Save Money -Breastfeed

Experts and the federal government want American mothers to save money by encouraging them to breastfeed. Mothers should breastfeed because it’s the best nutritional option and it makes the most economic sense; it’s free and can save you up to $2,000 a year on formula costs.

As most of you know, by breastfeeding not only are you giving your baby essential nutrients he needs but you will save money because you wont have to be buying formula every few days.

Trust me I know! Samantha was on store brand formula from about two weeks old until she was one. We literally were buying a can of formula every three to four days! Now Samantha had to have soy so we would buy the Enfamil ProSobee which was about 20 dollars a can (now it’s around 25 dollars a can).

When Sarah was born I wanted to breastfeed, and yes one of the biggest reasons was to save money from buying formula!

Just think about how much money we saved by me breastfeeding Sarah her entire first year. If we were buying a can of formula once a week, that is 100 dollars a month times twelve months is twelve hundred dollars we saved from not buying formula!

Medical and scientific communities agree that breast milk is best for babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes it as the gold standard in infant nutrition. Although companies tout their formula brands as offering the same benefits as breast milk, none do. Infant formula is a safe alternative, but more people need to know the truth behind this breast-milk substitute, especially when coping with guilt.

“Many women are unable to breastfeed for the duration of the first twelve months, especially if they are on medication, have multiple births, or must return to work during these difficult economic times,” said Dr. Barbara Levine, Weill Cornell Medical College. “These moms often experience feelings of guilt if they choose not breastfeed, so they purchase expensive formula. But very few really know the truth about infant formula.”

“Buying a heavily marketed, expensive, brand-name infant formula from a big pharmaceutical company does not get your baby any closer to human breast milk than a store-brand formula,” added Dr. Levine. “Mothers can choose to supplement their breast milk with any formula because all formulas are regulated by FDA and nutritionally equivalent.”

The store-brand message is set to become even more important for many mothers because of changes in the Women, Infants and Children program. As of October 1, 2009, a new WIC initiative aimed at increasing breastfeeding rates among families reallocates funding for all currently provided foods, including infant formula, baby foods, juices, and fresh fruits and vegetables. This program could mean a reduction of up to 20 percent in infant-formula subsidies; parents who previously had most of their formula paid for by WIC may now have to purchase formula on their own.