Miku Blog

babies | baby monitors | parenting All Meet Ali, a mom of two sassy daughters and Miku Pro user. We sat down with her to talk about her experience with our newest smart baby monitor. Hear from her on why she finds that it “makes her life easier as a parent”. Hi, I'm Ali, I'm from California, I have two sassy daughters, Mara and Ella, when we had our second daughter, it was really important for us to figure out a new solution for sleep in the family. My first daughter co-slept with us and it was OK for a while, but it really started to not work out. And I knew that when we had Mara, we had to figure out something that was going to get everybody's sleep on a regimen and a routine so that we were all sleeping. When we researched what was in the market, it was not that many options and a couple options required Wearables. I love that the Miku Pro is completely contactless, super easy to use and there is no wearable. We went through a period of time where Mara had pretty fragile sleep and it was important that we kept one sleep sac, one lovey, and that was it in the bed. If we had to put a wearable on her and charge it, make sure it works, I knew that her sleep would be disrupted. When your little one gets to a certain age, they're capable of taking off a swaddle or any type of wearable that's required for some of this other technology to work. So I just knew that was not an option. My little one's not going to keep a swaddle on and I just needed her to be able to sleep and me, get the analytics. I need to know that she is getting restful restorative sleep. Miku Pro really allowed us to get her on a rigid sleep routine. So when I see that she's fallen asleep at a certain time and then I can see exactly when she wakes up, I know that she's gotten the proper amount of night's sleep and then I can measure the appropriate wake window for her age and determine what time naps going to be every day. That reliability and the analytics allowed me to set a routine that works for her every day. When I was looking and researching the options, it was super important for me to limit tech in the nursery. I think that people have the tendency of just putting all these gadgets in and it really can be overwhelming. I like to keep sleep as organic as possible. The Miku really packs all these different technologies into one. So I have my baby monitor, my respiratory tracking, the sound machine, all the analytics. It got rid of the need for all these extra things. And the best part is there are no wearables. It's completely contactless. It allows us to have really organic sleep for Mara. So right now we can see she's asleep. She's been asleep for an hour and 32 minutes, and she's breathing at a rate of about twenty-six respirations per minute. I can be anywhere in my house and get this information, but even better, I can really be anywhere in the world when I travel for business, I can pull this up, check her out, make sure she's sleeping and rest peacefully knowing that she's getting a great restful night, And I can too. Sitting here, I just got a notification. It says movement detected. So I take a look and I can see she's rolling around. It looks like she's starting to wake up from her nap. I recommend the Miku pro to all of my friends. It's more than just a monitor, It's a technology that works hard for you and makes my life easier as a parent. For more #MikuParents, visit our YouTube page where we share their stories of how the Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor has helped them on their parenting journey.

Baby Mara & Her Miku Pro

app update | babies | baby monitors | parenting

Analytics Update: New Design, “Away” State, and Light Level Graph

babies | parenting All Ah, parenthood. When you hear "it's Sleep Awareness Week", it may spark the awareness of the lack of sleep you’re getting. We feel you, but that’s for a different blog post. (Or is it!?) In this post, we reached out to our medical advisor, parent, and friend, Dr. Jacq, and had her give us her advice and insight on how to make baby’s sleep safe and productive. Keep it safe The most important sleep tip: safety comes first! Make sure to follow the ABCs of safe sleeping: A for ALONE Your baby should sleep alone, in a separate space, for EVERY sleep (naps and night-time). This could be a crib, pack and play, or a bassinet B for BACK The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends all babies sleep on their backs. Sleeping on the back has been shown to decrease risk. C for CRIB Babies should sleep in their own cribs (or bassinet or safety-approved pack and play) The crib should have a firm mattress with a tight-fitting sheet. There should be nothing else in the crib- no blankets, stuffed animals, toys, bumper pads, or pillows It’s never too early to start a routine We know newborns’ brains are still immature and might not be able to differentiate between day and night, but it is never too early to start a sleep routine. The order might vary but it usually includes a bath, reading a book, and a feeding before bed. Starting early will help develop those routines and make it easier when baby is older and ready for more structure. Baby’s room is best kept cool and cozy Keeping baby’s sleep environment comfortable will not only help baby sleep better, but it is also safer. Studies show a room that is too warm might overheat baby and increase risk. Experts recommend a room temperature of 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. If babies could read textbooks How many hours of sleep does your baby need? The National Sleep Foundation has recommendations for hours of sleep by age. In general, they are as follows: Age Range Hours of Sleep Newborn 0-3 mos. 14-17 hrs Infant 4-11 mos. 12-15 hrs Toddler 1-2 yrs. 11-14 hrs Preschool 3-5 yrs. 10-13 hrs School-age 6-13 yrs. 9-11 hrs Sleep is for everyone- including YOU! For a good part of the early months of parenthood, we worry, sometimes obsess, over our baby’s sleep. But make sure you get your rest too! Everyone says: “sleep while the baby sleeps,” and while this is not possible for many parents, look for ways to ensure each parent has time to “catch up” every day. Try splitting the night feedings or having a helper watch the baby while you take a nap. A well-rested parent is a better parent!

