Baby Products I Love: Halo SleepSack Swaddle

Before getting pregnant, I can count the times I have visited the baby section of a department store or shops that sell baby products with just my two hands. My feet only take me there when I need to buy gifts for my closest friends who are having babies (majority of them had babies in their late 20s or early 30s like me). After finding out I have a bun in my oven, a trip to the mall wouldn’t be complete without going to the baby section. It is now my happy place!

During each visit, I get overwhelmed with the gazillion products meant for babies. I wish I had the money to just buy all of them (and a space to put them also) but since we’re not multimillionaires I had to be wise and practical in choosing and buying things for our little Queen B. I had done several trips to other mommy blogs to know more about things to buy for the baby before I finally came up with my own list. So to help other moms-to-be also I want to start a series of blog posts about baby products I love. First in this series is Halo’s SleepSack Swaddle.

The Halo SleepSack Swaddle. This image is from halophilippines.com. 

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant or a child less than one year of age. Most cases happen before six months of age, with it being most common between two month and four months of age. It is also known as cot death or crib death. SIDS usually occurs during sleep.

The exact cause of SIDS is unknown but there are a lot of hypothesis explaining this phenomenon. A lot of research evidence suggests that babies who die from SIDS are born with brain abnormalities or defects. The control in the brain that wakes us when breathing conditions are dangerous is underdeveloped in these babies. But scientists also believe that a brain abnormality is not enough to cause a SIDS death. Social, economic, and cultural factors also appear to influence the frequency of SIDS.

As a first time parent, I am absolutely terrified of SIDS so following the procedures to reduce the risk of SIDS is a must for me. The book What to Expect the First Year lists measures parents can follow to reduce SIDS risk significantly. Let me share them with you.

1. Put baby to sleep on his or her back. 
2. Use a firm mattress and tightly fitting sheets for baby’s crib. Remove all loose beddings, pillows, fluffy quilts, sheepskins, and soft toys from the crib. If you use a blanket, make sure it is a thin one, tuck it in around the mattress, and make sure it reaches only baby’s chest level.
3. Never allow your baby to get overheated.
4. Don’t allow anyone to smoke in your home or near your baby.

The American SIDS Institute has a more detailed list in this link.

I first heard about Halo SleepSack Swaddle from Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio in her blog Wanders & Wonders. This wearable blanket is created by Bill Schmid after losing his daughter to SIDS. It replaces loose blankets in the crib that can cover the baby’s face and get in the way of breathing properly. Aside from that, it has a spacious sack design that promotes healthy hip development. With these benefits in mind, I know I must have this certain baby product.

Fortunately for me, I got them at a discounted price during Mommymundo’s Bazaar 2014 at Glorietta. If I remember it correctly, I paid 1200 Php instead of its original price of 1550 Php. That is one big discount! J and I bought two, a SleepSack Swaddle in newborn size (meant for 0-3 months old baby) and a SleepSack Wearable Blanket in small size (meant for babies 0-6 months old). Our little Queen B had already outgrown the Sleepsack Swaddle but since she is currently at the lower end of the normal range for height and weight of baby girls she would probably be using the SleepSack Wearable Blanket beyond its recommended up to 6 months of age size.

Happy with the discounts we scored at Mommymundo Bazaar. 

In his bestselling book, The Happiest Baby on the Block, Harvey Karp outlined the “five S” baby sleep strategy. The first S is Swaddle. In Swaddling, you will wrap your crying or fussy baby snugly, arms at her sides, in a thin blanket. Instead of a thin blanket, we used the SleepSack Swaddle on Georgina. It let her have the secure feeling she must have enjoyed in my womb without the restrictions on her hips and legs common in traditional swaddling. Also, swaddling with the Halo SleepSack Swaddle is far easier than traditional swaddling and it can be done with arms in or arms out (By two weeks, our little Queen B already like the arms out swaddle). With it, I am assured that no loose blanket will cover her face thus lowering the risk of SIDS plus we always place her to sleep on her back. Of course, like any paranoid first time mom I still do check her breathing (I just love watching her sleep actually!).

Safety is in the details with Halo SleepSack Swaddle. This image is from halophilippines.com.

The art of swaddling. I think I'll just use my Halo SleepSack Swaddle. This image is from littlematrix.com. 

Another thing I love with this product is I no longer need to unswaddle my baby to change her diapers because of its inverted zipper. There are a lot of times she did not wake up during nappy change but just continue sleeping.  We bought the Blue Diamond design for the SleepSack Swaddle and the Applique Elephant Stripes design for the SleepSack Wearable Blankey. Both are gender neutral designs so we’ll get to use them again when and if ever J and I will be blessed with a son in the future. It is absolutely worth every peso I paid for.

My little Queen B sleeping safely in her Halo SleepSack Swaddle arms out!

The Halo SleepSack Swaddle is "Inspired by Baby" Mommy approved!