Submit your birth story by sending us an 
SIDS & Safe Sleep Advice
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or ‘cot death’ as it is more commonly referred to, is one of many parents biggest fears. In the UK, at least three hundred babies die suddenly and unexpectedly each year, despite these deaths SIDS is rare and the risk of your child dying from SIDS is low. Nobody knows exactly what causes SIDS but it is thought to be the result of a combination of health and environmental factors. Environmental factors could include tobacco smoke, getting tangled/ caught in bedding, illness or breathing difficulties.
SIDS related deaths tend to happen during the first three months of a baby’s life, those at greatest risk of SIDS include infants born prematurely or with a low birth weight. Infants are at the highest risk for SIDS during sleep either at night time or during day time naps and therefore parents often feel the need to monitor their child not only whilst they are awake, but also as they sleep which can be extremely exhausting and stressful for parents.
There are numerous preventative ‘safe sleeping strategies’ which parents can put in to place to reduce the risk of SIDS including:
- Put the infant to sleep on his/her back in a well-ventilated room. The safest place for your child to sleep is in a cot, in a room with you for the first six months.
- Put the infant to sleep on a firm mattress which is separate from but close to parents/ carers.
- A pacifier at nap and bed times can help to reduce the risk.
- Do not smoke during pregnancy or after your baby is born.
- Do not allow anyone to smoke in the same room as your child.
- Never sleep with your child on a sofa or an armchair.
- Do not let your child get too hot.
- Keep your baby’s head uncovered, their blanket should be tucked in no higher than their shoulders.
For further advice and assistance visit http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Sudden-infant-death-syndrome
Sleep Soundly with the ‘Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor with Movement Sensor Pad’.
Getting a restful nights sleep is usually a thing of the past for most parents. However, it is not always down to being woken by your child, it can often be due to worry over the child’s safety as they sleep. Many parents use a baby monitor to listen to their child during sleep. The most popular baby monitors currently retailing tend to feature video capability, which enables parents to see and to hear their child as they nap or sleep, which can be greatly reassuring for parents.
Tommee Tippee has taken ‘baby monitoring’ one step further and have created a more comprehensive baby monitor, which not only enables parents to see and to hear their child but also to monitor their movements. Mums Baby Magazine put the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor with Movement Sensor Pad (model 1094S) through a range of tests in order to rate and review this system for our readers.
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor with Movement Sensor Pad comes in three parts:
- The baby video unit
- The hand held parent unit
- The movement sensor pad/ mat.
The Baby Unit
The baby unit features an adjustable/ tilting video camera with infrared night vision and a 2 x optical zoom. The baby unit also has an inbuilt thermometer to monitor the temperature of the child’s room, an adjustable nightlight (which can be set to low, medium or high) and a two way talk back system so that parents are able to hear and to respond to their child. This system uses FHSS digital technology for interference free monitoring and auto-channel select to ensure a clear sound is produced. We tested this in numerous locations and found the sound to be completely clear.
The baby unit features a number of simple controls and switches for volume, sensor pad sensitivity, the nightlight feature and on/ off switches for the unit itself. The baby unit also features LED light alerts for low battery and movement detecting. Whilst the unit may seem complex to the first time user, it is fairly simple to use and to understand once put into practice.
‘The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor’ has a 300m range and includes a paging option which can be used to locate mislaid parent hand units. If the system looses signal, a beep tone alerts the parent. The main baby unit should be powered from the mains using the ac adapter included within the package. However, it can also be used with 4 x AA none-rechargeable, alkaline batteries which is useful for if there should ever be a power cut/ shortage.
The Parent Unit
The parent unit features a 3 inch (7.6cm) clear, colour screen, the image can be doubled in size using the 2 x optical zoom. The colour display can be switched on/off if required. The parent unit also has a two-way talk back system (speakers and a microphone) so that parents can listen to and respond to their child directly through the parent unit.
