We use a baby monitor in conjunction with specifically patterned clothing. The monitor observes the pattern and assesses whether the baby is breathing - if not, it will alarm on both the phone and the crib monitor unit.
Is it strictly necessary? No. But it helps me sleep, and that means the baby sleeps better because he's not being visited and monitored by a human.
We've had one false positive in 6 months. That's an acceptable tradeoff, in my mind.
This is the Nanit monitor with the Breathing Wear band. The cost is significant - $300 for the monitor, $20+ for the band, and an annual fee after the first year. With that said, an IP-enabled monitor lets you do things like spend time outside the range of a non-IP camera (e.g. on vacation, go to the hotel pool while the baby naps), things I find extremely valuable. Naturally, there is a privacy impact that should be carefully considered.
Is it strictly necessary? No. But it helps me sleep, and that means the baby sleeps better because he's not being visited and monitored by a human.
We've had one false positive in 6 months. That's an acceptable tradeoff, in my mind.