The orange and black witch hat is a symbolic accessory commonly associated with Halloween and witches. This hat typically features a conical shape with a wide brim and is usually made from materials such as felt or velvet. The vibrant orange and black color scheme of the hat further adds to its spooky and festive appearance. The bold combination of these colors perfectly captures the essence of Halloween and represents the mysterious and otherworldly nature of witches. The orange color in the hat often symbolizes autumn and harvest time, as well as warmth and energy. It is a color that is associated with joy, enthusiasm, and creativity.

SIDS Awareness Month: A Personal Story

I was 8 years old when we lost my 3-month-old baby sister. I remember holding my middle sister’s hand as we passed through the hallways of the hospital. We walked into a room, crowded with people - family and friends, all women - who surrounded my mom. She wasn’t crying — she was howling, her pain too intense and horrifying for tears. She pulled me and my sister into the tightest of embraces, and she didn’t let us go as she told us our baby sister was gone.

As a child, it didn’t make any sense to me. One day, my beautiful, bright-eyed sister was there. She was happy, healthy, almost advanced for her age. She smiled and giggled, and we have video footage of her coo-ing the words “hello” back to us, when we would say it to her. It didn’t make sense that she could be gone so suddenly.

After she died, I watched my mother suffer, day after day. She was the one who found my sister, who had died of SIDS, sleeping in her crib during a nap. I worked hard to combat her grief, taking on the role of caretaker for our family. I left my mom love notes daily to encourage her to come out of bed, reminding her that there was still life to be lived with my sister and I. I soaked up every back rub and song my dad gave us at bedtime, knowing that now whenever he kissed us goodnight, or said goodbye, he did it in a manner of sincerity, in case it was the last time.

And I cared for my younger sister. We shared a bed, holding hands whispering secrets to each other until we fell asleep. We became the closest of allies. Later in life, we begged our parents to please have one more baby, and along came my baby brother, who is 12 years younger. I spent the days changing his diapers and swaddling him, tickling him and making him laugh… and at night, I would go into his nursery to check his breathing.

It’s no coincidence that when I grew up, I would become a nurse, caring for new mothers and babies. I wanted to be around women during their pregnancies and in their first weeks home. I think that what happened with my sister cemented in my mind the importance of care and support in young motherhood — love and worry, and sometimes grief, all wrapped together so tightly during this short period of time.

Although I witnessed my parents’ grief at a very young age, it was when I delivered my first baby girl, and held her in my arms, that I could finally even begin to try to understand what my mom had experienced. I will always remember that moment - delivering and holding that baby that you grew inside of you for 9 months. The love and bond is unbreakable, indescribable. It was that first week home from the hospital, in the middle of the night as I held her, that I thought of my mom. And while I will never know the level of agony and pain that she has lived through, for the first time, I understood it.

I became more interested in the loss of my sister and SIDS. What did we know about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, really? What did the latest research say? What could I do to teach parents about safe sleep and caring for their babies throughout their development; not just sleep, but feeding and bathing and diapering and learning?

Alongside my best friend and business partner, we grew our company NAPS and our online membership Nurture by NAPS. And yes, it’s chock full of education — evidenced-based research and content from real medical experts — who happen to also be moms. But it’s also full of support. Parents can log in to our ask-a-nurse forum, get expert advice within 24 hours, and learn new skills on our weekly live calls. We’ve worked hard to build a judgment-free space that takes parenting worries seriously — all your concerns are real concerns, and there are ways to make things better.

I spend my days talking to moms — just like my mom, just like myself — answering the questions parents are afraid to ask.

My sister’s death is a tragedy that I will carry in my heart for the rest of my days. The pain my mother suffered will be there as well. But when I think about that sweet little baby, I try to see not just the devastating loss, but also the way she changed me; the way her death shaped me into a life-long caregiver. A person who understands how much support can help a new parent. That’s what we hope NAPS is about; helping new parents navigate the worry and fear and love that comes with a new baby. We try to do it with humor and fun, but also understanding and gentleness. Because we understand — we really do. And we’re here to help.

About the Author

Emily Silver is a Family Nurse Practitioner and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She is also a co-founder of NAPS. NAPS supports women throughout pregnancy and up through early childhood with an in-depth online learning platform, Nurture by NAPS, a wide array of virtual classes and consultations and even in-home lactation and nursing care.

