Note: This post was sponsored by Milk2Go. The thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
Ever had misconceptions about something in life? I know I have. Plenty. In fact, many times where I think something is a certain way only to find out later it’s not at all like that. I think if we are all honest, we’ve all had moments.
I think one area especially that is filled with misconceptions is motherhood. There are loads of books out there that will tell you how to prepare and how everything should go. And if you haven’t read those, you’ve likely spoken to dozens of moms who all have their own opinions about everything from feeding to diapering to what soother is best. But the truth of the matter is that not every situation you will face as a mother has a textbook answer for it. The reason for that is because every single child is different and therefore every single response will be unique.
I can remember back to when I had my first child. I was SO excited when I found out it was going to be a girl — a total dream come true for me. We gave her a name right away and started designing her perfectly pink nursery. I had decided early on that I was going to try breastfeeding but I can remember always having this feeling that it might not work in the back of my mind. Therefore, I decided to commit to have an open mind and to really figure out what was going to work best for her and I.
Fast forward the nine months of pregnancy to when she was born and she was perfect. She was beautiful, with big blue eyes and barely cried. She loved to sleep and was the best snuggle. The only problem — she hated nursing. I tried everything and I mean EVERYTHING from various positions to nipple shields to lactation nurses and more. But nothing would work. After winding up back in the hospital with double mastitis and a very hungry and unhappy baby, I made the decision to exclusively pump and bottle feed her breastmilk. What was incredible was that the moment I decided that, both my daughter and I fell into a perfect rhythm. Once I finally listened to what not only my new baby was telling me but also my body was doing, everything just clicked.
Because I was a brand new mom with no other kids to worry about, I didn’t really think anything of having to pump and bottle feed my daughter multiple times a day. Plus cleaning and sterilizing all the pump parts and bottles. It just became a part of our everyday routine. I was just really grateful to still be able to provide her with breastmilk.
But I remember the day I was made to feel bad about it. I was talking with an acquaintance at the time, who was a mother of three older children, and she asked about how the feeding was going. I proceeded to tell her about our situation, telling her how happy I was that I could still provide her with breastmilk and almost as soon as I started telling her about it, I felt the shame come on. She had not really heard of exclusively pumping and went on to tell me about how my daughter would have attachment issues later on in life because we didn’t have the bond of breast and baby. I honestly don’t even remember how I responded because I was so surprised by her response. I do remember going home and crying and asking my husband if we really were doing the right thing to which he assured me that we were and that our daughter would be fine.
Well fast forward eight years later and the bond with my daughter couldn’t be stronger. She’s my little bestie who wants to be just like mommy. She still loves to come and snuggle and is a very affectionate kid. She’s also one of our healthiest kids, which had been another misconception about not exclusivity breastfeeding her that I worried about.
It just goes to show you that even when we mean well, we can still have lots of misconceptions. It’s important to keep an open mind and recognize that although we might think something is best a certain way, there are often ideas and solutions out there.
Speaking of milk, do you know that one of the biggest misconceptions out there isn’t about breastmilk, it’s actually about cow’s milk! Most people have lived their entire lives believing that cow’s milk HAS to be refrigerated or else it will spoil. What if I challenged that misconception and told you that there is a milk product that is built to last months on the shelf, without refrigeration?! Crazy concept, right? But it’s TRUE! So let me introduce you to Milk2Go – their 200mL bottle – the perfect lunch sized milk for mom’s and kids on the go that does NOT need to be kept in the fridge!
So if you’re like me, the first question that comes to mind when thinking of fresh milk sitting in your pantry for months on end is… But, HOW?!” Let me explain. First, the milk is flash heated up to 144 degrees Celsius which eliminates all bacteria but keeps all the good nutrients locked in! Then, in a sealed environment, the milk is put into an aseptic bottle where it’s shielded from air, light and any possible contaminants And can you believe that through this entire process, absolutely nothing is added to the milk! No preservatives or additives…just pure, fresh milk, packaged and ready to go anytime, anywhere!
This is almost too good to be true, especially for a momma who’s kids love to drink milk and miss taking it to school. Now, they can have it in their lunchbags everyday with this convenient 200mL sized bottle! It’s perfect for the busy family, always on the go.
In the same way that my old friend had misconceptions about breastmilk in a bottle, many of us have the same misconceptions about milk on a shelf in a pantry. But now that we know about Milk2Go we can safely send our kids to school with milk and have it readily available for any adventure that awaits!
Love & Blessings,
Christine
