9 STEM toys that will teach your kids something new

Despite my sleep deprivation and continuous grogginess, I still clearly remember a moment from the early days when my firstborn child was home: My mom was in town to help, my husband was home on paternity leave and my baby was peacefully sleeping. Yet, I still couldn’t pull myself away from my son long enough to take a much-needed nap during the day. As a new parent, the love I felt for my son was expected—but the anxiety wasn’t. The instant I tried to shut my eyes, I felt a pull to stand back up and check on his welfare.

It. Was. Exhausting. And, honestly, it didn’t do either us any favors. That’s why I had to laugh every time I heard the advice to “sleep when the baby sleeps.” For me, it wasn’t that simple. To get quality rest when my baby was sleeping, I needed to feel confident he was doing well. While the video baby monitor I had at the time could offer a view of my dreaming baby, it was still an incomplete picture of how he was really doing. (Not to mention that sleeping with one eye open wasn’t exactly effective.)

That’s why my whole parenting experience changed for the better when I got the Owlet Smart Sock + Cam Duo in time for my second baby’s arrival. As the first smart baby monitor combo that goes above and beyond a video stream, the Duo allowed me to track my baby’s heart rate, oxygen level and sleep trends—without my needing to be in the same room or even awake to check on the baby. With the peace of mind that my baby was sleeping soundly, I was finally able to get some better-quality rest. (AKA, the best gift for any new parent!)

The Owlet Smart Sock + Cam Duo is truly in a league of its own as the best baby monitor—for numerous reasons. Let’s break it down…

You get a complete view of your baby’s well-being.

As a new parent with a traditional video monitor, I didn’t know what I was missing. So when I got my hands on the Owlet Smart Sock, my eyes were opened to how much better the monitoring experience could be: By working together to offer not only a view of how my baby looked but also readings that showed what else was going on in their precious little body, I had the full picture.

The easy-to-use monitor app simultaneously shows the video feed of the baby plus the real-time readings for their heart rate and oxygen levels, and you can even track the temperature in the baby’s room with the Cam sensor. It’s all so much better than risking sneaking into the room to check how they are doing!

You can help your baby establish healthy sleep habits.

This feature is seriously next-level: The Owlet Smart Sock allows you to track your baby’s sleep trends—including total hours slept, number of wakings, sleep quality and more. That’s all invaluable feedback when you want to help move your baby’s sleep habits in the right direction.

Owlet

You can sleep with more peace of mind.

For me, the biggest benefit to the Owlet Smart Sock + Cam Duo was the effect it had on easing my anxiety. With the confidence that I would get an instant notification whenever I was needed, I could relax more when I had the chance.

Even better, Owlet extends that promise to all buyers with the 30-night peace of mind guarantee. That allows you to try the Duo for up to 30 days and then return it if you aren’t satisfied. (Which, honestly, is very unlikely!)

The video monitor quality is unbeatable.

With my old video monitor, I had to place it *just so* to get a view of my baby—and then hope that he didn’t wiggle out of the frame during the night. With the Owlet Cam’s 130-degree wide-angle view and 4x zoom, it’s easy to keep your baby in your sights. The auto-adjusting HD night vision also gives you an even better view of your baby during the night than if you tried to go into the dark room to check for yourself.

You get notifications when baby’s readings leave preset zones.

With the Duo, you’ll know the moment when your baby needs you. The Owlet Base Station and free app send instant notifications when your baby leaves the “preset zones” in their readings, so you can be quick to check on them. You can also turn on sound and movement notifications when your baby wakes up.

Plus, the Smart Sock pairs to the Base Station via Bluetooth, so you’ll still get notifications even if the WI-FI is out or you don’t have your phone on you.

The data and video stream are secure.

You want a view of your baby and a picture of their well-being—but that doesn’t mean anyone else should have access to it. All of the data is secure and encrypted, which means you get complete control over who can stream video or view health readings. But don’t worry—with your permission and a few simple steps, you can share access with a partner or caregiver through the Owlet App.

The Duo is HSA and FSA approved.

By bundling the Smart Sock and Cam together, you get the best price for both. Still, don’t be intimidated by the price tag upon first glance. With the option to break payments into monthly chunks or use HSA/FSA funds to purchase the Duo, the price for peace of mind may be less than you realize.

And, hint-hint, the Duo makes for a perfect baby registry addition. Trust me, if I could go back to when I was registering for products, this would be the first item on the list.

Take a closer look at the Owlet Smart Sock + Cam Duo—and imagine how much better sleep you and baby can get.

This article is sponsored by Owlet. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Motherly and mamas.