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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Breast feeding- is it really cheaper?

129 replies

MissWing · 16/05/2011 15:46

Hi all

Was suprised when I did the sums, but I think it's worth pointing out that although breastfeeding is regularly promoted as free, and theoretially could be, it's not necessarily the case:

misswingandsnaffles.blogspot.com/2011/04/breast-value-for-money.html

Interested to know your thoughts.

Miss Wing

OP posts:
mamadoc · 16/05/2011 16:46

That study is just so flawed in so many ways!
Main issues being that bf costs are one off costs whereas formula costs go on and on and that clothes and bras you'd have to buy anyway.
I spent loads more money on the lovely new bras I bought after finishing 18 mo breastfeeding than on the ones I wore during that time. Surely most people's size changes after pregnancy whatever.
I also massively regretted buying bottles and a steriliser. DD would never have a bottle anyhow so they all got chucked away and an ice cream tub and a bottle of Milton seemed to do the job for any sterilising!

Paschaelina · 16/05/2011 16:46

HotMilk are good, Eggy, especially with the matchy knicks...

belgo · 16/05/2011 16:49

Good points Ritamorgan.

Eggyellenpoe - I wish I had spent more money on nursing bras, I never expected them to have to last this long!

Another hidden saving is on sanitary products, as bfing can delay menstruation in most women.

Meglet · 16/05/2011 16:57

It wasn't for me! I bought ready meals / lunches / takeaway pizza's every day as I never had time / energy to cook. Lots of newspapers & magazines to read while I fed too. I did grumble about it at the time and said it would be cheaper to ff.

Had a few nursing bra's as I couldn't get a comfy one and had to shell out on new clothes as I couldn't fit in my maternity stuff but wasn't able to get to the gym to shrink back into my normal wardrobe. Plus the pump and sterliser.

TimeWasting · 16/05/2011 16:58

Also, savings made in not having to buy cows milk for 1-3 year olds.

PrettyCandles · 16/05/2011 17:02

Very Hmm about this claim.

The two boxes of breastpads I bought when pg with dc1 lasted me throughout breastfeeding - a total of 5.5years.

The steriliser and bottles were also a one-off cost (dc1 was mix-fed) that would have cost more had all 3 dc been mix-fed or ff. Teats had to be replaced for dc1, but only one set bought for each of dc2 and 3.

Feeding bras were cheaper than my every-day underwireds, and vastly cheaper than any fancy bras. I would have had to buy bras in any case.

Feeding tops were no dearer than regular tops, and I continued wearing some of them even after I stopped feeding. I would have had to buy tops in any case.

The only cost invcurred by breastfeeding, that would not have been incurred by ff, was the breastpump and freezerbags. One manual pump vs buying formula every week for 3 years? Definitely Hmm.

To be absolutely accurate, I did hire an electric pump for a few months, but whereas I suspect that the rest of my expenses will be fairly similar for most bfing mums, pump hire probably is not.

kimberlina · 16/05/2011 17:04

I've spent:
£52 on 4 mothercare nursing bras
£5 on avent nipple cream
£12.50 on tommee tippee manual breast pump (1/2 price in boots)
£3 every couple of months on tesco breast pads

I've saved:
£6 /month on tampax
£40/month on formula

So now at 6 months I reckon I'm about £200 in credit already. And the majority of things can be reused in the event of a DC2 appearing.

stillstanding · 16/05/2011 17:04

Sheesh - this is desperate stuff! Any additional cost of bf really is negligible

FreakoidOrganisoid · 16/05/2011 17:10

I had 4 nursing bras
2 nursing tops
breast pads (3 pairs washable ones-only needed first couple of months)
breast pump
bottles
One tube lansinoh

And LOTS of chocolate

Over 2 children

belgo · 16/05/2011 17:10

Meglet, to be fair, you can't really blame bfing for you buying takeaways etc.

belgo · 16/05/2011 17:11

And very few new mums I know have time to go to the gym, bfing or not.

theyoungvisiter · 16/05/2011 17:11

In the total of 5 years I have been breastfeeding, I have spent approximately... £75? Tops.

That's entirely nursing bras, plus one packet of breast milk bags (cost maybe a fiver). I suspect I would have spent that much on bras anyway during that period.

I didn't need breastpads, didn't use any bottles or sterilisers. I did actually have a breastpump but it was a freebie from a friend, I would probably not have bought one.

I think my major cost is one not taken into account by the study - cake and extra calories generally. I am quite serious - I always develop a raging cake habit when exclusively breast-feeding and eat puddings and sweet things like they are going out of fashion.

When not breastfeeding (or not breastfeeding much) I hardly eat sweet things from one week's end to another.

I'd estimate my weekly cake and icecream habit at probably a tenner a week. Over six months that's £260. But that's still fairly small beer compared to formula milk for a year (at least - since many people choose to carry on with follow on milks).

catinthehat2 · 16/05/2011 17:13

OK, I've flipped through the other replies

yup totally convinced now

catinthehat2 · 16/05/2011 17:13

(that I won't be increasing the OP's traffic pitched on the back of a successful site)

theyoungvisiter · 16/05/2011 17:17

am completely Shock at 15 nursing bras! I don't have 15 ORDINARY bras, let alone 15 nursing ones.

And night bras - what's that about?

SoupDragon · 16/05/2011 17:23

Did you register here simply to promote your blog?

belgo · 16/05/2011 17:24

I assume she did Soupdragon.

kimberlina · 16/05/2011 17:27

I've never heard of a night bra. I just sleep in my nursing bras!

Bunbaker · 16/05/2011 17:30

Utter, utter nonsense. I bought two bras and didn't bother wearing them. I didn't leak and didn't buy any special breastfeeding tops. This is simply a marketing campauign.

exoticfruits · 16/05/2011 17:33

I haven't even bothered to read it. I had 2 bras and you need them anyway. Tissues will do for pads and I wore Tshirts and jumpers that I would have worn anyway. Of course it is cheaper-even if you have a breast pump, which I didn't.

Okonomiyaki · 16/05/2011 17:46

Quite annoyed that I didn't spot OP was linking to her own blog.

That said, I did buy a whole load of bf'ing paraphernalia I didn't need.

Plus, let's not forget the £££ on extra cake!

mrsravelstein · 16/05/2011 17:54

how bizarre. next, tap water is more expensive than mineral water because you have to buy a house for £250,000 to keep the tap in.

theyoungvisiter · 16/05/2011 17:54

Agree it is a bit infra dig to register on a forum purely to shill your own product.

Quite tempted to comment on her blog waxing lyrical about netmums.

startail · 16/05/2011 18:04

Yes, having done both there is absolutely no competition. And remember there is no discount and no supermarket points on formula. Yes I know why, but when your flat broke and you've cried your eyes out because the little darling hasn't a clue it seems bloody unfair.

Muser · 16/05/2011 18:34

What a lot of bollocks. I have 3 feeding bras. I got a couple of feeding tops but I needed new clothes anyway. And now I just do the vest under an ordinary top thing. I have got a pump/bottles/steriliser but I've barely used them so they're definitely not needed. And you wouldn't need many bottles so it's not a massive expense. Plus my hospital gave me a manual pump for free.

I've never needed breastpads during the day and stuff a muslin in my vest at night. I got some Lilypadz when I was leaking at night, £15 reusable. And I do not sleep in a bra.

It's ridiculous to say it costs more/as much as formula. Especially when you're basing that on non-essential stuff. Essential stuff = one baby, one set of boobs.