After a few nights of nervousness, I became confident I'd wake up and have slept better ever since.

[Anonymous]

You don't need the monitor unless your baby's room is clearly out of earshot. Just open both doors a crack and you will hear anything important enough to get up for.

[Anonymous]

DS is almost three and we still use the baby monitor. We sleep upstairs and he sleeps downstairs. It's the one thing I don't like about our house but I would never hear if something happened a floor away and I certainly don't want him trying to maneuver through the house and climb a flight of stairs. I'm sure I will love being on a separate floor in a few years but right now not so much.

I do know that at 5 1/2 months I definitely wouldn't have turned it off. I was way to worried about SIDS and as a first time mom that whole first year I would wake up and be paranoid because I didn't hear anything. I am trying to be better now with number 2 and was better until last weekend when I heard about a 3 month old who past away in their sleep (same age as my second). I wish I could be one of those parents who isn't so paranoid but my fears get the best of me.

[Anonymous]

I turned it off around 4 months for when we are on the same level. I leave both doors open and can hear her from my room. I keep the monitor on when I am downstairs and she is upstairs sleeping.

You should be able to do a test at this point to see if you can hear her.

[Anonymous]

Baby slept in my room for 3 months and then moved him into his own room. After that I could only tolerate the monitor for one more month. So, we gave it up around 4 months. It worked out, because I only got up in the night if he really got worked up, so maybe he got himself back to sleep often?

My house is small and with the doors open, its practically like we are all sharing a room anyways.

[Anonymous]

Can't you just adjust the volume?

Another thought - if you stop using the monitor you may still lose sleep because now you'll be too paranoid and worried that you won't her DD's cries? You may need a transition period for yourself.

However, I am sure DD will definitely let you know when she needs to be fed (as opposed to the light whimpers and sleep adjustment mumbles).

Also, keep in mind, the next two months or so your DD will probably start skipping one of the feedings and begin to truly sleep through the night especially since she'll be eating more solid food (although BM/formula is still the primary source of nutrition).

[Anonymous]

I might be in the minority here, but we never used a baby monitor. I kind of feel like these monitors are a bit of a gimmick (like many baby items!), unless you live in a really huge house and truly could not hear your child crying in the middle of the night.

DD slept in our room for the first 3.5 months and after that I felt I could always hear her. Maybe you can try a night without the monitor and just see how it goes! If you sleep on the same floor as you baby, as we do, I am sure you will be able to hear her when she really needs you.

[Anonymous]

I am clearly in the minority, but DD slept in her own room (VERY close down the hall--small house) after the first 2 nights home. No audio monitor unless I am downstairs after she goes to bed. I find my husband and I can hear her just fine. I do have a video monitor next to my bed that I can turn on before I fall asleep, etc. just to peek in on her. Anyway, to answer OP's original question, I think it is fine to stop using the monitor if you can hear your child without it.

[Anonymous]

Never used a baby monitor here.

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised (not critical, just surprised) at all these posters who say they don't use a monitor because they can hear their child without one. Do all of you live in really tiny houses? I ask because our house is, I would say, average-sized--not tiny and not huge--and both our kids' rooms are only about 15 or so feet down the hall from ours, and yet I definitely can't hear them without the monitor. Granted, our door and their doors are kept closed, but I think that even if all the doors were open, I would have trouble.

[Anonymous]

I stopped at 4mos and my house is 1800 sq feet.

Regardless, I found the noise of the monitor way too disruptive to my sleep. We also sleep with the doors open, its better for air flow and ac/heat usage. My room either gets too hot or too cold with the doors closed, same for baby's room.

[Anonymous]

PP here. Meant to also add that I have supersonic hearing for my baby. I can hear him a floor away and can detect noises my husband can't hear at all. Even when I was sleeping the slightest wimper would send me bolting upright in bed. My DH is always amazed at my hearing for my little guy.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is 8 months old and her room is about 15 feet or so from our room. I still use the monitor. For me, I sleep better using the monitor because I'd be up worrying if I weren't using it.