Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why is formula so darn expensive? It can save you significant money to breastfeed over feeding baby formula.
Not to say that as a breastfeeding mother you will not spend money, because you do! Also i hope no one gets offended by this post because I am aware that for many situations breastfeeding might not be the optimal decision. However, committing to breastfeed whether it's for 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or more, it is a worthwhile endeavor that will change your mindset on many things.
In order to really calculate how much you would be saving if you decided to breastfeed over formula, you would first need an estimate of how much milk a baby drinks during a day. In average a baby can drink anywhere from 20-25 ounces of milk in a day. This is of course not including cluster feeding for breastfeeding moms or over feeding.
Yet, there is some merit to the question: is there really a BIG savings when you breastfeed versus formula feeding? If we assume a baby drinks 25 ounces of milk a day for the first year of their life, that is a total of 9,125 ounces of milk in a year! (Wow now I really feel like a human cow!) According to Kelly Bonyata, a certified breastfeeding specialist, the average cost of formula is $0.19 per ounce. This is of course not taking into account the different brands and higher costs for organic formula and so on and so forth. However, at $0.19 per ounce the total cost to formula feed a baby will cost you $1,733. 75! Are you blown away?
Breast milk is not just the best milk for your baby but it will also cost you $0. Some factors can make you come out of pocket but the milk itself will not cost you a thing. And it will build a bind between mom and baby that is indescribable!
Save your money and breastfeed :)