Breast feeding- is it really cheaper?

[MissWing]

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

I read once how many extra calories are needed if you are bfing, can't remember the number but it translates as something really small like one extra slice of bread. I suspect that all of us (and I definitely include me in this!) who treated ourselves to cake and chocolate might have done it anyway and didn't really need to, it's just nice. So I don't think it's an extra cost of bfing.

Delaying return to work isn't an extra cost surely, there's no reason to delay. I went back to work when DS was 7 months old and bf'd until he was 14 months. I would guess most people don't go back to work while bfing because they get generous enough mat entitlement to enable them not to.

Thanks Okonomiyaki, coldcomfortHeart and Babieseverywhere.

And to everyone else too.

Think all the observations about the power of the market to create a perception of necessity are really pertinent! Will take up Okonomiyaki's suggestion and redraft.

In a nutshell: The milk is the same whatever the bra. And I would be wearing a bra anyway.

Thanks again.

PS Pregnacare supplements?- what was I thinking?

PPS Like RitaMorgan- My Granny didn't have any kit at all.

I'm not sure about the extra calories thing - I definitely need more and actually can't manage to eat them. I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight straight after DS was born, stayed there for 4 months and then when he hit 4 months and needed more food, my weight nose-dived and I lost nearly a stone, which I can't put back on again. I look horrible at the moment - all scrawny everywhere else, particularly my face, and huge disproportionate boobs.

We wasted very little food before having DS, so I imagine there would be an extra cost if I could actually manage to eat enough.

The slice of toast is the pregnancy calorie requirements. You need between 500 and 1000 extra calories, although it seems to be personal, when breastfeeding.

I found something by TikTok on Google so maybe she can give a better answer.