Thank you to Similac for partnering with me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

At this stage in life, I feel confident in saying that I am a veteran mom.

Do I know everything there is to know about raising kids? Of course not. But I have had a lot of things thrown at me that I never thought I would. There are a lot of challenges that parents face when they bring home a new baby. Especially when you have other children or pets in the home.

One of the major hurdles we have faced this time around was our decision to supplement with Aaryn. As I started to travel more, and added more freelancing work to my calendar, there were times where I knew I needed a hand with others keeping her and I didn’t always pump. This meant that we had to add formula.

The decision was not an easy one, but it was much needed.

The brand we chose

We decided to supplement using Similac. Similac was the first infant formula in the U.S. with 2’-FL HMO—a prebiotic naturally found in most breast milk and colostrum that circulates throughout the body. This breakthrough is the result of almost two decades of extensive HMO research by Abbott!

Of course, breast milk is the gold standard in infant nutrition, but if it is not available or not chosen, infant formula is the only safe and recommended alternative. And when it comes to getting HMO in your formula, we as parents deserve to know what we’re buying, right? Well, if your formula has the Similac HMO drop, you can trust you’re getting HMO, not just words on a label.

We also wanted a formula that would help provide our baby with the best start, and help develop her immune system. Similac does just that AND helps support her overall growth, and brain and eye development thanks to the unique blend of DHA, lutein, and vitamin E). It is also the first leading infant formula brand with no artificial growth hormones, meaning Similac dairy ingredients come from cows that have not been treated with artificial growth hormones.

Want to know more about why we choose Similac? Check out this video!

Now that you know what brand we chose, here are a few reasons why I decided supplementing was best for us.

I had to trust my instincts

When Aaryn turned two months old, life became hectic. Being pulled into every direction meant that I had little to no downtime, and normally the only moment where I could catch a breather was while she was feeding. We added in two bottle feedings so that my husband could take her, especially in the moments where I was stressed out or if I just wanted to spend a few moments with one of the other kids.

Sleep

I no longer take the sleep-martyrdom route. People always say it’s impossible to sleep when the baby sleeps, and that’s the truth. By supplementing, this meant at least on the weekends my husband could get up to feed her and I could sleep a little longer.

I needed help, so I asked for it

There is no shame in asking for help. Even if it’s my asking my fourteen-year-old to take her little sisters outside to play for thirty minutes. I gave up the “I can do it all” mindset years ago. I know people feel vulnerable, or like they are “less than” for asking for help, but they’re not.

Don’t be ashamed to say you can’t do it all. No one is going to judge you. And if they do, that’s not the type of person you want in your life anyway.

Having someone else take over the feeding duties took a major weight off of my shoulders. I didn’t realize freeing up those one or two moments throughout my day would be so beneficial to me overall. And being able to supplement with a quality product like Similac that provides a strong start for my baby made the choice easy for me. 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Similac. All thoughts and opinions are my own.