2nd kid in may: do I need two different monitors?

[Fiasco]

Hi all-

I'm expecting baby boy #2 in May. Boy #1 is 2, and still wakes several times during the night (don't even get me started on how frustrating this is). We still use a monitor with him, since his sleep is so unpredictable. His monitor stopped working suddenly last night, after 2 years of perfect use... so now we need a new one.

I saw a Safety 1st Home Connection Monitor in the store today, and bought it. It's a great idea: 2 parents' units with rechargeable batteries, and 3 baby's units for different rooms of the house. I bought it and tried it out tonight, but it's very staticky, so it's going back.

So what do most parents of two little ones do? Do you actually have two monitors? Do they have to be different models so they dont interfere with each other? I have to get one now, and while I really like the design of the Safety 1st, I could never live with the static and bad transmission.

Any thoughts would be helpful.

~fiasco

[Karenn]

I have two monitors. One is a Summer Video monitor with two cameras. The other is a Sony Baby Call monitor. I use mostly use the video monitor with my baby and the Sony monitor with my 2 y.o. When I hear activity from the 2 y.o's room, I switch to his channel on the video monitor. So far, this system is working pretty well for us. I don't have any interference between the monitors.

HTH,

[chrissyhowie]

Karen, we have the exact same monitors! Great minds must think alike :P!

We got the Sony Baby Call when DD#1 was born, but actually didn't use it much. We use it much more with DD#2 since we have to keep the door closed to her room when she is sleeping or DD#1 will wake her up!

We got a video monitor when we began transitioning DD#1 out of the crib to her twin mattress. We needed to make sure she wasn't running amok in her room instead of napping :). So we got the Summer video monitor. I liked that we had the option to later add another camera for our other child if needed. We haven't had any issues with interference between the two monitor brands either.

So far the combo has been great for us too.

HTH,

[vikivoly]

We have two different monitors. It's kind of a pain since you have to carry 2 seperate receivers around, but we already had the FP 900 MHZ (which I love) and I couldn't see spending $100 plus on a home system like you described. I was afraid to buy the same brand because of interference, so I bought a Graco 900 MHZ family monitor. I got a really good deal on it ($40 and it retails for $90+), but I don't like it much. It has a constant hiss, no static though. I find it to be quite loud even on the lowest volume setting. It doesn't interfere with the FP one, but it does pick up some of the neighbors phone calls. DH thinks that our 2 year old doesn't need one since our bedrooms are next to eachother and she is loud enough to hear through the walls, but I don't feel comfortable without one. Plus, I like to take it outside with me in the summer when she's napping inside.

[Fiasco]

thanks for your responses.

do any of you know of a home system similar to the safety 1st (though a different brand)? i'd still like to investigate this possiblity, since it would let us carry only one receiver around instead of 2.

otherwise, i think i'm going to get the sony. i'll wait to get the second one until may. :)