Breastfeeding is not only healthy, but saves money too!
One of the unexpected benefits of breastfeeding is that breastfeeding saves money. You will be surprised how much you save over formula feeding. Expecting a new baby? There is an easy way to save a great deal of money…just breastfeed.
That is right. Breastfeeding is not only healthy, but also is economical as well.
Breastfeeding Save Money on Formula
The first and most obvious savings is because you do not have to buy formula.The average family spends about $1500 for the first year on formula alone. Some babies who require special formulas can be over $400 a month! (See Source.)
That means that the average mother can save approximately $1500 in the first year of their baby’s life just by providing breast milk instead of purchasing formula. Even if you are going back to work and need to purchase a pump and spend a couple of hundred dollars (and is probably covered by insurance,) then you are still over a thousand dollars ahead for the first child and can reuse the pump for future children.
Breastfeeding Saves Money on Health Care Costs
The second savings is in health care costs. In a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente Health Maintenance Organization, researchers estimated that the average cost of health care for a formula-fed baby compared to those babies who were breastfed for at least 6 months was and additional $1,400 for the first year. That is not to FEED them, but because of additional health costs that could have been avoided if the baby had been breastfed!
They also concluded that the United States could save billions of dollars each year in formula and health care costs if 1 million additional babies were breastfed.
A 2010 study in the Journal Pediatrics came to similar conclusions that:
“The U.S. could save $13 billion per year, as well as prevent 911 annual deaths — mainly from SIDS, necrotizing enterocolitis (an intestinal disorder seen mainly in preterm infants) and respiratory infections.”
Breastfeeding Saves Money on Lost Income
The third cost of a formula feed baby over a breastfed one is on lost income. How much does one parent in the family lose by missing a full day of work? Because sicknesses are more common in babies who are formula-fed, doctor and hospital visits happen far more often for these families.
Considering that breastfeeding is best for mom and best for baby and it saves a significant amount of money, shouldn’t moms at least give it a try? You might be surprised at all the benefits breastfeeding can bring.
Learn More:
- Surprising Benefits of Breastfeeding for Babies and Their Health
- Breastfeeding Myths Vs. Facts
- Working Mothers CAN Breastfeed
