RSS
Home
Economics of breastfeeding
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Photo by amdavis / Stock Xchng
Are you new to motherhood or considering breastfeeding for the first time? Breastfeeding proponents will give you a number of reasons to do it, usually by citing health benefits for you and your baby. If you need a little bit more convincing, there is one more side of breastfeeding worth considering: the financial side.
You see, breastfeeding isn't only natural. In itself, breastmilk is F-R-E-E. Computing how much the alternative would cost helps us appreciate more this side of breastfeeding.
Powdered formula costs an average of $25 for roughly a 25 oz can. That's around $0.13 for every fluid ounce (fl. oz.). It might not seem a lot. But a newborn usually consumes at least 1 fl. oz. every 2 hours or $11 a week. According to Babycenter.com, the average 6-month-old can consume around 21 fl. oz. a day, which translates to over $75 in a month. Surebaby.com even recommends budgeting $40 a week for formula, amounting to over $2,000 a year! Moreover, organic, soy-based, lactose-free and hypoallergenic formula are usually a couple of dollars more than milk-based ones.
Cost comparison does not end between breastmilk and formula. There are incidental costs to consider as well. Parents of both breast-fed and formula-fed children might spend on bottles, sterilizers, bottle-warmers and bottle carriers.
It is worthy to note that a stay-at-home mother who breastfeeds 100% of the time, hardly has any cost except for nursing pads: around $5 for a reusable pair or at least $6 a month for disposables. Additional costs specific to breast-feeding mothers might include $35 for a nursing pillow, $12 for a manual breast pump (as low as $30 for an electric one: Ameda brand), $5 for a 10-liner storage kit, and $19 for a nursing shawl.
Although breastfeeding mothers might spend a little over $70 in incidental expenses, most of these are one-time purchases. Compared to around $2,000 for formula, the price differential alone warrants at least an attempt at breastfeeding.
After all is said and done, to breastfeed or not to breastfeed is still a personal choice. For some mothers, it is possible that they had no other option but to bottle-feed at the onset. Low-income families can sign up with the WIC program. Infant formula brands like Enfamil and Similac also have programs where you can register online and join their community for free. In return, you may receive free diaper bags, formula samples, and coupons. Although programs like these do not totally eliminate the expenses, they do alleviate costs associated with bottle-feeding.
Related Articles:
Comments
