Bringing Baby Home Post C Section | HALO Bassinest & SleepSack Swaddle
One of the first things I wanted to sort out when I was pregnant is where baby Everly was going to sleep. I obviously have a nursery for her, but for the first few months, it is advised to have baby in the same room*. I knew as a first-time mummy that I would want to be able to check on her and have easy access. I also knew in my heart there was a good chance I would need a C Section, which meant bending over was going to be a no-no. After plenty of research and polls amongst other moms, the HALO Bassinest was most definitely the front-runner. Amongst some incredible features, a swivelling base that could be raised to the crazy tall height of our bed was ideal! Keep reading to find out if I thought it was worth the price tag, and what features set it apart from any other bassinet on the market.
Post in partnership with HALO Innovations. All opinions and content are 100% my own.HALO® Bassinest® Swivel Sleeper Luxe Plus Review
Available: Walmart | Chapters Indigo | Pottery Barn
Backstory:‘In 1991, Bill Schmid and his wife Cathy suffered an unspeakable tragedy when they lost their infant daughter, Haley, to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is the sudden, unexplained death of a seemingly healthy infant up to an age of one year. After the loss of his daughter, Bill began an exhaustive review of the latest medical research and health recommendations for creating a safe sleep environment for babies to help ensure other families would not have to endure the same tragedy.’
When it comes to bassinets, the HALO Bassinest really is the cream of the crop. Standing on a swivel base, it rotates 360 degrees so that it can fit into any area. I love that I can have it swivelled off to the side in the corner next to my side of the bed where it is dark. If Everly fusses or needs a touch of reassurance in the night, I can swivel it over right next to me to save me from getting out of bed! The sides are mesh which is not only breathable but see-through which gives her and I the feeling of being close without bed sharing.
Even more luxurious, and one of its biggest selling features to me is the bend-down side in the front, that can allow me to reach over and get her without bending down or even getting out of bed. After my C Section, it was a HUGE plus to not have to lift an 8lb8oz baby out of a bassinet that was only hip height.
Which brings me to the number one factor in wanting the Bassinest: It has an adjustable height to fit almost any bed! To give you an idea, our bed is so tall that when I sit on it my feet don’t touch the floor! (I am 5’5 for reference). Again with having to have a C Section delivery, this made it so that I didn’t have to bend over putting a strain on my painful incision.
There are several models of the HALO Bassinest for all budgets. I have the Luxe Plus which has some pretty amazing features:
- 360 Rotation
- Sidewall that lowers for easy access to baby
- Floor light for those midnight feeds that doesn’t disturb baby
- A console that has an additional nightlight, 2 levels of vibration, 3 lullabies and 3 soothing sounds with volume control and 30-minute auto-off, back to bed nursing timer.
- Removable storage caddy to keep diapers, wipes and other necessities as well as two permanent side pockets.
- Adjustable height from 24-24 inches.
- Waterproof mattress pad
- Fitten cotton sheet
I’ve found myself using the lights and the vibration on the console the most. My only gripe is that the buttons are flush to the unit which makes reaching over at night a little fumbly. Both hubby and I agreed it would be a better design if they were raised more, glowed in the dark or were subtly illuminated.
HALO® SleepSack® Swaddle Review
Available at Target | Walmart | Chapters Indigo
I also have the Halo SleepSack Swaddle, which is kind of genius! It has two ‘wings’ that can be wrapped around baby. This gives the feeling of being swaddled with the skill of having to do so. Even more genius, if you have a baby like mine who hates being swaddled, you can just wrap the wings around and velcro together to give that extra bit of comfort, arms out. These come in a variety of materials including fleece if you’re in a cold climate. It’s mild here in Vancouver and the cotton material is super soft and plenty cosy for our little one. They also wash up really well and just get softer! Everly loves to kick her legs and still has the movement to do so (this is so important for their hip development!), and I have the comfort of knowing she’s snug as a bug! Don’t worry about ripping loud velcro off in the middle of the night either – they unzip from the bottom!!
So is the HALO Bassinest a spendy item? Yes. Do I think it is worth it? YES, especially if you’ve had a caesarian birth. Not having to reach down and lift an almost 9lb baby was priceless. I also felt so much more at ease not having to get in and out of bed to check on her in the night (because new mommys do that!). I love that the base can fit right under our bed. She can be swivelled right next to me if needed (or away, hello snoring baby!). I also love the Halo SleepSacks and SleepSack Swaddle (and have purchased a couple more already). Everly seems to sleep really well in them (seriously, my 7 week old colicky baby slept for 7 HOURS straight the other night!). And we all know that a baby that sleeps equals a mommy that sleeps, and that my friends make it worth every penny!
What did you find indispensable when you brought your first baby home from the hospital?
What would you recommend to a new mom?
You can read more about safe sleeping habits for infants here.
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She is the cutest ever!!! The Bassinest sounds awesome and a much needed help after c-section for sure!
I never thought about the repetitive motion of bending down so what a great idea to have something that swivels!
Yes any sort of motion that involves your abdomen when you have a 10cm incision is quite painful! You lose all your core strength so just getting out of bed for that first while is hard because of the twisting motion too. Most bassinests are only 2-2.5 feet off the ground and bending over the wall of a crib would have been impossible so this thing really made a huge difference!