Reviewed By: Amy Richardson
As a new parent, every little grunt, cry and sniffle coming from my baby’s nursery at night triggers me to go check on her to make sure she’s OK. But it’s those nights when I realize she’s gone a few hours without making a peep that really get me up and crib side in a hurry. There’s nothing more important than peace of mind when it comes to your child’s safety in the next room, and that’s when a good baby monitor can be your best friend.
For those who love high-tech baby gadgets or want the added security of the most advanced baby monitor, then the Oma+ movement monitor from Levana is a great choice. It’s a cordless and battery-powered device that clips directly on your baby’s diaper so it can easily be used anywhere your baby sleeps. I used it in addition to an audio monitor in my baby’s nursery.
The Oma+ houses a movement sensor that rests on your baby’s tummy, sensing her tiniest movements. After 15 seconds of complete stillness, the sensor will gently vibrate to help encourage the return of regular movement and will beep loudly to alert you if no movement is detected for more than 20 seconds. In other words, if your baby stops breathing, the Oma+ has the very important job of letting you know!
I had to wait a couple of weeks until my daughter’s umbilical cord fell off to use the device since it clips to the top-middle part of the diaper with the soft, rubbery sensor piece right beneath the belly button. Although it seemed a bit obstructive on such a little body, my daughter didn’t seem to mind it. With a newborn, however, the device became a little cumbersome during all those middle-of-the-night diaper changes and feedings. As a bleary-eyed, new parent, you have to make sure the device is fitting squarely on the diaper and making contact with the tummy for it to work properly. I’d recommend using it when your baby is a little older and sleeping longer at night and sleeping in her own crib—the motion of a swing, car seat or stroller negates the functionality of the device, according to the manufacturer.
While nothing can replace your own eyes and ears during the night, an advanced movement monitor like the Oma+ can help ease your fears a little and keep you from constantly checking in on a soundly sleeping baby, letting you get a little more rest during those first crazy months of parenthood.
To learn more about this Monitor or other items by Levana, visit their site.
About Amy:
A Birmingham native, Amy Whitfield Richardson, is a proud new Mommy to a beautiful baby girl. She credits all of her knowledge on parenting to BirminghamMommy.com 🙂
