Baby Listening Device and Bed Wetting!

[Coco]

Lovely topic I know BUT..... when we started up it had never occurred to us (not being parents ourselves) that people with children would want to stay in our B&B  But we soon realised that certainly in July and August we would lose a good 60% of potential business if we didn't take the little darlings.  So up til now we have used our larger double room and put an inflatable mattress on the floor.  So I've never even thought about bed wetting but if it should have happened it wouldn't have been a problem as the mattress was plastic anyway.  However, we are just about finishing off our new family suite and have bought two nice new single beds and mattresses for our younger visitors.  Have any of you experienced bed wetters and do you put anything more than a mattress protector on the bed, ie a plastic/rubber sheet underneath the protector?

The room that we used to use is above our dining room so any distressed children can easily be heard, or can just wander down the stairs if they need their mum.  It's absolutely impossible to hear anything or be heard from the dining room to the new bedroom, so I thought that perhaps a baby listening thingy would be a good idea. 

Can anyone tell me what the range is on one of those things?  Where can I buy one in either France or England?  And roughly how much do they cost?

Many thanks.

[Owens88]

Our gite is most definitely a family place (we even have stocks of toys) so I will be interested to see what the advice is about bed wetters. Our biggest problem to date seems to be kids having spilt drinks in bed, grrrrr.

 

As for the baby listening device, I suspect that any parents who are touring would have their own. We toured with a baby and did.

We have toured with youngsters and not used a device, but not strayed so far they couldn't find us. (One reason for a fondness for hotels with bars, see separate thread about the differences between CdH and hotels!).

The baby listening devices are not fool proof and you may choose NOT to take on responsibility for their use. It may be unreasonable for a harassed parent to lash out verbally if their child has been crying for some time 'and the monitor thing didn't work' but I assure you many would lash out regardless!

Having said that if you promoted the place as having a hard wired listening device (like some hotels do, via the phones) you might attract some business.

Good luck

John

 

[Teamedup]

There are decent quality breathable waterproof mattress covers with a terry cover on them. I use them on most of our beds now. I bought them initially as I know that  a friend of ours has been known to wet the bed when in a strange bed, never at home, might I add. And if it isn't the bed that gets it, the wardrobe can be his next call.

A real problem for him and all the times he has stayed this hasn't happened, but I prefered to take precautions.

It isn't just wetting the bed either. In truth when my period starts I can literally flood. I'm never sure when this will happen and if I was on holiday I cannot tell you how embarrassed I would be if I stained someone's mattress. A teenage girl or even and woman could stay at your place and use the single bed. And that would be another reason why a waterproof mattress cover might be good idea.

[Cerise]

Hi Coco

We have waterproof mattress covers for our single beds, but I have also have ordinary ones which I put on if there are only adults staying as the waterproof ones are hotter.  I have to confess also have a spare waterproof one for the doubles which I use if any very elderly guests.  Small children's mothers will normally admit to a bedwetter, but not granny!!

We provide cot and hightchair and also have a spare microwave for mums with babies to sterilise bottles.  Most people bring own baby listening device .  Our family suite is on its own floor and has baby gate to stairs.  You can buy fabric baby gates for bedroom doors which might prevent small ones wandering if parents are downstairs.

I also have a couple of feeder cups and plastic baby cups as I find people often forget those and little ones can't manage glasses for their drinks. It is also a good idea to remove all breakables from the room if you have under 7s in it.

Big moan - why do people let their children jump on the beds?  Nearly all of them seem to do it and it drives me mad!!

Hot and intolerant

Maggi

[Coco]

Thanks for the replies but can someone tell me where I can actually BUY these waterproof mattress protectors!

I'm also still quite keen on the listening device as it's not so much babies I was thinking of but children up to about 7 or 8, who may get frightened and won't be heard if they call out.  So any suggestions still welcome!

[opas]

Coco....have just been in Leclerc , must go at 1pm more often...it was a breeze anyway read your post this morning, there was a baby listening device near the nappies etc(not that I need them of course )50 euros for a device that claims to have a range of 300metres.

Somebody else will probably know about the waterproof covers,but my first call would be one of the main pharmacies that sell equipment, you know the one , with the incontenance knickers next to the crutches in the window

TU too much info if you don`t mind....though this problem did cross my mind earlier and wondered what all the B&B do about those matters.

Mrs O

[Teamedup]

Carrefour sell them, they sell a decent make and they are marked 'breathable'. You can buy them in just about any supermarket. You can get them from the 3 Suisses. Personally if you buy decent ones then no one complains about them being too hot.

 

Too much info Opas and you with two daughters?  Well that isn't all that could stain mattresses is it and am shocked that all you Giter people don't automatically have waterproof covers on all your beds. There was a  grim sight on the main street in our village and I frankly wouldn't have left it there, was someone had left their old mattress out on the street to be taken away. I have no idea what the stains were, but the grimace I must have pulled, shaking and turning my head away as I walked past.

[Russethouse]

I once stayed in a 'new' B& B which had waterproof mattress covers - it was a hot little room but had twin beds, each time one of us conquered the heat and fell asleep the other would turn and the mattress 'crackle' thus waking the other person up

Please try for crackle free

Opas - I'm afraid this is just a fact of life, not everyone is 'regular' - better safe than sorry.

[Teamedup]

Russethouse, that is scandelous. There is no excuse for that to happen. These new waterproof ones just look like a terry mattress cover. One would have to inspect to see that they weren't. They don't crackle and are not too hot.

