My New Sitter - The IPhone

Hey tech parents. If you have an Iphone, there is an app out there that can make you life easier. Everyday that Quentin gets older (he's now 12 weeks) I feel like I can stop hovering... a bit. I was digging through the closet for the clunky baby monitor we used with our first son and realized that there must be an easier way.

Then it came to me... Iphone app.

Turns out there are a whole host of apps that can turn you Iphone into a monitor-on-the-go. Great for trips to grandmas and vacations where you would rather use the packing space for an extra set of shoes.

The next question is, what app do you use? Search for "baby monitor" and the results are numerous and ranging in prices from $37.99 to "free".

The most rated/used is the CodeGoo Baby monitor for $4.99. Set your phone near the baby and if the baby makes a noise you get a call back to another number to check on him. Hopefully you are still nearby and not at the mall... kidding.

Seems like a cool concept, but the biggest complaint is the sensitivity of the device. There is no way to set it up for "screaming" versus "happy coo" so if your baby is chatty, you'll be getting lots of notification calls.

The other app I found interesting is the CriBaby - Baby Monitor. This is a live audio stream of your baby -- although you need two IPhones. One to act as the transmitter and one as the receiver. Free to download but a subscription based cost for the use of the WiFi bandwidth on a monthly basis.  You can stop and start the subscription as needed.

My husband and I both have IPhones so I think we may give the CriBaby a try for our vacation this summer. I'm not wild about the monthly fee, but I do like the idea of a consistent stream of Quentin's peeps and crys.

Now they just need an IPhone app to change diapers.

~Davina