Thank you so much!! Just overthinking so much!
When baby is of age to start sleeping separately although pricey, I honestly think it’s worth the money - the Nanit is amazing and we use it currently with our first who is 19 months and are planning to use it for our second. If you are looking for a cheaper one then I have heard great things about the Momcozy one and v-tech monitors.
Second time mum here 🙂 don’t think you need one from birth, maybe 3 month ish. Baby should ideally sleep next to you for the first 6 months (but at least 4) even in daytime because of SIDs risk. We had a bassinet in the living room which we used in the evenings to keep her in the room with us, then took her up when we went to bed. Can dim lights/TV if needed, but they’re not that aware of surroundings at first and good to get them used to a bit of background noise. Also remember they don’t really “go to bed” like an older child would, can be very unpredictable if they’re awake or asleep. Once they’re about 4 months the SIDs risk decreases a lot. After this we mounted the camera in the nursery above the main cot and would put her down for the night (as much as you can with a small baby) and then move her into bedside cot when we went to bed. You can get camera mounts that clip on the cot/bedside cot, so that’s an option too. Hope that helps. You will figure it all out!