The parent unit clearly displays other useful information through on screen icons and LED lights. Information displayed includes the room temperature which can be measured in Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius (of which the baby unit is in), movement detection, signal strength and battery life. There are a wide range of options available upon the parent unit which can be altered simply using the navigation buttons upon the right hand side of the parent unit. These options enable parents to adjust and set the system to their exact requirements; these options include language options, tones, alert tones, volume options, visual display options, movement sensor pad sensitivity selection, vibration alert options and nightlight level selection.
The parent unit features a lithium battery which can be recharged by connecting the parent unit to the mains (not unlike a mobile phone). It is advised to charge the unit for up to ten hours before use. However, the system can also be used whilst powered from the mains. It is essential that users do not use a non-rechargeable battery pack and they only use the battery pack supplied.
We were greatly impressed with the clear picture and sound produced by the parent unit. We also tested the two way talk back system which enabled us to communicate clearly without delay.
The Movement Sensor Pad
The ‘Tommee Tippee Digital Video Monitor’ comes with a detachable movement sensor pad that fits underneath your baby’s mattress and sounds an alarm if no movement is detected after twenty seconds, this can give parents added reassurance whilst their baby naps/ sleeps during the day and night. The movement sensor pad has three settings ‘low, medium and high’ to monitor movements precisely.
The Tommee Tippee Movement Sensor Pad is designed for use between a cot mattress and the cot base, it should be placed directly underneath where your baby is sleeping. Parents need to ensure that the movement sensor pad is positioned the correct way up and that the connecting cord is fed through the base of the cot out of the child’s reach. If the cot has a solid base, it may be necessary to make a small hole in the base of the cot to feed through the cord.
The movement sensor pad connects to the baby unit (in a small socket which is at the base of the unit opposite the power socket). Once connected, the sensitivity of the movement pad can be selected using a switch which is on the main baby unit. There are no switches on the movement sensor pad itself, it is controlled directly by the baby unit. Once the movement sensor pad has been connected correctly and the main baby unit is switched on, the movement sensor pad will then be powered on and the sensor pad LED on the baby unit will light up if movement is detected.
During our tests, we found that every movement that was made produced a ticking sound upon the handheld parent unit, we soon found that this was due to the tick tone being switched on. The tick tone is an optional tone/ sound which be turned on if parents wish to hear their child’s every single movement, otherwise it can be turned off. The LED movement light will continue to blink upon the parent unit and the baby unit when movement is detected. We also tested the movement sensor pad for if movement should cease, after precisely twenty seconds both the parent unit and the baby unit sounded an alarm and an alert came upon the screen of the parent unit to check the baby. In order to reset the alarm and to stop it from sounding the sensor pad should be switched off and back on again using the button upon the main baby unit.
Whilst we found this alarm to be an excellent tool which could be potentially life saving, we felt that the alarm sounding upon the baby unit (which would be in the child’s room) could cause distress to the child if they were to be sleeping and were woken suddenly by the noise. We therefore feel it should be optional to switch off the alarm sound/ tone upon the main baby unit although to maintain alarm tones upon the parent unit for if a false alarm should occur. Parents should also ensure that they remember to switch off the sensor pad when they remove their child from the cot (to prevent the system from alarming) and switch the sensor pad back on when their child is placed back into the cot.
The movement sensor pad does not carry any electricity and therefore it will not affect your baby even if the mattress was to be affected by bedwetting or vomiting. However, it is advisable to ensure that the movement sensor pad avoids contact with moisture. The movement sensor pad can be wiped clean if required with a dry, lint free cloth.
Parents should ensure that all wires and cables are out of reach from their child, not only could they be a potential hazard but for the movement sensor pad, a swinging cord or cable may be interpreted by the pad as babies movement, therefore the monitoring would be inaccurate.
To summarise…
To summarise, the ‘Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor with Movement Sensor Pad’ is one of the most comprehensive yet affordable baby monitors currently on the market which in our opinion ticks all the boxes for what parents want in order to reassure them of their babies safety and security during their sleep. We were greatly impressed by this system and would recommend it thoroughly to our readers. We therefore give the ‘Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor with Movement Sensor Pad’ a top ten out of ten.
The ‘Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor with Movement Sensor Pad’ retails at £199.99. It is available for purchase from Tommee Tippee direct (through their website) or alternatively can be purchased from a wide range of UK based stores including Mothercare, ‘Babies R Us’ and Amazon.
