HALO Archives - Mommy Ginger

October is SIDS Awareness Month and our friends at HALO are asking for our help to spread the word about SIDS. Do you know that SIDS, suffocation, and sleep-related accidents are the No. 1 causes of infant deaths? If you didn’t know, then it’s time to read more about it and do something about preventing it from happening.

About SIDS
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected death of an infant less than 1 year of age. SIDS is the leading cause of death for otherwise healthy babies, and comes without warning. It is closely related to other accidents during sleep, like suffocation or strangulation due to loose bedding, and the like.

While the actual causes of SIDS are still unknown, researchers have found a high correlation between an infant’s sleeping environment and the risks of SIDS. Here are 8 things you should remember to keep your baby safe while sleeping:

1. Back is best.

*Image Source: www.thissideupcampaign.org

Always place your baby to sleep on his back, regardless if it’s naptime or bedtime.

2. Create a safe sleeping area.

Image Source: www.halophilippines.com

Use a crib that meets current safety standards. The crib should have a firm mattress and a tight-fitting sheet, with nothing inside except your baby.

3. Remove all loose bedding.

Image Source: www.halophilippines.com

Remove all loose blankets, comforters, soft toys, and crib bumpers. These items can block the flow of fresh air to your baby and cause carbon dioxide re-breathing, which is a leading risk factor for SIDS.

4. Use a safety-certified wearable blanket or SleepSack.

Image Source: www.halophilippines.com

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the use of wearable blankets because they eliminate the risk of babies accidentally suffocating or strangulating with loose blankets. Since wearable blankets are safety products, it is important that you choose a brand that has safety certifications and is trusted by the medical community.

5. Happy babies sleep alone.

Image Source: www.halophilippines.com

Co-sleep in the same room, not on the same bed. Experts do not recommend sharing the same sleep surface with your baby in order to avoid accidental death from overlaying, suffocation from adult beddings, and other accidents.

6. Breastfeed, when possible.

Image Source: www.breastfeedingsymbol.org

Apart from its other known benefits, breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS by up to 50%.

7. Do not let your baby overheat.

Make sure to use clothing made with breathable fabric to prevent overheating. In warm climates, wearing a SleepSack made in 100% cotton over light clothing is often enough to keep babies cozy warm and sleeping soundly through the night.

8. No Smoking around your baby.

Don’t smoke while pregnant, and never allow anyone to smoke near your baby.

Share these important safe sleep tips to everyone who cares for your baby, or anyone who has a baby! Education is key to keeping our babies safe! #SafeSleepPh .

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With sizes for newborns up to 2 years old, Halo makes a unique and practical gift for baby showers, baptisms, birthdays, and the holidays. You can never go wrong with the gift of safe sleep!

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I’ve met a few mommies in the Philippines who are advocates of different causes. One of these moms is Ives Lim – Esteban, who is an advocate of safe sleep for babies. Let’s read more about her.

I am a yuppie turned mommy. I used to work for a multi-national FMCG before becoming a full time “momtreprenuer”. I am madly in love with 3 men – my husband of 6 years, and my two boys aged 3 and 1. It was not until 2 years after marriage that a baby came into our lives. I thought I was perfectly happy being married to the love of my life. But becoming a mom changed me in so many ways. A little someone entered my life and took up more room in my heart than I knew I had. When I first held him, I already knew that I’d do anything for him. With him came a fierce sense of protection, an instinct. I vowed to give only the best and safest for my baby. And this led me to discover HALO. The rest, as they say, is history.

Interview with Ives Lim – Esteban of Halo Philippines:

Ginger: What is your brand/business? What is it about? How long have you been in business?

Ives: Halo Philippines is the Philippine distributor of the award-winning HALO® SleepSack®, a wearable blanket that replaces loose blankets that can cover a baby’s face and interfere with breathing. Aside from keeping babies safe, it is also a cozy blanket little ones can’t kick off. This prevents a baby from catching cold (and getting sick), thus ensuring a better night’s sleep.

Halo is the #1 trusted brand in the market today. Not just by moms, but by doctors as well. It is the only brand used by over 1,200 US hospitals and NICUs, which says a lot about the quality and safety of our products.

Ginger: Who is your market?

Ives: We have sizes for newborns up to 5 year olds. Infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers are most vulnerable to accidents during sleep. On top of this, these are the critical years of brain and body development, where healthy sleep plays a vital role. Providing a safe and healthy sleeping environment is therefore the single biggest thing parents can do to help their babies get a good start in life.

Ginger: How did you come up with this idea? What made you decide to start this kind of business?

Ives: My love affair with HALO began when my first baby was born. I discovered that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the use of wearable blankets to prevent Sudden Infant Death (SIDS), and found so many five star reviews recommending HALO.

I soon realized through my own usage that the HALO SleepSack is among the best investments a new mom can make. The product paid for itself two times over, considering how my baby wore it every day. It is made with such quality that my son’s original sleepsack has been handed down to two other babies, and still does its amazing job! Beyond that, the peace of mind this product brings is PRICELESS. I know that my baby is protected by the safest, non-toxic materials as he sleeps. I see my baby getting sounder sleep, which is critical for his physical and mental development. I sleep better too, knowing that he can’t kick it off and suffocate or catch cold / get sick even if he tosses and turns all night!

