You develop a sixth sense when you become a mother, something that puts you in tune with your babies’ rhythm and their needs. This new sense puts all your other senses in hyper drive 24/7. Your ears pickup every sound from the slightest whimper to the soft ripples of breath. Your eyes are always scanning the room looking for potential hazards and obstacles. And you will constantly wake up out of a dead sleep to lean over and feel the rise and fall of your baby’s chest to make sure they are still breathing. As new parents Nate and wake up about 5-6 times a night just to make sure Emerson is okay, sleeping peacefully and still breathing. I hear it will get better with age and you will not be so worried when your second arrives. But for the present my sixth sense has taken over my body and the constant need to ensure she is okay is well, CONSTANT!
When I read about the Owlet Baby Monitor I thought maybe there is hope, maybe there is a product out there and can bring my six middle of the night wake ups down to two! The Owlet is a monitor in a smart sock you slip onto your baby’s left foot. It comes in three sizes so you can use it from birth to toddler years. The technology used in the sock is similar to what is used in their ankle bracelets when you are in the hospital with your newborn, it’s called oximetry and it is able to monitor heart rate and oxygen levels. The sock syncs to a dock station via Bluetooth and will trigger an alarm to the monitor if your babies’ oxygen levels or heart rate drop below normal levels. The alarm will trigger on the base station and your cell phone via the Owlet Baby Monitor Mobile app.
We started using the Owlet about two months ago when Emerson got on a schedule and started going to bed earlier. Because we would put her down earlier than we went to bed, we found ourselves walking into the room literally every five minutes to ensure she was still breathing. Now, we simply place the sock on Emerson and can check the mobile app anytime to ensure her oxygen level is within normal range. When the app is open it will show you if the readings are normal or if Emerson is wiggling. The technology cannot give you a reading if the baby is moving but if she is moving for an extended period of time that triggers my sixth sense and I can go in and check on her to make sure nothing is causing her distress.
The Owlet has been a true godsend for us! We sleep more easily now and we are able to enjoy the two hours between when we put Emerson down and when we go to bed. Of course you can never fully depend on any device to prevent SIDS, but it does give us piece of mind that we will be alerted if Emerson is ever in distress or trouble. I am so happy we have this product, my sixth sense will never go away but it has allowed my other senses to come down from those heightened levels and allowed me to rest more easily.
This is a must add to any registry, especially for first time parents. We have had a few issues with the app and once with the base not connecting to wi-fi. The Owlet customer service has been amazing and very responsive, helping us troubleshoot our issues almost immediately. You can’t go wrong with this product and the support they provide.