Dr. Jacq’s 5 Tips for Sleep Awareness Week

babies | baby monitors | parenting All Today’s baby monitors have changed the way parents tend to their children. They have extended our eyes and ears beyond the nursery, and now, beyond what we are natively able to detect. Newer versions of more advanced smart baby monitor can measure vital signs such as heart rate, oxygen levels, and breathing. But not all monitors are created equal, and it’s important to know as a parent that you’re paying for quality, reliability and safety. WHY PARENTS WANT A SMART BABY MONITOR Let’s face it, a sleeping baby is the most beautiful thing to watch as a parent. While the days of sneaking or crawling into a baby’s room to make sure they are safe might be waning, checking in on your little one will never fade. Parents need what is best for their baby, starting when they’re in the womb until the day they can no longer tend to their children. We instinctively want them to be safe, healthy and happy, and monitors help parents be present, available and reassured. WHY PEDIATRICIANS DISLIKE THEM As a pediatrician in practice for almost 20 years, I can attest to the fact that, in general, pediatricians dislike these new-generation baby monitors that measure vital signs for several, valid reasons. Up until now most have been unreliable, producing lots of false alarms, with many contact lead issues (babies wiggle a lot!) and unnecessary visits to the ER. This includes hospital grade monitors as well. But luckily, technology has caught up dramatically to parental needs in the past decade, and I now feel much better about the practicality of some monitors. WHY BREATHING Let’s back up and talk about what’s important to measure. Newer smart baby monitors measure different vital signs— some measure heart rate, others monitor oxygen levels. Personally, I would choose one that measures breathing, and here’s why. Normal respiratory rates in newborns and infants range anywhere from 30-60 rpm (respirations per minute) while awake, and between 20-40 rpm while asleep. Respiratory rate is an important vital sign in infants and children because changes in respiratory rate can often be a first indicator of apnea and many other concerns. Measuring breathing in contrast to many other vital signs, allows a baby monitor to be useful later on, helping you make decisions about your child well into childhood. WHY MIKU I’ll be honest, until recently, I was one of those skeptical pediatricians who thought smart baby monitors were a waste of money and created more anxiety than reassurance for parents. But then I met with the Miku team. The technology, testing, and overall philosophy convinced me otherwise and made me a believer of this spectacular device! Let’s discuss why it sold me. Technology Miku Smart Baby Monitor is the most sophisticated and technologically advanced monitor on the market. Its SensorFusion technology, Qualcomm processor and HD night vision optics deliver clear, immediate and understandable results. And Miku requires no belts, clips or socks of any kind. Nothing in contact with your baby. How cool and soothing is this as a parent? Their local-processing approach decreases lag time to give you real-time breathing waves and, in the end, sleep tracking as well. Other monitors on the market send their signals to a cloud and then back to the smartphone, creating lag time and potential security problems—and if you’re tracking a breath, this can be a serious issue. Miku provides higher real-time accuracy, period. The mom in me loves the high-def speakers playing custom sleep sounds and the two-way talk, and the pragmatist side of me knows the temperature and humidity sensors can really help parents understand the daily conditions of the nursery to adjust accordingly. Those detailed sleep analytics provided in the easy-to-use app help to see your baby’s quality and consistency of sleep. One of my favorite features as a working mom is having the ability to connect with and see your baby where ever you get an internet signal. Extensively tested As a doctor and a scientist, this is probably most important to me. Miku has been extensively tested not just in homes, but in a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) against medical grade equipment with excellent results and the highest degree of reliability. Miku has gone above and beyond what the standard of testing requires for a consumer product, and as a pediatrician and parent, this means the world to me regarding safety, reliability and reassurance. Miku's Philosophy Miku is focused on raising parental awareness. They aim to help parents establish a safe and ideal sleeping environment from infancy through childhood. Research has shown time and time again how important healthy sleep is to developing brains and to the overall health of people of all ages, therefore Miku allows parents to support early healthy sleeping patterns that endure. Miku also believes that knowledge is power, and as a parent, knowing your baby’s normal breathing patterns, sleep cycles and nursery conditions will empower you to seek medical advice when things don’t look right. It also gives you the comfort of knowing your baby is immediately ok and provides the data to spot ongoing events and patterns. I hope to have shed some light on the subject of measuring breathing as an important tool for you in your quest to keep your child safe and healthy. I also hope my belief that the Miku Smart Baby Monitor can serve as an ally and resource to you by helping to provide your child with safe, quality sleep now and for the developmental years ahead. Jacqueline Winkelmann, MD, FAAP (Doctor Jacq) Board-Certified Pediatrician and Former Chief-of-Staff CHOC Children’s and CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital Chairman, Medical Advisory Board, Miku