Sadly, many Filipinos are still unaware of how simple safe sleep practices can protect their babies. That is why I made it my mission to spread the safe sleep advocacy and make HALO’s quality products more accessible to Filipino parents.

Ginger: Were there any obstacles that you faced when you decided to pursue becoming a mompreneur? What are these?

Ives: Our biggest obstacle is a low public awareness on safe sleep in our country. In most first world countries, it is the government that pushes for safe sleep education. There are even laws in the US that mandate hospitals to orient new parents about safe sleep practices before discharge.

Unfortunately, such is not the case in our country, so parents may not appreciate that safe sleep could mean life or death for a baby. Indeed, it is heartbreaking to hear stories of Filipino babies who died or almost died because of unsafe sleep (and I have heard too much of these stories not to act on it!). I hope that through our advocacy, and the support of fellow safe sleep advocates, we can help Filipino babies sleep safer.

Ginger: What are three traits that you think a mompreneur should have when starting their own business?

Passion, integrity, and genuine concern for others. Do not short-change your clients with mediocre products. Your clients deserve only the best and safest products possible. Word will spread and the numbers will follow.

Ginger: Any unforgettable lesson that you learned as a Mompreneur?

Ives: I have learned to trust in God’s abundance. I am amazed at the windows and doors He has opened for me through this work and advocacy. He has blessed me through the people I meet, and the opportunities that come my way. Grateful!

Ginger: What advice can you give other Mompreneurs?

Ives: Being a mompreneur means finding the right balance between work and family. Learn to set limits; learn to shift priorities, so that you can find fulfilment in work and still let your family feel that they are just as important (if not more) than anything else in your life!

Ginger: Thank you so much, Ives! I hope that a lot of people become aware of the danger of SIDS and how practiving safe sleep can help them.

Halo Philippines Contact information:
Website: www.Halophilippines.com
Email address: halo.philippines@yahoo.com
Mobile Number: 09228730910
Facebook Page: halophilippines
Twitter account: @halophilippines
Instagram: @halophilippines

I read from the Center of Disease and Control website that there are around 4,200 SUIDs or sudden unexpected infant deaths per year in the US and 50% of which are caused by SIDS, which is the leading cause of infant death from 1–12 months old. The cause of death is either unknown or sleep-related suffocation. For sleep related suffocation, the main culprit is usually loose bedding. Bedding that bunches up around a baby’s mouth can cause dangerous re-breathing of carbon dioxide –– a leading risk factor for SIDS.

Here in the Philippines, we don’t hear as much news about SIDS. If we don’t hear about it, it doesn’t mean that there are no cases of SIDS. We don’t hear much about this syndrome because of lack of awareness and documentation and NOT because it does not happen. A friend of mine attended a parenting seminar at St. Lukes recently and believe it or not, 5 out of 40 moms knew someone who lost their baby to SIDS. That’s already 12.5% of the Moms on that event! She also heard of a story, where a mom had just finished feeding her daughter a bottle and placed her daughter on the bed to burp. She only turned her back on the baby to clean up the bottles and when she came back, her baby had already died of suffocation.

I also heard of a baby that died, while he was sleeping beside the parents during a family vacation. How about you? Do you know of any similar story?

It’s good that babies are never left alone (laging may nakabantay) in our country. If not the parents, the grandparents, yaya or househelp, aunts and uncles, etc. are all willing volunteers to look after baby. But even if we watch baby 24/7, we know that as humans, we get tired and we fall asleep. We can practice safe sleep though. This is to keep babies safe while they are sleeping.

Here are tips for safe sleep:

We recently tried using a wearable blanket for Zeeka. We never really got to swaddle her when she was a baby. She hated the fact that she could not move her arms. We would then use a loose blanket with yaya watching over her when she slept. But of course, she would kick the blanket away from her so it was actually useless to use a loose blanket. Now that I learned about safe sleep, I was excited to try the HALO Sleep Sack.

The HALO Sleep Sack

First of all, using HALO SleepSack wearable blanket is safe. I would not have to worry about sudden infant deaths. I wouldn’t even have to worry about yaya dozing off at night. She can actually have her rest, too.

HALO is the only product to carry the seals of First Candle/SIDS Alliance and the Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (CFSID).

Zeeka in a HALO Sleep Sack

I had Zeeka try it and she loved it. First of all, the blanket had sleeves so she was free to move her arms. It was perfect for her! Also, she loves kicking her legs and I was glad that there was enough leg room. With a loose blanket, she would kick it until she didn’t have any blanket covering her. With this, no matter how much she kicks, she still feels cozy and warm.

I also love the feel of the blanket. I was also easy to wash. My yaya just hand-washed it and let it dry. And do you see the design? It was soooo Zeeka! She loves owls and it was a coincidence that the design of her HALO Sleep sack was an image of an owl 🙂

I would recommend it to friends and to you, my readers, since it really is safer. I hope that they would come out with more designs.

For more information about the product, please visit the HALO Philippines Facebook Page.

Love lots,