Are Audio-Only Baby Monitors Worth It?

I’ve watched friends obsessively watch their little ones on video monitors and feel like it can impede taking time to decompress away from baby. I’m seven months pregnant and we are thinking of getting an audio-only monitor. Any reason we should not go that route if that feels healthier to us?

—EBR

Reading your question, I am transported back to the first months of my daughter’s life, trying to relax and watch TV with my spouse and checking the video monitor every four seconds. I’m reminded of that, and of the experience of trying to mount it in a way that got a good view. Like we are some kind of cinematographers, trying to get the shot. Anyway, my point is: I see your point.

Baby monitors do not have a documented safety value. Instead, the value is some combination of being able to hear the baby when they wake up and need to eat, and the peace of mind that at least some people get from being able to watch the baby. Monitors like Nanit collect other data that can be used to optimize sleep in various ways and, probably more so, to provide additional peace of mind.

Basically: the monitor is for you. So you should use whatever monitor gives you the most peace of mind.