If you followed my summer of Baby Shower Blog Parties and Preparing for Baby articles and the occasional tweets you should know that October was a big month in my life. My sister and sister-in-law were both due to have baby girls and I had all the intentions in the world to be the doting aunt at the hospital with cute presents and home-made food for mommies. There was a different plan for me. First my sister-in-law was scheduled for induction on Sunday night, booooo. That didn’t work for me so I couldn’t be there. I kept texting my brother for updates but I felt so disconnected. I did get to see my new niece and she’s gorgeous and tiny and sweet and perfect and I am not only a proud aunt but a proud big sister.

This past weekend my sister went in to have her baby girl and I missed this one too. This time it was because of the freakin flu that bogged me down for a week. I again went through the night with the feeling of being left out. I was supposed to be in that room with her, I was waiting for 9 months for this and I missed it. I was so bummed, so sad, so upset that it passed me by. I thrilled for my sister, the delivery went well, long but well and the baby is a beast (like Shae was) and she’s nursing so well. It’s been a couple days and I haven’t seen her yet because one I’m still sick and two they live over an hour away and I can’t get there during the week.

Madison

October is SIDS Awareness month.

SIDS stands for Sudden infant death syndrome. SIDS is the unexplained death of an infant younger than 1 year. The peak age for SIDS is between 2 and 3 months of age. Although the exact cause for SIDS is unknown, there are ways to protect your infant from SIDS.

Halo was founded by Bill Schmid, who began researching sleeping environments after he lost a daughter to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in 1991. Since 1994, he and his company have worked to develop products that encourage healthier and safer sleeping as well as bring peace of mind to your home. A percentage of HALO Innovations’ profits are donated to First Candle/SIDS Alliance and the Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths to fund ongoing SIDS research, education and family support.

Halo is also working with hundreds of hospitals via our Standard of Care program to provide SleepSack Wearable Blankets and SleepSack Swaddles to NICU and nurseries and as gifts to new moms when they leave the hospital.

By following these simple steps, parents and caregivers can help their baby survive and thrive:

• Place your baby to sleep on his or her back at naptime and night time.
• Use a safety approved crib with a firm, tight-fitting mattress.
• Remove all soft bedding and toys from your baby’s sleep area (this includes loose blankets, bumpers and positioners).
• Use a SleepSack™ wearable blanket to replace loose blankets in your baby’s crib.
  DO NOT put your baby to sleep on any soft surface (sofas, chairs, water beds, quilts, sheep skins, etc.).
• Room sharing is safer than bed sharing.
• DO NOT dress your baby too warmly for sleep; keep room temperature between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
• DO NOT let anyone smoke around your baby or be in a room where someone has recently smoked.

Educate relatives, baby sitters and other caregivers about these important safety tips. Tummy time is important for babies while they are awake and being supervised. Place your baby on his or her tummy for playtime to help strengthen their upper body muscles. As a parent you have to do what is best for YOUR child. Personally my 2 older children were tummy sleepers, that was the only way they would stay asleep. We also currently co-sleep with our toddler as well as the other two in the past.

Visit Halo SleepSack on Facebook for more information about SIDS Awareness, Resources or FAQs.