For further information upon this product visit http://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/digital-video-monitor
Soft, Supportive and Secure Seating with the Bambeano Baby Beanbag from Beanbag Bazaar.
Babies take great pleasure in observing the World around them and learning from what they see. Whilst parents would love to be able to hold their child all day long, it is simply not possible and there are times when we have to put our child down so they can sleep or we can have a rest ourselves. Babies can become frustrated when put down into a carry cot, pram, crib or moses basket as they are only able to see the view above. It is therefore advisable to purchase an elevated seat suitable for your baby such as a baby beanbag/ baby bouncer/ swing chair so that your baby can continue to enjoy the visual delights of the World around them.
Beanbag Bazaar is a leading specialist online designer, retailer and manufacturer of bean bags within the UK. Beanbag Bazaar are one of the only UK stockists and suppliers of the multi award winning ‘Bambeano Baby Bean Bag,’ a unique beanbag designed specifically for infants.
Beanbag Bazaar sent us a Bambeano Baby Bean Bag to rate and review for our readers, the Bambeano Baby Beanbag arrived semi assembled. The beans are secured with a cotton lining bag, we simply fitted the cover onto the beanbag as you would a pillowcase and zipped it securely into place.
The Bambeano Baby Beanbag allows babies to sit comfortably, securely and fully supported in a semi upright position. These beautiful, baby bean bags are ideal for new-born babies as they offer them a comfortable and safe place to sit, relax or even to take a nap. The Bambeano Baby Beanbag is firm yet comfortable, thus your baby does not sink into the beans yet it is possible to mould the beanbag to support your child as required. Not only are babies able to enjoy the view from the Bambeano Beanbag, but they can also benefit from sitting in a semi-elevated position as this is said to alleviate acid reflux, colic and wind.
The Bambeano Baby Beanbag features a safety harness which has a ‘click to open’, fully adjustable fastening enabling babies to be easily strapped in and taken out of the beanbag with little fuss. Many baby beanbags available on the market do not feature this clip and we have found that it can be difficult at times to remove babies from similar beanbags.
The Bambeano Beanbag is suitable for infants aged approximately 0-6 months, after this the beanbag can be converted into a normal beanbag by transferring the beanbag beans into the free matching ‘My First Bean Bag’ faux leather cover. This extends the life of your baby bean bag for up to five years. The Bambeano Beanbag has a 100% natural, breathable, cotton cover which is fully removable and can be washed easily at thirty degrees celsius. We advise that the cover is left to dry naturally to prevent damage from tumble drying.
The Bambeano Baby Beanbag has been fully tested to safety standards EN71 and meets strict BS5852 Furniture & Fire Safety Regulations 1988.
The Bambeano Beanbag measures approximately 38cm in height, 55cm in width and 76cm in length. Once converted into the ‘My First Bean Bag’ it then measures 52cm diameter by 60cm in height. This unique and innovative baby beanbag is available in a range of designs, the polka dot design comes in either cream, pink or blue.
We were highly impressed with the Bambeano Baby Beanbag, this beautiful beanbag grows with your child and enables parents to ‘take a break’ while their little one soaks up the sights of their surroundings. We therefore give the Bambeano Baby Beanbag 10/10 for design and practicality.
Retailing at £49.99, the Bambeano Baby Beanbag can be purchased directly from www.beanbagbazaar.co.uk with free standard delivery to UK mainland postcodes or express next working day delivery for just £9.99. For further information upon this product visit www.beanbagbazaar.co.uk
Potty Training Confidence and Comfort with Bright Bots Training Pants
Once your child is ready to be potty trained there are a few essentials that you will require. Firstly you will need a potty or a children’s toilet seat. Secondly, you will need suitable underwear for your little one to wear as they practice staying dry.
Choosing the correct underwear for your child can be one of the key steps towards ‘staying dry’. Some children may wish to select their own underwear which has a particular design, this can give them a sense of independence and can help them to make the step away from nappies to underwear. There is a wide range of children’s underwear available, many of these items tend to be made from thin cotton and do not withstand accidents.
