A Baby Must
The first night we spent at home with Sailor after she was born, I remember thinking, "How will I ever sleep again?" Not because she wasn't sleeping - she actually zonked out for that whole first night and has always been a good sleeper ever since... so far (which we thank our lucky stars for). But she was so tiny and new and delicate and we couldn't imagine sleeping ourselves instead of watching over her to make sure she was breathing. We've been hearing cautionary tails about SIDS and suffocation since long before becoming parents, and now that fear is present with us every night before we go to sleep. I know, I know - paranoid words of a brand new parent. But it's hard not to be paranoid. I remember saying to Ian, "I wish there was some kind of robot that would just watch her and make sure she's breathing so we can sleep peacefully." And then I found out about the Owlet monitor. Guys. It's literally a robot that watches over your baby to make sure it's breathing. Well, kind of. It's a device that your baby wears like a sock on the left foot and connects to your phone via the app. It monitors your baby's heart rate and oxygen levels and alerts you on your phone to check on your baby if something is abnormal. The perks of becoming parents in the digital age!
I'll be honest - I was skeptical at first. Mainly because I was worried about false alarms. I imagined the sock might accidentally fall off and I'd be jolted awake to a jarring alarm thinking my baby isn't breathing. But they've got that covered. There are different notifications for different occurrences. If the sock did fall off (which is hard for it to do), your baby is too squirmy to get an accurate reading (which for us has only happened when she's awake and already crying for our attention), or the battery is low (which you can avoid by charging it fully during the day), the charging station or your phone will play a little lullaby to alert you. However, if your baby's levels are abnormal and you need to check on them immediately, the alert is an unmistakable beeping alarm.
Needless to say, I am definitely an advocate for this monitor - especially as we are starting to transition Sailor to her own crib at night (waaa!), which feels like such a big move. The Owlet makes me so grateful to be living in an age where technology is so advanced that it can assist us in keeping our little ones safe. While it does not claim to be a "lifesaving device", it certainly gives us peace of mind and helps us sleep more soundly at night... and that is priceless for us as new parents.
If any of you moms, dads, or soon-to-be parents are looking to pick of these gems up for yourselves and your babe, you can get one here!
Other stuff: Sailor's PJ's are by Burt's Bees. The flannel crib sheet is from Land of Nod and it is SO SOFT. Wall hanging handmade by my mom (she's starting an Etsy shop - stay tuned!). Pillow is by Jonathan Adler.