To record or not to record - Flip video recorder

[Anonymous]

So we're about 3 weeks away from the due date and I'm contemplating getting a video recorder for some of those first moments in hospital, coming home, etc.
Is this a worthwhile splurge? What about the Flip that records about an hour at a time that is really small and easy to connect to computer/tv and email stuff?
We're not really into taking a camera crew everywhere with us but I could be persuaded by a small product that's easy to use. Has anyone had any luck with this brand? Will the small capacity drive us crazy?
Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

We love ours! Easy to use and lots of fun! Would definitely recommend it, especially for capturing cute baby/toddler moments. We have it with us at all times, because it is so small.

[Anonymous]

Love it. Tiny, easy to use, and pretty good quality -- perfect for sending small video snippets to the grandparents, etc.

[Anonymous]

We love our Flip, probably a little too much. Our kid is 5 months old and we've taken hundreds of videos - 30 seconds to 2 minutes each.

They may have fixed it by now, but some Mac users have complained about problems with the built-in Flip software. Otherwise, it's extremely user-friendly.

[Anonymous]

They just came out with new software, including better support for Mac. It took less than 5 minutes to download/install.

[Anonymous]

Not sure that you need to rush out and get one. You probably won't feel like you want to be on video after the birth and babies don't do much but sleep and cry in the first weeks, so still pictures do the trick. We just bought one because our 4-month old is smiling and bouncing around and we can't quite capture that in the pictures that we send to our family or even in our conversations with them with the webcam (using Skype).

[Anonymous]

My SIL is about to have her first and we have been considering this as a gift - so I appreciate these opinions as well. Sounds like it gets quite favorable reviews so far.

[Anonymous]

I'm the 17:08 poster, but I will chime in again to address two points:

1. We have a Mac, and it's been super easy to use with the Mac.
2. We took video with the Flip in the hospital twice -- I stayed off camera, but our daughter was really alert and awake the first few days and we wanted her grandparents to see her "in action." We've used it several times since, too, and she is only two months old. Agreed that you certainly don't need to rush out and buy it, but if you had it, I bet you would start using it right away. To you (and probably to your families, especially if they are far away), even a minute-long video of the baby just lying there looking around is a little more exciting than a picture (and just as easy to take and to send).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure that you need to rush out and get one. You probably won't feel like you want to be on video after the birth and babies don't do much but sleep and cry in the first weeks, so still pictures do the trick. We just bought one because our 4-month old is smiling and bouncing around and we can't quite capture that in the pictures that we send to our family or even in our conversations with them with the webcam (using Skype).

This might depend on your personality. I am pg with #2 and just went back to rewatch video from birth #1 and loved revisiting those memories. It may also depend on how your labor goes if you want/have time for video. I was in labor FOREVER so DH videoed some at the beginning and I was happy to talk and smile. He showed around the room, the heartbeat monitor (you could hear baby's heartbeat), and we talked about how excited we were to be welcoming DD soon. I hope she thinks that video clip is neat later on. Then he did get some while I was hanging onto the bed and panting, which at the time I didn't realize he was doing, but now it's interesting to watch again. There are some clips where I realized and shook my head - enough and he stopped.

The COOLEST part was the birth. It's up to you how much you want to show, but DH and my mom swtiched off and on and I'm so glad they did. They stood at my head and the focus was either on me, DH, or dr's face. The best parts now are listening to what everyone is saying. I could hear my mom telling me that she was almost out and how she couldn't believe how strong I was. I now see DH's face (and the few tears) the second DD popped out (I didn't notice much of this at the time). We now laugh at some of the dr's comments during and after delivery. I (and my DD) can now look back and see my face and hear my comments when I first saw her and when I first held her - precious moments. I also will never forget my wonderful OB who went over to the warmer when they were cleaning her up and shielded her eyes from the light and softly talked to DD - again precious moments that I didn't hear/see at the time.

Finally, we laugh now at the moments that they weighed her and told me she was over 10lbs - my face (and comments) are pretty memorable, but funny on tape. Then they reweighed her and she was a little smaller, but we captured funny comments from the nurses as well.

So, my point is that some people may not enjoy or feel up to a video camera, but I am so glad that we had ours. It's a personal choice.