A few alarming products we’ve seen lately

KID works to strengthen, or in some cases establish, strong safety standards for children’s products. We helped pass Danny’s Law in 2008. As a result, cribs, play yards, and bassinets all have strong safety standards and undergo independent testing prior to entering the market. While we are passionate about the safety of all children’s products we pay special attention to those intended for sleeping babies because:

• Our founder’s son Danny died in a sleep product. KID’s work is his legacy.

• Babies are not closely supervised in these products – hopefully parent(s) are getting their own rest or able to focus on other things. So they need strong standards to keep little ones safe.

However, products that are not covered by safety standards are constantly entering the markets. As a result, we are left with products that can be put on the market with little or no safety testing; leaving our most vulnerable consumers to find the flaws. Here are just a few we’ve seen lately – use the comments to show us others you’ve seen.

This cushion is designed to be used in the bed with parents(s) and outside the bed for a variety of activities including: playing, napping, tummy time, massage, bathing, and traveling with babies up to 6 months. We have three main concerns with this product:

• This product doesn’t adhere to any safety standards other than their own track record. The website claims to have a “9 year track record of amazing safety performance.” While this is great, it doesn’t and shouldn’t replace a strong safety standard and adequate testing.

• Like most other sleep positioners, the manufacturer advises parents to always keep baby “well attended” when the product is in use. However, if this is a product that is used for parents to sleep with baby, constant supervision is impossible.

• Lastly, the website advises parents to give the baby a blanket to sleep with in the product. For multiple safety reasons, including suffocation and overheating, babies under 1 year should not sleep with a blanket.

A similar- looking product is the DockATot, another product we are hearing about. The product is designed for children aged 0- 36 months as a multi- functional cushion. While the company advises caregivers to not use the product in a crib or basinet, it is very likely that they will, especially because it is designed as a transition piece for baby. The sides are breathable, but if used in a crib or basinet (or around other non-breathable surfaces) the baby could get caught in the gap between the DockATot and other surfaces. In this way the product very much reminds us of the NapNanny.

Health Canada, the Canadian Public Health Agency, also warns against baby nest products, meaning any product with “small, portable bed for an infant that has soft, padded sides.”

KID’s verdict? Keep baby in a crib, play yard or bassinet that meets the federal safety standard and keep the crib bare. Sharing the room, but not the bed, is a great way to sleep closely but safely.

This product was made in Australia by a mother that envisioned having more time to attend to herself and her family while having a newborn at home. The Comfort Cushion was designed to mimic being held over the shoulder, against the chest position and is complete with vibrations (to mimic heartbeat and womb sounds) and a slight rocking motion design to calm baby. Here are some concerns we have with this product:

• While this is not described as a sleeping device, it is inevitable that babies will fall asleep on this product. However, in the safety reports on the product, it is advised that babies not sleep on the Babo Cush. This leaves parents and caregivers in the awkward position of waking a sleeping baby or leaving baby to sleep on an item not recommended for sleeping.

• Babies are placed on their tummies when using the product, mainly in an effort to combat flat head syndrome. Tummy time is a great way to prevent flat head, but should be done on a firm, flat surface. This combined with the likelihood that a baby will fall asleep in this product and be sleeping on their tummies instead of their back as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics guide to Safe Sleep, leaves us concerned about using this product with babies.

KID’s verdict? Skip this product because the foreseeable use of using this product for infant sleep would be all too possible. Invest in an infant swing for play time instead that meets federal safety standards. But don’t leave a sleeping baby in it — move to a crib.

This swaddle transition product is designed for babies too old to swaddle but still want that cozy and contained feeling while asleep. We appreciate their commitment to safe sleep throughout their website and in regards to the recommendations on using the product. However, we are concerned about baby over-heating when using this product and over–heating is a contributor to SIDS.

KID’s verdict? Stick with lighter wearable blankets.

Read this blog in other languages: Japanese, Korean.

Goodbye Magic Sleepsuit :(

LO managed to roll over in her Merlin suit. Found this on their website FAQ about not allowing a baby to sleep on their tummy in it. She set off the Angelcare monitor so scary.

