My entre into parenthood was in the NICU where my son was connected to 3 machines for the first 4 months of his life. Each day as I sat by his bed I would memorize all the numbers and wonder how I would be able to bring him home without the technology that showed me he was doing ok. But, at that time, the only technology that was available was a $5,000 machine.
In 2012, a company in Utah developed a portable, lower cost baby monitor that parents could attach to their child’s foot – much like the hospital ones – and measure their child’s Blood Oxygen levels.
Whether your child spent 4 months in the NICU or you have just brought them home from the hospital, the fear is the same.
Why measure your child’s blood oxygen? “If your child is in good health, the majority (95% to 100%) of their red blood cells that have passed through the lungs should be full of, or saturated, with oxygen.” If there is something happening with your child their saturation level will be lower.
The Owlet’s sock fits over your baby’s foot and sends your baby’s vitals to your device or the included base station.
It will work on babies until they’re around 18months old and it can fit under their pajamas so you don’t have to worry about it falling off in the middle of the night.
Do you need it? While the Owlet does fall into a luxury item, I would forgo the video monitor and get this, plus an audio monitor if you are concerned about your baby. After all, a baby can look completely normal on a monitor and still be in distress.
For more information, please visit Owlet’s website.
