Baby monitors were one thing I could never settle on while pregnant - I found it impossible to know what I would need from a monitor, what features would be important?
So I ended up leaving it as I knew that for the first month or so the baby would be with me most of the time, so I wouldn't really need one.
Now that Tyne is older, he goes up to bed on his own and we sit downstairs going about our business so we do use a monitor to check everything is well while we're downstairs - we can just about hear him if he cries from the living room but if we were in the kitchen we wouldnt be able to.
Tyne is still in our bedroom at the moment (I'm not ready yet!!!) so we don't need a monitor during the night but we know that when he does move into his own bedroom the monitor will be used a lot more.
So what are the features of the Tomy TF550 monitor and have we found them useful?
Let's see....
*Simple to use - you simply switch it on, no need to mess around tuning it in every night. This is ideal for us and, I would imagine, any parent!!
*Nightlight feature - Allows you to control the brightness which is great for when you don't want to have to disturb them by turning the main light on. Our landing light provides enough light that we haven't had to use this feature, but I can see it being handy.
*2 Way Talkback feature - allowing you to speak to your baby through the monitor. This isn't something we use yet as Tyne is still a little young to be comforted by just our voices, but I can see it being very useful for a slightly older child who could be reassured and soothed that their parent is still close by without them needing to enter the room.
*Lullabies - The monitor plays a selection of lullabies to gently settle the baby. The lullaby function can be activated from the parent unit so you don't need to go back to the room to soothe the baby. I find this very useful as sometimes Tyne will stir a little and need just a little comforting, the lullabies work perfectly for this.
*Thermometer - the parent unit displays the babies room temp clearly on the monitor, so you can see at a glance wether the temp has dropped or risen and you may need to adjust their clothing or open a window. I find this a very reassuring feature and it beats trying to see the room thermometer in the dark too!
*Sound activation - Not something we have used yet but ideal for an older child, when you don't need to listen in constantly but can just be alerted when they make a noise or start to cry.
*Rechargable parent unit with a belt clip - This is ideal for us as I often need to take it into the kitchen while doing dishes etc, and I would never be able to hear the monitor from there if it was in the living room. The belt clip is a very handy function.
All In all, I am very impressed with just how much this monitor does and how well it works - particularly considering that it's a mid-price range monitor so not too expensive.
Available from all major retailers, for more details please visit http://www.tomy.co.uk/ - RRP £69.99
