How much money does breastfeeding save you?

[IHeartLockhart]

I'm terrible at months and getting myself in a pickle trying to add it up.

If I exclusively breastfed for say, 6 months how much money do you think I would save as opposed to formula feeding?

That's what I meant Chunderella. Some costs might be unavoidable for some women (dependant on their breastfeeding experience), but for lots of others it can be quite cheap. Especially if you can get second hand or free things from friends/family.

As it happens, I actually spent shitloads, as I had to express for the first few weeks due to DS being in SCBU, so bought a new breast pump, steriliser, bottles etc that I hadn't planned to as we needed it all urgently. Once we were up and running though, from about 6 weeks, I spent very little extra.

If I'm fortunate enough to have a second DC then I won't have to spend too much more as I already have most of what I might need.

Orange I'm not sure the savings on nights out are exclusive to EBF mums, DD is formula fed and seems to have turned me teetotal

After 6 months breastfed babies are supposed to be on vitamin D supplements so you would need to buy those, I also had to get iron supplements for me as got iron deficient (but this may have been related to digestive problems too).

I am EBF my 6 month old... but for the first 5 weeks I had to express and had to rent a hospital grade pump for two months plus all the bottles, a steriliser etc. and for the first week I had to use a little Neutramigen, as we have a a family history of allergies, which is horribly expensive. My DD also had tongue-tie... which had to be cut twice privately (as did my DS). I also needed breastpads, bras etc.

I had some of these things from my DS but still... to get to this point I am guessing my costs are well over £400... for each child!

Think - all of that is untrue here. Both mine bf and slept from 11pm-7am from weeks old. So any wakings after 3months dh could also deal with as baby was fed 11pm by me, then dh could deal with any random wakings until morning ( were only say 2 nights a week woke maybe between 3-6months). Had no pain, and still went out as and when needed. Just fed before, left and returned few hours later. We had few emergency pre mixed cartons incase dh needed and baby drank from doidy cup from 2months for water/ milk if needed. Only used 3 pre made cartons in first 6 months with ds1 ( all when I was in hospital sick in early pregnancy with ds2)

So x10 milk cartons - £10 ( lasted x2 babies as just in emergency)
X2 doidy cup - £6
X3 nursing bras -£50
X5 nursing dresses ( biggest expense) - £380
X 1 pack cream and pads -£5
= £450 approx for x2 children. 18-24months bf each ( 1 year tandem fed)

For use that is a huge saving I think. Especially as we had x2 close so would have had double the milk expense at one point. Also for conscience I would have probably brought pre made milk when out/ baby at work with me as the faff of carrying hot water/ or boiling it somewhere, cooling down, mixing etc would have annoyed me after a while. So I'm guessing it would have cost approx £1000 per child to feed first 18 months in milk. So £1500 saving approx

I spent most on dresses which wasn't essential, but worked well as usually wear dresses and others weren't suitable, plus easier to discreetly feed when needed ( ie ds1 was fed at 3 weeks old in a huge meeting I had to give and was it was fine). Nursing clothing is probably available a lot on eBay etc also in good condition

I’ve spent nothing on bf.I didn’t bother with nursing bras (a bra that fits properly is ok,but it has to fit right) my friend gave me 3 boxes of breast pads and 3 tubes of lasinoh as we had a baby at the same time but she only bf a couple of weeks (i only needed them the first few weeks so still have a box upstairs).I haven’t got a pump either,im always here to feed her.

She is 9 months now,and planning on feeding her to at least a year,hopefully 2.

also i dint buy special bf clthes i just whack my boob out over my top,its easy.

Everyone who is saying Lansinoh cream at £8-10 a tube - my midwife told me just to call into GP surgery and request it on prescription when DS was 3 days old - I did (free prescriptions in England until baby's first birthday)! Not sure whether this is the case all over the country or whether it differs by NHS region, but at the rate I'm going through the stuff I'm glad she told me, or I'd have spent a fortune on it!

Prob not, but now at 3 and 4 they have a glass of milk with breakfast and after dinner which before 2 they didn't at bf. So they drink about a pint each a day they didn't between 12-24months

I'm insanely jealous of all you ladies who only needed breast pads for the first few weeks. I'm 8 months in and still occasionally wake up in a pool of milk (and that's with breast pads in!)

Also if you get healthy start vouchers, you can use them towards the cost of formula, making it even cheaper.

Going through a box of HIPP formula a week with DC1 cost me £7.99, plus the bottles and steriliser.

I'm BF DC2. Going through chocolate probably costs me the same as formula a week, plus three packs of washable breast pads and some nursing bras.

I'm not sure I'm any better off financially this time, but I've found it less hassle and stress to BF.

With the nursing bras, tops, pads, lansinoh, breast pumps and particularly getting the tongue tie sorted out, I've spent a hell of a lot on breast feeding.

Pretty sure I haven't saved anything at all.

I have exclusively breastfed DD for 6 months. I have probably spent an awful lot on doing so. Part of this will be due to my imminent return to work and part due to my obsessive spending habits!

• £50 nursing bras, though would have needed new bras anyway most likely
• £120 breast pump, storage bottles, bags, steriliser etc.
• £30 trying to find a bottle/teat/cup she would agree to drink from (would probably have spent less if I'd bought bottles to FF from the start)
• £150 on extra food. I have never been so hungry in my life. I also went dairy free when there were allergy suspicions. This is probably balanced out easily by my reduced spend on alcohol!

Once back at work I'll most likely have to give some formula, but will still be saving some by having a couple of breastfeeds per day, plus all the equipment is already bought.