Children need to build confidence during the potty training process, they will have accidents from time to time and this can be disheartening for the child and parent. Accidents should be treated as just that ‘an accident’ and as little fuss as possible should be made if and when accidents occur, therefore making it easier upon the child.
Bright Bots Trainer Pants are an ideal ‘in-between’ option for potty training. Bright Bots Trainer Pants are made from cotton terry material which is absorbent and can accommodate ‘little accidents’ with little fuss. These y-front design pants are available in seven different colours, the centre portion of the pants have a foam wadding over a plastic lining which is discretely hidden.
Bright Bots Trainer Pants are available in the following sizes:
- Small – 12-16mths, Waist = 52cm, Height = 84cm
- Medium – 2 – 2.5yrs slight build, Waist = 54cm, Height 92cm
- Large – 2yrs chunky build or 3 year slight build, Waist = 55cm, Height 100cm
- X-Large -2.5yrs chunky build Waist = 56cm, Height = 108cm
Bright Bots Trainer Pants are not designed to hold a ‘full wee’, neither can they withstand being sat on when wet. However, they do prevent pants/ trousers getting wet if an accident does happen on the way to the potty/ toilet. If you find that your child isn’t yet ready for these pants, they can be worn with an additional waterproof wrap. However, this may also indicate that your child isn’t yet ready to make the transfer from nappies to underwear and therefore they should be given the time they need without any pressure until they are ready to potty train.
Mums Baby Magazine put the Bright Bots Trainer Pants to the test with a potty training toddler. We found these pants to be bright, colourful, comfortable to wear and useful when little ‘dribbles’ or accidents occur. Mums Baby Magazine give Bright Bots Trainer Pants a top ten out of a ten for quality, comfort and confidence building for both children and parents.
If you are considering using Bright Bots Trainer Pants, we would recommend that you purchase approximately six- eight pairs so that you have a good rotation available for if accidents should occur. Bright Bots Trainer Pants can be machine washed. However, to protect the foam wadding and plastic lining it is advisable to dry naturally rather than tumble dry.
Bright Bots is an worldwide famous, Australian brand. However, the Bright Bots Trainer Pants are available within the UK from www.amazon.co.uk in packs of four or more. A pack of four Bright Bots Trainer Pants from Amazon retail at approximately £15 upwards dependent upon the size and colour required.
For further information upon Bright Bots Trainer Pants visit www.brightbots.com.au/Bright-Bots
See, Hear and Zoom with the Summer Infant Baby Zoom Digital Monitor.
Having a baby is a wonderful experience which should be enjoyable for all. However, with the new found responsibility often comes fear and worry regarding your child’s wellbeing. Putting your baby down to sleep may be a relief when you are exhausted and need rest. However, many parents find themselves unable to leave the room as they feel compelled to watch their child whilst they sleep to ensure that they remain safe.
By placing a baby monitor into the room in which your child sleeps, you can gain some reassurance as your child rests so that you are then able to carry on with day to day tasks or get some much needed rest yourself. There are a wide range of baby monitors available, all of which seem to have differing features and capabilities. Baby monitors were originally very similar to ‘walky talkies’ as the parent could simply hear the child through a wireless radio signal. However, as technology has developed and improved, baby monitors have become more advanced and in some cases more complex. The most popular baby monitors currently on the market have video capability, which offers parents reassurance and security as they can view and listen to their children as they sleep from another room.
Originally video capable baby monitors were highly expensive. However, as technology has advanced, video baby monitors have become more reasonably priced and therefore are the most commonly purchased monitors on the market.
Summer Infant are a UK based company specialising in products for parents and children, they themselves state that their aim is “to keep babies healthy, happy, secure and comfortable while making life easier for parents!”. Here at Mums Baby Magazine, we approve of any product which makes parents lives easier and more manageable, we therefore requested to carry out a full review for our readers of one of Summer Infant’s most popular, award winning, baby monitors ‘The Baby Zoom Digital Monitor’ (model 2002IU).
