Well, these posts are long overdue. For those parents with kids, I am sure you will understand that before the babies arrive you think you will have all the time in the world or at the very least some time to do things. For those who are expecting, just beware that free time seems disappear. As promised and better late than never for those reading this blog, here are some more reviews.
Motorola MBP36
The MBP36 was last years baby video monitor by Motorola. It was recently updated with the MBP41 although you can still buy the additional cameras separately at many stores. While the 41 has a cleaner design, all the reviews I have read indicate it may be a step backwards. Without having used one, I cannot comment on that. I will say that based on those early reviews and the extremely strong reviews on the MBP36, I purchased that model from Babies 'R Us. It is my understanding that Babies 'R Us is the only vendor to sell two cameras with one handheld monitor. With the combined packaging, you save somewhere around $50 versus buying the normal single camera package and then an extra camera. After extensive use, the camera is great. The unit is easy to set up and I was up and monitoring within minutes of unpacking the box. Picture quality has been great and scanning between the camera has worked as advertised. I do wish it had the option to view both cameras at once, but I can understand that it would have made each of the screens pretty small. The monitor also can have four cameras connected to it at one time. I purchased an extra single camera and adding and deleting the camera is simple and just requires holding the pairing button on the bottom of the camera.
My biggest concern before I purchased the unit was how the camera would operate at night. The night vision on the cameras were originally flawless. In the beginning, the twins were sharing a large crib with one sleep on each end and I could clearly make out details both of them at night without a problem. However, once we transitioned them into their room and their own cribs, I did discover a problem with my second camera. While the day mode worked great, the night vision mode did not. I appeared that a few or more of the LEDs were not firing properly. All I could see was a shadow of the baby. After contacting Motorola's customer service, they immediately sent me a replacement camera which is working great.
One of the only negatives of the camera is that it is not iOS compatible. Motorola does make an iOS model, but it does not come with a handheld monitor. As I did not want to hand off my phone or iPad to the baby sitter every time I went out, we decided the handheld was the better choice. Finally, I will note that the temperature readings given off by the unit seem a few degrees higher than the actual temperature in the room. This has not been an issue since I am aware the unit has this tendency. Overall, I would recommend the unit if you can still get it.
SafeToSleep Mats
For whatever reason I am a constant worrier. This has always been an issue for me and I knew once the twins arrived, it would wreck havoc on my sleeping. While shopping one day, I was introduced to the SafeToSleep Mat. For those who are not aware, this mat monitors the sleeping pattern of infants by measuring the baby's movements, no matter how small. You can read more about the mat at the SafeToSleep Website. The mat comes with its own monitor or you can use an iOS device. My preference is to use an iOS device as it has more customization options. However, be advised that you could only pair one mat to each iOS device. This meant I needed to use my iPhone and iPad if I wanted to monitor both mats. If you purchase a mat, I would also advise getting a package of additional covers.
The mats were easy to set up and use. All you need to do is add batteries, turn the mat and monitor on and place the baby on top of it. The mat can be set up to alarm you when the baby's breathing is too fast or too slow, the baby falls off the mat, or the baby stops breathing. There are more options available under the iOS app versus the supplied monitor. This was another reason we used an iOS device.
The first couple nights with the mats seemed to be a little trial and error. The boys were about 5 pounds when we came home and bundled with heavy blankets. There were a few false alarms where the boys would be on the mats and it would indicate a low breathing rate. However, upon examination, the boys were fine. After realizing this, I would still check on them when the notification went off, but not be panicked. That being said, after about 3-4 days, the false alarms seems to stop. I attributed this to their weight gain and also using a lighter swaddle blanket.
Now, are the mats for everyone? Probably not. They are $299, and if we were not given them as a gift, I would probably not have bought them since we would have had to purchase two. That being said, did I love having them when the twins first arrived home? Absolutely! With one of the twins having been in the NICU for breathing issues, the mat gave me an added bit of security. Yes, there were a few false alarms in the beginning. However, after they were about 6 pounds, the mat worked perfectly for us. The only reason we stopped using them was the boys got too big and my anxiety level dropped down to normal.
In closing, I have read some user posts online that state the mats are a gimmick and don't work. I will say that I was extremely happy with the SafeToSleep mats. Are they perfect? No. Will you occasionally get a false alarm? Probably. In the end, you need to decide if it's worth it for you. For me, it was.
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