Green To Grow

The dangers and risks of Bisphenol A (BPA) use in food products and other products is probably not new news to most of us. Well, the FDA, CDC, and HHS are acting like it is. They have finally acknowledged the dangers and announced in January that BPA has harmful effects, especially for infants and small children. They are still trying to determine the full effects of BPA and will be investing $30 million dollars to figure it out but they've estimated this will take close to two years. Wait, what about the next two years? Well, for the time being they have asked for the removal of BPA from all infant products (ie, bottles, cups, formula containers, etc.) until further research can be done. You can read the full announcement HERE for ways to protect your family from BPA exposure.

There is one simple way to protect your baby, and nature provides you with this way: Breastfeed. Milk directly from the breast is definitely BPA-free! Although, us Mom's are not completely unrealistic, and we do realize that there might be a time when baby gets a bottle (hopefully of expressed breast milk) and that's OK! However, if it's a plastic bottle, even a BPA-free bottle, it could contain toxins in various forms. The solution = USE GLASS BOTTLES!
I [not so] patiently waited for the arrival of my newest little man for many reasons. One of these reasons was to try the new glass bottles from Green To Grow! For weeks the cute little glass bottles sat in my kitchen cabinets practically begging me to use them. It's just a bottle, right? I know what you're thinking - "This girl has officially lost it." - but it's so much more than your typical bottle. It's a sigh of relief. It's peace of mind. And, it's SAFE!

First Glance:
Adorable modern artwork instantly grabs my attention. I pick up the bottle and love the contoured shape. Nipple turns off and on easily without any hassle. Adore the embossed measurements on the side of the bottle.

Test #1: Breast Pump Attachment
Yes, you're reading that right. Green To Grow glass bottles are compatible with Medela breast pumps!!! {insert jumping up and down} And, the bottles fit together like they were made for each other (wait- maybe they were). FABULOUS!! Now, I can pump directly into the bottles that I plan to use to feed baby.

Test #2: Freezer
For decades, previous generations canned and froze food... in glass jars! Why not store your breast milk in glass too? So, I did. I didn't want to put the silicone (nitrosamine-free) nipple in the freezer so I used a Medela storage top from the bottles that came with my breast pump. I left a little room for expansion of the milk and sealed it up. Nice and tight fit. Milk froze without any problems! Ready to thaw & use! *disclaimer: if you overfill a glass bottle it could crack, although the Green To Grow bottles are such a thick glass that I highly doubt that would happen, it still could. Use with caution.

Test #3: Baby

Evan, our son, is a nipple connoisseur. He has tried them all in various forms of pacifiers and he made it loud and clear that he has favorite. Because of this, I was terrified he wouldn't take the Green To Grow bottles. Maybe it's because he likes to eat or maybe this nipple was exactly to his liking because Evan took the bottle without a wince. SUCCESS!!! (A special thanks to Green To Grow for giving us back our "Date Nights".)

Test #4: Cleaning
This was my favorite part. Plastic is impossible to clean- if you put it in the dishwasher it comes out with water all over it, even on the dry cycle. If you hand wash plastic, 1/2 the time it has a haze on it. The glass bottles are a cinch! Just rinse it, toss it on the top shelf of the dishwasher and watch it come out DRY, and spotless.

Overall Rating: A++++! We will never go back to plastic bottles!

If you aren't familiar with Green To Grow, they offer a full line of BPA-free and PHTHALATE-free baby bottles, in both plastic and glass. If you chose to use plastic bottles then that's exactly what you want to look for: bottles free of BPA and Phthalates!

GREAT NEWS!!! Big thanks to Green To Grow, who is giving away a set of the new glass bottles!

This contest has ended. Congratulations to Erin! Random.org's #21 & the winner of the Green To Grow glass bottle giveaway.