Dr. Jacq Answers Your Breathing Monitor Questions

babies | parenting

Baby Nika & Her Miku

babies | parenting All Helping your newborn sleep is definitely one of the more stressful parts of being a new parent. And, while all the advice moms receive about newborns and sleeping is certainly well-intentioned, it doesn’t always make things easier. Find out which of the common baby sleep suggestions you don’t need to listen to. Newborn Sleep Myth #1: You have control over how your baby sleeps Reality: In the first few months of a baby’s life, their circadian rhythm (the instincts that tell a person when to sleep and when to wake) aren’t yet totally developed. This means that they can’t necessarily tell whether it’s daytime or nighttime. “Some babies’ sleep cycles will be short and some longer,” says Jacqueline Winkelmann, MD, board-certified pediatrician and chief medical board advisor of Miku. “Babies, especially newborn babies, will sleep when they are ready and will wake up because they need to be fed, changed, or even because they’re upset and just want company.” It’s OK if your newborn doesn’t seem to be on any sort of sleeping schedule. It’s still important to have a bedtime routine, but don’t worry if it’s not resulting in predictability right away. Myth #2: Adding rice cereal to your baby’s bottle will help them sleep Reality: No matter who’s told you this one ... don’t believe it. No studies have shown that putting rice cereal in your baby’s bottle will help them get to or stay asleep. In fact, “Introducing solids, including cereal, before four months of age can cause digestive problems in young babies and is not recommended,” says Dr. Winkelmann. Myth #3: Keep your baby awake in the day and they’ll sleep better at night Reality: It might sound logical that keeping your baby awake in the day will help them get to sleep at nighttime – after all, don’t people sleep better when they’re tired? – but this myth is false. “Sleep begets sleep,” says Dr. Winkelmann. "A baby who doesn’t sleep well during the day will be overtired, grumpy, miserable, and fighting sleep!” Myth #4: Babies Only Sleep in Silence Reality: Babies actually don’t need perfect quiet to fall asleep. Just think about where they started from – your womb, which is a pretty noisy place! “Complete noise deprivation can actually be counterproductive,” says Dr. Winkelmann. “Noise machines and natural noises will create a more natural environment for baby to sleep.” Myth #5: At 3 months old, babies should be able to sleep through the night Reality: The good news is, nothing’s wrong with your baby if they aren’t sleeping through the night by 3 months old. The bad news is, your baby won’t necessarily be sleeping through the night by 3 months old. They’ll likely be sleeping in longer stretches by this age, but don’t expect eight hours from your infant. “Sleeping through the night is not the adult version,” pediatrician Andrew Adesman, MD, author of BabyFacts: The Truth About Your Child’s Health From Newborn Through Preschool told WebMD. A more reasonable expectation might be five or six hours a night, which is still a major upgrade from just a couple hours at a time! Myth #6: You'll know exactly what to expect Reality: We’ll let some real moms take on the myth that anyone can tell you exactly what to expect with your own baby’s sleep. “I’ll hear people say, 'Cry it out' or, 'This or that is the answer for every kid.' But I’ve learned that all babies are different,” says Carrie Steenlage, mom to a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old. “Our first never could have cried it out because she was too strong-willed. My second really needed to cry to get to sleep – it was how she calmed herself down. Figure out what works for your baby, and don’t get wrapped up in what other people tell you to do.” Rebecca Kruge, mom to a 1-year-old boy, agrees that you don’t need to get too caught up in what other moms tell you is going to happen. “People overhyped that every baby will be a terrible sleeper, and that it takes all this work to teach them to sleep,” she says. “Maybe I got lucky, but he’s a good sleeper. I didn’t need to worry as much as everyone told me.” This article was originally shared by Mom.com here.