[mascamps.com]

The range of the baby monitors depends a LOT on how your building is constructed.

An easy way to check is to see how far a cordless phone will work. We've two foot thick walls and find that one wall is OK, two is dodgy and three you get cut off. Diagonally through a wall counts as two walls in this context which is something to watch in terms of a baby monitor eg if your dining room is on the ground floor, and the room the baby is in is up one floor but not directly above the dining room then you could easily be talking a diagonal and it mightn't work.

In our last house, built with normal bricks we were able to walk down the road a fair bit before getting cut off ie the range is very variable.

 

Arnold

 

[Miki]

We have bought a few in Carrefour but most over the years, have been bought in Metro when they come on promo. As TU said, very permeable with "terry like" properties and will not let the mattress take the full force of the wotsit !

Have to agree Coco, don't supply the listener thingy, as you become responsible for it's workings, or non workings. Kids of 7 or 8 etc, should well be able to come down to grizzle anyway, well they do sometimes here !

[Teamedup]

That is it Miki, the wotsit, whatever the wotsit is, these mattess covers can cope. Absolutley wonderful description, I really will have to remember that, so I won't upset the sensibilities of Mme Opas in the future.

[Cerise]

La Redoute - nice material type, but symbolised with a little umbrella.  Don't worry about 7 year olds Coco - as Miki says anyone that can physically get out of their cot can (and will) come downstairs to grizzle.

Maggi

[opas]

TU and Russethouse......offend my sensibilities!!! I have lived with Mr O/outcast for 20 years. I am aware we all have body functions of differing levels , as I stated  thoughts  of mentruation staining had crossed my mind , but I would not have gone into so much personal info, as I am sure most of the forum can relate to these problems without needing a diagram.

I would have thought that bed covers were standard in Hotels....oh no we are talking B&B here....all those couples who have had sex in your beds and left their bodily fluids must stain as much !

Mrs O

[mascamps.com]

Not just bodily fluids but wine and the like. Also the very peculiar and unidentifiable grey stain that one lot left behind.

 

Arnold

 

[Coco]

Thanks for all the answers.  I have decided against the listening device; most of you believe that people with babies will have their own and older children will make their way downstairs.  It was the toddlers I was thinking about, where parents have requested a stair-gate.  But then, as my mum pointed out, I'm not running a creche or baby-sitting service, it's up to the parents to check on the kids between courses if they're so inclined to waking up or getting upset in a strange room.

As for the mattress covers, I've found a mail order site called http://www.musburyfabrics.co.uk who do very reasonable ones.  Only problem is, they don't deliver to France but as we have several friends coming over in the next few weeks I shall get some brought over, for the double beds too after this discussion

We've obviously just been lucky to date, no drunks wetting the bed and the only damage due to sexual exercise we have encountered is plaster from the living room ceiling (beneath double bed above) being found on the floor the next morning!!

[opas]

Coco, just had this mag delivered with the post, It is one of those visiting wagons, www.provence-outillage.fr  15 euro for a double protector and 9 euros for the single....perhaps they will be in an area near you shortly.

Mrs O

[Teamedup]

The only impermeable ones I would buy would be breathable with a decent terry or cotton cover on one side, otherwise I'm sure that they would be too hot and maybe (crunchy). 

[Quillan]

Having just finished our inspection for GDF and failed on the first visit for, would you believe, bed protection, we have now become a bit of an expert (well not really). We fitted Boots anti allergenic or whatever you call them to all our beds but these were rejected by GDF, they must be water proof. I did point out that I found rubber/plastic mattress covers uncomfortable, squeaking as somebody else said. The inspectors (yes there was more than one) told me to get the ones quilted on one side and plastic on the other. These fitted we are now members of GDF.

[Coco]

Well as we're hoping to go with GDF next season it looks like I definitely have to renew all of the beds with the waterproof ones!

[Teamedup]

Quillan I've never seen them with quilted on one side here. I have seen them in the UK like that though. Where did you get them?

[Miki]

[quote]Having just finished our inspection for GDF and failed on the first visit for, would you believe, bed protection, we have now become a bit of an expert (well not really). We fitted Boots anti allergen...[/quote]

Hi Q,

Where did you buy them, like TU I haven't seen them either but to be honest we have a good supply so haven't looked lately.

Sorry I hould have pre-warned you about bedding and their requirements, forgot about the obligation of mattress protectors. Your site is so informative and excellent that I simply thought you would walk through but, it is good news in reality as the peeps that inspect you love to find something (it's the feeling of power they get from the job !!)so they can at least show how well they arew doing their job. You would have made their day !

"Nice place Monsieur mais"......which reminds me, we are due an inspection at the end of this season, Mmmmm !

[Loiseau]

Just to go back to the baby-listening devices (though I know Coco has decided against going down that road now)...
Some friends of ours who had one many years ago used to place a ticking clock near the baby's end of the alarm. This meant that at the parents' end you could always hear the ticking, and therefore know that the device was working - even if the baby didn't cry.

Angela

[Quillan]

[quote]Quillan I've never seen them with quilted on one side here. I have seen them in the UK like that though. Where did you get them?[/quote]

Pats brother was in the UK seeing her dad (her brother lives in Spain) and me bought them back with him as out beds are Englisk and it's important to get a snug fit else they ruffle up and make that horrible noise. We got three for each bed, one for bed, one to wash and a spare. The GDF lady did say you can get them in France and told us she would email the names of places that sold them but she never did.