If my baby has started to roll over in the Magic Sleepsuit, should I transition him/her out of it?

Yes. The Magic Sleepsuit is designed for back sleeping in the crib. It is not to be used for tummy sleeping. If your baby has started to roll over in the Magic Sleepsuit while sleeping, then it is time to transition him or her out of it. This is typically a sign that babies are ready for the next stage of having more freedom of movement in their sleep.

Scary! Was your LO rolling over prior to this incident?

Yes she was rolling over already for about three weeks quite easily. She is four months old. But she has always been a back sleeper and never been able to roll over in the Merlin suit or had even tried that I had seen.

I'm feeling much less alarmist in the light of day after I took off the Merlin suit and put on a sleep sack she set off alarm several more times and I realized she had never slept on the edge of the mattress before and I needed to turn up the sensitivity on the angel care monitor. Before that she always slept in the dead center of the mattress and didn't move in the night. Now we have a new problem every time I put her down on her back she immediately flipped over to her stomach at which point she starts crying because she doesn't want to sleep on her stomach I turn her over and she flipped over to her stomach again and then she starts crying, start the process again no sleep for either of us.

It is a color that is associated with joy, enthusiasm, and creativity. Orange is also a color that represents fun and excitement, making it an ideal choice for Halloween-themed accessories. On the other hand, black is a color widely associated with darkness, mystery, and magic.

Black represents the unknown and is often used to symbolize the supernatural and mystical world of witches. It is a color that conveys elegance and power. Combining these two contrasting colors creates a visual representation of the Halloween season and the enchanting world of witches. The orange and black witch hat is not only a fashion statement but also a symbol of the holiday and the magical themes associated with it. It has become an iconic image that people often think of when envisioning Halloween and witches. In addition to its aesthetic value, the witch hat also serves a practical purpose. The wide brim of the hat provides shade from the sun and protection from the elements. This feature was especially useful during ancient times when witches were believed to practice their craft outdoors. As Halloween approaches, the sight of an orange and black witch hat serves as a friendly reminder of the festivities to come. Whether worn as a costume accessory or used as a decorative element in Halloween decorations, the orange and black witch hat has become an integral part of the holiday's traditions and lore..

Reviews for "orabge and black witch hat"

1. Sarah - ⭐⭐

I found "Orange and Black Witch Hat" to be quite disappointing. The plot was extremely predictable, and the characters were poorly developed. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult for me to connect with any of the characters or feel invested in their journey. The writing style was also quite dry and lacked any sense of emotion or excitement. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating read.

2. Tom - ⭐

"Orange and Black Witch Hat" was a complete letdown for me. The storyline was weak and lacked depth. The pacing was off, with certain parts dragging on unnecessarily and others feeling rushed. The main character's motivations were unclear, making it hard to understand or root for them. The writing style was also uninspiring and failed to engage me. I struggled to finish this book and it ultimately left me feeling unsatisfied.

3. Emily - ⭐⭐⭐

I was not impressed with "Orange and Black Witch Hat". The plot felt disjointed and had numerous plot holes that were never addressed. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any complexity or growth throughout the story. The dialogue was stilted and unconvincing, making it hard for me to become fully immersed in the narrative. Additionally, the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. Overall, this book failed to live up to my expectations and left me feeling indifferent.

4. Michael - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

While "Orange and Black Witch Hat" wasn't exactly what I hoped for, it had its moments. The premise was intriguing, but the execution fell short. The pacing was uneven, with some chapters dragging on while others seemed rushed. The character development was lacking, making it hard for me to connect with them on a deeper level. Despite these flaws, the writing style was decent and there were a few memorable scenes. It's an okay read if you're looking for something light and quick, but don't expect anything extraordinary.

5. Olivia - ⭐⭐⭐

"Orange and Black Witch Hat" had potential, but it failed to deliver. The world-building was weak and lacked detail, leaving me confused about the setting and its rules. The plot felt predictable and lacked any significant surprises or twists. The characters were forgettable and lacked depth, making it hard to feel invested in their journey. I was disappointed by the lack of emotional depth and the overall underdevelopment of the story. Overall, it was an average read that left me wanting more.

orabge and black witch hat