Breastfeeding: Why It's Both A Time- And Money-Saver

During their first two to four weeks, newborn babies have to be breastfed eight to 12 times during a 24-hour period. The frequency, however, will naturally be reduced as your child gets older (something that you can certainly look forward to).

But if you just gave birth, you will have to nurse your child on demand anytime, whether it’s day or night. So before you can start shopping for breastfeeding work clothes  and other appropriate outfits , you will be devoting a lot of your time to nursing your baby.

Let’s take a look at why Breastfeeding could be the best choice (if you are lucky enough to have the choice).

The Upside of Breastfeeding

There can be no doubt about it: Nursing your baby will take a lot of your time and energy. Breastfeeding will make you feel tired constantly, especially if you have to wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning to feed your child.

Breastfeeding instead of bottle feeding your baby, however, will still be the best decision you can make since you will save a lot of time, energy, and money through the following ways:

1.     Breast milk is free (Yay!)

A month’s supply of infant and baby formula can cost you hundreds of dollars. You will end up spending even more money monthly if your baby tends to need feeding a lot and your child can only drink a special type of formula.

Spending money to keep your baby well fed is something that you will never worry about if you are breastfeeding. You can then use the money you save for other important things such as supplements, healthier foods, nursing clothes, etc. – items that will enable you to nurse your baby better.

2. You won’t have to spend time shopping for the right formula milk

There are numerous brands of formula milk available in the market right now. Your child’s pediatrician can recommend a specific brand, but if you want to try something else, you will have to do some research on the different formulas.

In case your baby has some allergies as my daughter had or digestion issues, you will also have to devote some time to reading up on the recommended formula brands. There will be instances wherein the formula you need won’t be available in your area and you have to place a special order for it. Even if you can buy them at your local supermarket or pharmacy, they may run out of stock from time to time.

Once you run out of formula milk and you don’t have any in stock, what will you feed your baby, especially if your child is not eating solids yet? You may have to travel far, and call or check other shops just to purchase the brand you need. These are problems you will never have to worry about if you’re breastfeeding. You won’t have to spend a lot of time and energy (and money) purchasing formula milk regularly.

3. You will save money on milk bottles and other bottle feeding essentials

If you choose to bottle feed your baby, you won’t just have to buy cans of formula milk; you will also have to purchase other items. These include feeding bottles, bottle brushes and cleaning soap, a bottle rack, and a dishwasher basket for the nipples.  

Keep in mind that if you bottle feed your baby, you will need to buy other items you will have to use whenever you and your child go out. You will have to shell out more money to buy an insulated baby bottle bag and other containers to make sure all your formula feeding essentials are packed properly.

 

4.  Breastfeeding requires less effort

If you are breastfeeding, when your baby needs feeding, you simply bring your child to your breast. This will take you only seconds to do (unless you need several minutes to fully wake up and go to your baby). You can even safely catch a few winks while nursing your baby so that you can get some rest, too. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to enjoy these conveniences if you are formula-feeding your baby.

Preparing a bottle will take you several minutes. You have to make sure you are adding correctly measured milk powder and water in the bottle, and ensure you shake it properly before feeding your child. You’ll need to ensure the water is at the right temperature, too. If you don’t have any clean bottles, you will need to spend time washing them. All of these can really be tiring, especially if you have to do these at night.
 

5.   You will save money and avoid all the stress associated with your child getting sick

Lastly, breast milk is the most nutritious and complete food that babies can get. It contains high amounts of all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients babies need to stay healthy and develop properly. All these nutrients will help protect your child from illnesses.

And if you have a healthy baby, you won’t need to spend money on medicines, doctor and hospitalization fees. You won’t have to put in extra work and lose extra sleep to take care of and worry about your sick child, either.

Breastfeeding offers endless benefits not only to your child but to yourself as well. To experience these health benefits and other perks, try to breastfeed your baby immediately after childbirth. Check out a site like BabyCared for more information on the benefits of breastfeeding. 

AUTHOR BIO

At 16, Merril Bainbridge began her career in the Australian fashion industry. In her early 20's she left to launch a successful Pop Music career which saw her at the top of the US Music Charts. Retiring to start a family, she found a new purpose helping breastfeeding women with her fashion label, Peachymama.