How to Create a Baby Monitor with a Cell Phone

Parents may occasionally find themselves in situations where conventional baby monitors won't work, such as in a large hotel. While you should never use these instructions to leave your baby unattended while you are a significant distance away from the baby, you can use a cell phone as a baby monitor in certain situations where you remain physically close to the baby and are able to hear and offer immediate assistance when the baby cries.

Method 1 of 2: DIY Method

1. 
   1
   Obtain a cell phone with the "mute" feature and preferably the "speaker phone" feature. Almost all cell phones now have these features.
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2. 
   2
   Place one standard land line phone or cell phone near the crib. The parent should carry the cell phone with the mute feature.
3. 
   3
   Connect a call between the two phones. Activate the mute feature on the parent's mobile phone.
4. 
   4
   Test the connection to ensure any noise the baby makes is audible on the mobile speaker phone. If you have established the connection correctly, the parent will be able to hear the baby, but the baby will not be able to hear any noise from the parent's phone.
5. 
   5
   Enjoy peace of mind, knowing you will be aware of your baby's safety and comfort when you go to the shower, or use the bathroom. However, never ever leave the baby unattended to go out of the rooms entirely. Once you open the door leading to the hall or lobby, take the baby with you.

Method 2 of 2: Software Method

1. 
   1
   Buy software for a smartphone (such as an iPhone, T-Mobile G1 or Windows Mobile Phone) which is designed to use a baby monitor. Some products will monitor the sounds from the baby and then call a number you choose when the baby starts to cry.
   • Products include Baby Monitor for Windows Mobile
   • Products include Baby Monitor for Windows Mobile and Symbian www.babymobile.de .
   • Products include BabyMonitor for Windows Mobile and BabyPhone Deluxe for the iPhone and the T-Mobile G1 from www.babyphoneweb.com .
   
   

Tips

• On the phone for the monitor side, look in the menu for an auto answer feature. This feature would be located under the Tools or Settings submenu. You may also want to silence the ringer. This would enable you to re-establish a connection without going back to the monitor phone.
• Ensure you have enough power in your batteries to maintain the connection for as long as you need.
• Reduce the expense of using a cell phone by practicing this monitoring technique during the free nights and weekend minutes that come with cell phone plans. Similarly, placing the calls between two cell phones from the same company (e.g. Sprint/Nextel to Sprint/Nextel) is often free on many cell plan. 
  

  Warnings

• "Mute" function in some cell phones may just mute the speaker of the phone and not the microphone. Make sure the mute feature on the phone actually does what you want it to do, ie, silence the Mic so the baby on the receiver's end doesn't hear extra noise from you.
• Remember that a monitor is no substitute for supervision. Always make sure that you can get to your baby within a few seconds if you have to.