Life
These 7 Wearables Track Your Baby's Health & Keep You From Losing Your Mind
As someone with anxiety issues, you better believe that whenever I babysit my friend’s infants and they're sleeping in the next room, I go in every 10 minutes or so to make sure they were breathing, and lightly touch them if I wasn’t sure (sorry friends). Now with my own baby on the way, I’m worried I’m never going to sleep again because I’ll be checking that they’re breathing all night until they’re (at least) in elementary school. Thankfully, technological geniuses have created wearables for keeping your baby alive. I know babies have made it for centuries without these technological advances, but you know what? If it helps you sleep better at night and you can be 100 percent sure your baby is safely still breathing in their crib, I say go for it. Now I just have to talk my husband into agreeing with me about purchasing one for my neuroses.
According to Slate, the first baby monitor was created in the 1930s. From what I’ve found, it’s a bit unclear as to who invented the baby monitor first. What I do know is there were potentially two men who created baby monitors in the 30s. Slate noted that Isamu Noguchi, a Japanese-American sculptor, designed a “radio nurse” for the Zenith Radio Corporation after the 1932 kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, and potentially another one was created by Norman Emerick of Fisher-Price in the 1930s. The Fisher-Price baby monitors have come a long way — far from radio frequencies traveling. Now Fisher-Price and many other companies have created baby monitors your baby actually wears — and they track a lot more than noise. They can track if they’re breathing, their heart rate, how much they’re moving during the night, if they turn over, and more.
1Sproutling
Fisher-Price's Sproutling is a wearable device your baby keeps on his or her ankle. According to the product's website, it learns your baby's sleep patterns, will alert you on your smartphone if your baby rolls over, and will tell you if they're asleep or awake. Now I don't have to go poke the baby every 10 minutes. It offers a visual report of the baby's night's sleep and it will provide customized advice based on your baby's experiences. There are even predictions as to when your baby will wake up based on their past sleeping habits so you can plan your to-do list or fun times with your partner around their sleep time. You can purchase the Sproutling monitor on the product's website, at Target, Buy Buy Baby, Amazon, or Bed Bath & Beyond.
2Owlet Smart Sock
This tracker looks like an adorable little baby sock, and it tracks your baby's heart rate and oxygen while they're sleeping, and will notify you in "real time" on your smartphone if there's something wrong with your baby. Buy the Owlet Smart Sock on Amazon, Babies R Us, Best Buy, Buy Buy Baby, and the product's website.
3Mimo Smart Baby Monitor
Mimo Smart Baby Monitor is connected to a onesie, and it can track both your baby's sleep or their activity. From your smartphone, you'll be able to monitor your baby's breathing, sleeping position, when they wake up or fall asleep, and even their skin temperature. No more worrying whether your baby is warm enough but not too warm. Purchase your Mimo Smart Baby Monitor at Target, Babies R Us, Amazon, or on the product's website.
4Pacif-i
Monitoring your baby's temperature is just as important as everything else when it comes to keeping your baby alive. The Pacif-i "smart pacifier" monitors your baby's temperature as long as the pacifier is in your baby's mouth. You can better monitor any side effects of medications or vaccines, and it will even help you locate where it is after your baby throws it across the room. You can buy the Pacif-i on the product's website.
5Monbaby
This monitor is a button that snaps onto whatever your baby is wearing. And not only does it alert you on your smartphone if your baby stops breathing, but also if they roll over, or even if they fall. According to the website, it will fit on any type of onesie or pajama, and it can be worn as your baby grows. Buy the Monbaby on the product's website or Target.
6Neebo
This device looks like a FitBit for your baby. Your baby wears it on his or her wrist, and it tracks their heartrate to let you know whether they're in distress or pain. Another cool thing about this product that's different from the others is it filters out other background noises so you can only hear your baby. There's a "three-stage" alert system to ensure you don't miss an emergency. It also measures oxygen levels and what their "thermal state" is like. They're apparently sold out, but you can preorder yours on the product's website.
7Snuza Pico Wearable Movement Monitor
The Snuza Pico Wearable Movement Monitor attaches to your baby's diaper, and it will vibrate if it doesn't detect abdominal movement from your baby. There's a loud alarm if five seconds passes by, and your baby still isn't breathing. It will also alert you "if your baby's movements are weak or fall to less than eight movements per minute," according to the product description on the Babies "R" Us website. However, this device can pick up other external movements around your baby, so it isn't ideal for co-sleeping, but it does detect body temperature, body position, and even if your baby falls. You can buy the Snuza Pico Wearable Movement Monitor at Target, Babies R Us, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, or Amazon.
Now all anxious parents can sleep easy with the help of this genius technology designed to keep our babies safe and to have a better chance of preventing SIDS. We've come a long way from radio sound frequencies and even video monitors, and I for one will probably make good use of one of these devices.
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