The REAL Cost of Breastfeeding

In the article “Breast vs. Formula: The Financial Bottom Line” by Anne Bulin, the truth behind the REAL cost of breastfeeding is exposed. She draws up two charts, one that shows the cost of everything she had to buy to successfully and comfortably breastfeed her baby for 8 months and the other the cost of 8 months worth of formula.

Cost of breastfeeding my infant for 8 months
Quantity Item Price Total
1 Medela Breastpump $199.00 $199.00
1 Avent Manual Pump $29.99 $29.99
1 Boppy Pillow $19.99 $19.99
5 Nursing Bras $29.20 $146.00
5 Nursing Tops $24.00 (avg) $119.97
1 Lansinoh lanolin ointment $4.99 $4.99
1 MilkMate storage system $10.00 $10.00
2 Platex nurses w/nipples $4.99 $9.98
1 Disposable bottle liners (100) $3.99 $3.99
Total $543.91


Estimated cost of formula-feeding my infant for 8 months
Quantity Item Price Total
23[1] Enfamil 2lb powder $22.99 $506.00
6 Platex nurses w/nipples $4.99 $29.94
14 Disposable bottle liners (100) $3.99 $55.86
Total $591.80

However, she does point out that not ALL of the items she purchased may be necessary for everyone. For example, a woman who did not have to work may not require the $200 breast pump. She also points out that the cost could be even higher if a bottle warmer and sterilizer were purchased(used to feed baby pumped milk). She is not trying to discourage breastfeeding though, and states that her breastfed baby has yet to be sick and recognizes how breast milk can lower the chance on some infections…which can also save money.
I totally agree with Bulin’s point in this article. Breastfeeding is always advertised as being cheap and a money saver, but I also know from experience that it’s not. I have bought everything on her breastfeeding list and THEN some. Since we are not cavewomen any more, items such as the breast pump and bottles are necessary if the woman ever needs or wants to be away from her baby for more than three hours. Nursing bras and tops are also a necessity if you don’t want to undress every time you need to feed your baby. I am glad that someone took the time to add up the cost and write this article because even though I have bought this stuff, I didn’t realize it was this close to the price of formula.
Bulin, Anne. "Breast vs Formula: The Financial Bottom Line." breastfeeding.com. Breastfeeding.com, Inc, 2010. Web. 13 Apr 2010.
http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/financial.html

Extended Breastfeeding

In this video, four doctors and a studio audience debate whether or not breastfeeding toddlers and kids is still beneficial. One mother says that she still breastfeeds her two year old son and believes that it is "normal" to continue until he is seven years old. She tells the people who disagree with her that the problem with America is that we see breast as almost exclusively sexual instead of their real purpose which is to nurish. Most of the doctors agree with her and say that breast milk's benefits don't stop working when the child is a certain age. One doctor also states that for the world as a whole, the average age that women stop nursing is four. However, the female doctor strongly disagrees and says that if you breastfeed past one year, it is only benefiting the woman's needs and not the child's. She advices the mother to stop nursing so her child can become independent.

I thought that this video brought up alot of debateable issues which made it interesting. However, I fully agree with the female doctor that nursing after one year of age is unproductive. From none of my other research have I found anything that says there are health benefits past this age. I also agree that the child needs seperation from his mother at this age...and especially before he is 7! At this point, the kid is old enough to take a vitamin if she is concerned about his health and they can go to Disney World to bond and have mother-child time.

Breast Milk and Obesity

In the article “Breastfeeding Fights Obesity” by Doraine Bailey, a study in Kentucky on breastfeeding and its obesity prevention effects are explained, as the title suggest. Bailey states that “in Kentucky, significant numbers of children younger than 6 years of age are overweight, and the number continues to increase” (Bailey). In recent studies including more than 300,000 children, it has been shown that breastfeeding for at least 3 months consistently reduces chance of obesity. The CDC estimated that breastfeeding can prevent 15-20% of obesity cases. Since breast milk tends to take on the flavor of what the mother has eaten that day, children who were breastfed are more likely to try those leafy green veggies since they were exposed to many different tastes as an infant. Also, formula tends to signal the brain to store more fat than breast milk does. To promote breastfeeding, the state of Kentucky passed a law to allow women to feed in all public places and to excuse breastfeeding mothers from jury duty, since the state only has a 25% breastfeeding rate past two weeks.
I thought this was a very well written article. It was not repetitive and hard to read like some articles on this topic. I felt like the author was very passionate about her stance on the issue and did a very good job of promoting breastfeeding. The article contained several statistics and facts that were useful and interesting. I was shocked that 20% of obese people may not be had they been fed breast milk instead of formula.

Bailey, Doraine. "Breastfeeding Fights Obesity." chfs. N.p., June 2007. Web. 8 Apr 2010.

http://www.chfs.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/9130DDE5-1806-4B89-B410-685F26556A96/0/ObesityNewsletter.pdf

Breast Feeding and Breast Cancer

The article “Breast-Feeding Lowers Breast Cancer Risk for Some” by Deborah Kotz describes some of the health benefits for mom. Kotz states that according to some recent studies, women who had a history of breast cancer in their family could lower the risk by breast feeding. Breast feeding can also keep a woman’s weight in check, another key factor in preventing breast cancer. However, Kotz admits that “the protective effect extended only to women already at elevated risk of breast cancer”(Kotz). If the woman is already at low risk for cancer, the breast feeding will not make it any lower. Still, for the ones at high risk, the chances are definitely cut, as well as risk for ovarian cancer and bone loss.
I was very surprised reading this article. I didn’t think that this would be a way to possibly reduce risk of cancer. I did think it was odd that it only helps certain women though. I guess the ones who are at high risk are the ones who need the most protection anyway. Since my grandmother and two aunts have had breast cancer, it was good to know that I could be helping to lower my chances of getting it.

Kotz, Deborah. "Breast-Feeding Lowers Breast Cancer Risk for Some." U.S. News and World Report (2009): n. pag. Web. 1 Apr 2010.

http://www.usnews.com/health/blogs/on-women/2009/8/10/breastfeeding-lowers-breast-cancer-risk-for-some