Hatch Baby Rest +

The Hatch Baby Rest + is one item I was so excited to receive from my baby shower! This is multi-functional, portable, and aesthetically pleasing all at the same time! Some of my favorite features:

• Night light
• Sound two way monitor
• Sound machine 
• Ability to change what is happening via an app on your phone
• Portable (has a battery life)

I plan to use this mainly as a night light for now. What I am excited about it the ability to program wake and sleep times that can be paired with colors. You can set sleep times to be a specific color (let's say red) and wake times to be a specific color (say green).  The idea behind this is that baby will recognize that when the light is red, they should still be in bed and when they see it change to green, they can get up or they will anticipate that someone will be coming to get them shortly. You may think this is beyond the abilities of a baby, but it really isn't. I plan on using it as soon as I start using the crib. Starting from day one is easier than after you decide you need to sleep train because the crying and lack of sleep is too much.  The fact that this also has the ability to include the sound element with the light pairing is another signal to baby that it is sleep time and not wake time. Those cues are so helpful and communicate with baby what is expected and helps them anticipate what is happening. 

I found some cheeper versions of their older model on Mercari and eBay, but I ended up really wanting the Rest +. This chart is taken directly from their website, but it really shows the benefits of the upgrades they included like the audio monitor and the clock and backup battery. Controlling with Alexa I won't use because Alexa freaks me out and I don't want her listening to me so I don't have one. Crazy, I know, but I was using and getting a lot of 'coincidental' suggestions popping up based on things I had talked about in front of 'her'. So now she's gone forever. 

update!:

I really love the Hatch Baby Rest +! I  have used it since day1! The monitor however is hard to hear and relies on a good wifi signal. It's good in a pinch though! I have some trouble when I go outside of my house in the back yard. The night light I keep on all night since were up multiple times per night. Right now it's in our bedroom because that's where baby and I are sleeping. It will move with him to his room in a few months!