I live a few miles from an interstate and I can even hear the sound of semi-tires with the windows shut. Even on a quiet night, it will pick up the slightest sound rooms away, but no baby sounds. This thing might be good if you're tryig to eves-drop on your neighbors, but as far as hearing your baby, forget it! I had trouble with holding it *silently* as well, as it amplified the creaks my hand made while trying to hold it still. I did have an older model I picked up at a thrift shoppe during my 1st pregnancy and it worked well, I could hear hiccups and the heartbeat.