The Baby Zoom Digital Monitor’ includes features such as:
- 6.5cm clear colour video display
- 2 x zoom for close up images
- Automatic black and white night vision
- Quick response, remote control panning
- Excellent sound quality with no interference
- Sound activated lights
- Multichannel functionality
We found the Baby Zoom Digital Monitor really easy to setup. We began by placing the video monitor into place in the child’s room, we then plugged this into the wall using the power supply included, ensuring that all cables were tucked away from babies reach, we then switched the video monitor on. As this was our first use of the Baby Zoom Digital Monitor we plugged the handset in to charge and switched it on using the simple power button featured on the side of the handset. We were immediately able to hear and to view the child’s room in full detail, the 6.5cm colour video display seemed really clear and focused, the user can also adjust the brightness to suit their requirements.
By selecting the left, right, up and down buttons upon the handset, the video monitor panned left to right and tilted up and down so that we were able to view wherever we pleased with ease. We were impressed with how smoothly and quickly the video monitor responded to the remote signal to pan around the room, Once we were happy with the positioning of the video image, we then used the 2x zoom button (featured on the in the centre of the handset) to gain a more detailed, close-up view of the child in the room as they slept. We then tested the night vision mode by turning out the lights in the child’s room so that it was completely dark. After switching off the lights, we found that we were still able to clearly view the child in black and white.
Having used a range of baby monitors in the past, we have found that many seem to have interference whether it be from wireless signals within the house or simply due to bad reception. We were greatly impressed by the sound quality of the Baby Zoom Digital Monitor, there was simply no interference and the sound was crystal clear even though the system was in close proximity to a wireless router. The handset features coloured lights which are noise activated, these lights are bright and are an excellent way to alert parents if they were to be in a noisy environment and unable to hear the handset clearly.
The Baby Zoom Digital Monitor’ handset is rechargeable and has a ten hour battery life, it can also be run directly from the mains whilst charging. To conserve the battery life, the video screen (6.5cm colour display) features a sleep mode. Whilst in sleep mode, the monitor continues to playback any sound and the video image can easily be viewed by pressing the video on/off function upon the handset. The Baby Zoom Digital Monitor’ handset is lightweight and also has a belt clip and a stand so that it can be carried and viewed with ease.
The Baby Zoom Digital Monitor’ has a 100m range and if the handset were to become out of range or too far away from the video monitor, it alerts the parent on screen with an ‘out of range’ message. The Baby Zoom Digital Monitor features multichannel technology for privacy and can have up to three additional cameras added to the system (which are sold separately). This is especially useful for if you had more than one child or wanted to view differing areas from the same handset. The system can also link into the TV using the included AV cable jack, we tested this feature and found that you can view the video images in a much larger scale and the sound clearly comes through the TV system.
It is important that the video monitor is placed securely and safely within the child’s room. Do not place the unit within a crib/ cot. Ensure that the unit is out of arms reach from your child and that all power cords are securely tucked away. Summer Infant have included security clips within the Baby Zoom Digital Monitor package to secure wires as well as anchor wall mounts so that the unit can be wall mounted if the parent wishes.The Baby Zoom Digital Monitor can be used within Europe and the UK, thus is ideal to use when travelling. The plugs feature a slide on/ off adaptor system and the video monitor package includes UK and European adaptor heads.
We were greatly impressed with the Summer Infant Baby Zoom Digital Monitor and would thoroughly recommend this product to our readers. Although, we did find that this system lacked some basic features which are commonly found amongst other baby monitors available, such as a temperature sensor display and a night light. However, this does not detract from the overall quality of the product.
The Summer Infant Baby Zoom Digital Monitor offers parents the peace of mind to relax whilst their child sleeps and the capability to hear and view their child from another room as they sleep or play, We therefore give the Summer Infant Baby Zoom Digital Monitor a nifty nine of out of ten.
The Summer Infant Baby Zoom Digital Monitor is available in a wide range of stores throughout the UK including Mothercare where it retails for £149.99 and Toys R Us, where it currently retails for £139.99. However, Amazon currently sell the Summer Infant Baby Zoom Digital Monitor online for only £95 (down from £140!). For further information upon the Summer Infant Baby Zoom Digital Monitor visit www.summerinfant.com
Follow Us!