Milk Money
Is breastfeeding really cheaper than formula? Not always.
by Kate Tuttle
July 7, 2008
Formula, Platinum Edition: $2,735.60-$3,035.60 or more
For those whose children have special nutritional requirements, such as prematurity or food allergies (as well as those who'd rather not feed their babies the same formula poor people use), there are some truly pricey options out there, from soy to organic to hypoallergenic formulas. Add in glass bottles and all the nicest accessories, and you could send your nanny to Disneyworld for less.
Although there are plenty of women who will find themselves in one of the categories above, many if not most will experience some combination. A typical scenario goes like this:
The real bottom line, of course, is that breastmilk is the best food for babies and, all things being equal, should be the first choice.
Click to view chart.
Working Mother, Nursing Mother: $629.36-2,411.40
Middle-class women with professional jobs tend to get a short but significant maternity leave; it's long enough to establish nursing but short enough that a return to work comes months before the introduction of solids, and many months before the AAP's recommended one-year mark. For these women, breastfeeding a baby is almost always a several-stage affair: months 0-3 are spent exclusively breastfeeding, months 3-6 are a blur of working and pumping, and after that, as supplies almost inevitably go down, most end up supplementing with formula, if they haven't already.
The real bottom line, of course, is that breastmilk is the best food for babies and, all things being equal, should be the first choice. But let's be frank about the financial reality. When economists write about the cost-benefit analysis of breastfeeding, they compile data from huge populations in determining that breast is cheaper than bottle. When it comes to individual families, the financial advantage isn't so clear-cut. If we want to make sustained breastfeeding easier for women, we need to make sure they have the financial support they need. And that means acknowledging that unless their work life is fully flexible and they have no complications, they'll probably spend at least some money on the "free" option.
Article photo: Sheri Reed
©2008 Kate Tuttle and Nerve Media
About the Author
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Kate Tuttle is a writer and editor raising two children just outside Boston. |
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