in an alternate universe, breastfeeding is not free...

[DivineMrsM]

would you still chose to breastfeed, if you had to pay for it like you'd pay for formula?

i was saying to my friend that i resent having to use the phase "and it's FREE!!" as a good reason to nurse. i wish that the health benefit alone was a good enough reason. and she said to me that if formula was free and you had to pay to nurse, she'd still chose nursing. as would i!

how about you?

[Llyra]

Of course I would, if the price was at all within our reach.

I love breastfeeding. Outside of it being the correct food for human babies, and it being a live food with immunologic (I don't know about that word..... Is it the right word?) benefits as well as nutritional benefits, and all the emotional benefits, and the incredible convenience-- all these are for the baby, but I love nursing for myself, too. I love the closeness, and the convenience, and the wonderful oxytocin rush, and being able to feed while sleeping.

Yeah, of course I would. Even if they were giving away formula free.

[Megan73]

I DID pay to nurse. Add up renting a baby scale, hospital-grade pump, Lact-Aid units and bags –not to mention the formula I STILL needed to use as a supplement – and I've spent probably $1,000+ to nurse.
Worth every penny

[MountainMamaGC]

My friend and I were talking about this too. We would both pay. Not only that but the conversation ended with both of us promising to donate if the other couldnt make enough milk or could not breastfeed for some reason.

[RedPony]

pay in heartbeat here!

[thixle]

Voted "yes," but I feel like I already do pay!

Nursing pads, shirts to wear w/o flashing people, the pump, the storage bags, all cost $

and let's not forget the biggest cost of all-- all that food I eat so i can make the milk, lol

[GoBecGo]

If formula and nursing cost the same or nursing was only slightly more expensive, yes, i would of course still choose the best option for my money. If nursing was substantially more expensive, maybe not. If i lived as i do now, in a western country with free healthcare and access to clean and safe water, and nursing was not financially viable for us then i would feed formula. I wouldn't put my family overall in hardship to nurse and infant, any more than i would put my family overall in hardship to have private healthcare for one of us.

Fortunately nursing is free so i will never be faced with the choice.

[inkedmamajama]

i would gladly pay for breastmilk!

[maggie80]

I would pay! The OP got me thinking...you know how formula companies have comercials that advertise about having DHA in the formula or proteins found in breastmilk. What would breastmilk's commercials be like?

[MilkbarMom]

My husband and I are hoping to adopt, and I have induced a milk supply. I can tell you it has not been free at all! I have spent $$$ on herbs, prescriptions, pumps, parts, time, etc. It is worth the expense and the effort for me.

[GoBecGo]

Originally Posted by maggie80

I would pay! The OP got me thinking...you know how formula companies have comercials that advertise about having DHA in the formula or proteins found in breastmilk. What would breastmilk's commercials be like?

In the UK there are breastmilk ads all the time. Maybe you'd find them on YouTube?

[mamadelbosque]

I voted other, because it would depend. If formula was free and it cost money to breastfeed, honestly right now I'd probably do formula. We could *NOT* afford formula right now, and if I had to pay an equivalnt amount to breastfeed when formula was free, I probably couldn't justify it. Its nice to say 'oh, I'd pay whatever it cost to bf!' but not everyone has the resources to do so. We certainly don't.

[LadyCatherine185]

There is one Medela commercial I see every now and then (here in the US)-- It has "ads" for breastmilk in the newspaper and "gallons" of breastmilk at the grocery store, etc and in the background it says "the best thing for your baby can't be bought in stores..."

And I agree with the PP who said most of us already DO "pay" to breastfeed.. if you count the clothing/nursing bras/pads/pumps/and of course extra food for Mama!

[frontierpsych]

I voted yes. It's free or pretty close too it for me: no problems nursing, no pumps or bottles or special clothes (I wear a tank top under my shirt instead of bras, it's actually probably cheaper), only used pads the first few months, and those were hand me down cloth... I don't think I actually eat more than normal either, I'm just not as fat as I would be if I weren't breastfeeding.

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

yes, of course i would the benefits still far outweigh those of formula wether its free or not.

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque

I voted other, because it would depend. If formula was free and it cost money to breastfeed, honestly right now I'd probably do formula. We could *NOT* afford formula right now, and if I had to pay an equivalnt amount to breastfeed when formula was free, I probably couldn't justify it. Its nice to say 'oh, I'd pay whatever it cost to bf!' but not everyone has the resources to do so. We certainly don't.

I think it would save money long-term, on doctors' visits and lifelong health benefits.

[mamadelbosque]

Maybe so. But we don't have money *RIGHT NOW* let alone in 10 years. I have no doubts about the benfits of BFing, but realistically we could *NOT* afford formula, and if breastfeeding cost as much as formula there is *NO WAY* we could afford it. And, for me at least, breastfeeding is all but free - I bought 3 glass bottles when DS1 was born, and was given a handpump. I wear regular shirts, the only thing I've bought 'to' breastfeed is bras - and atm, I have two that cost me a whopping $30. I probably won't buy anymore for another year+. I've never leaked except at night/when not wearing a bra (and even then only the first 2 or 3 weeks tops) so I've never needed nursing pads (I'm still on my very first box that was given to me when DS1 was born). Breastfeeding you can go all out and buy all the 'specialty' clothing... or you can just wear your normal stuff and make do. You can even make-do with regular bras (I know because I did at first with DS1 and for a couple weeks with DS2 when my last one from DS1 finally broke before I got around to getting new ones). Most moms who are SAHM have *NO* need for a fancy breast pump and can easily live with just a cheapo hand pump - the kind that many WIC offices give out for free. So the only thing 'extra' is the extra food. And, TBH I don't feel like its that much extra that I eat when BF. Maybe an extra 10 dollars a week, tops.

[mambera]

Originally Posted by Megan73

I DID pay to nurse. Add up renting a baby scale, hospital-grade pump, Lact-Aid units and bags –not to mention the formula I STILL needed to use as a supplement – and I've spent probably $1,000+ to nurse.
Worth every penny

Ditto that. I've been afraid to count it up, but maybe it's time.

Purchased consumer-grade electric pump with car charger, $300
$80/month for the hospital grade pump, x 4 months = $160
$150 each for 2 appointments with the LC, $300
Various herbal supplements and vitamins, probably around $100
An experiment with domperidone, $100
A book on how to make more milk, $40

That's a round thousand right there and I didn't count the nursing bras, nursing shirts, baby scale, formula supplements, etc.

Worth it (obviously), but jeebus!!

[ErikaS57]

Estimate of what I've spent:

2 breastpumps ($300 each)
Deep freezer ($500)
couple thousand milk storage bags ($400+)
Many kinds of bottles - picky baby ($100)
Extra pump flanges ($75)
Storage bottles ($50)
Nursing tops ($400)
Nursing bras ($100)
Nursing pads ($100)
Books ($100)
Supplements ($50)

Now, most of those are estimates, and it's for 2 kids. Also some weren't "needs", but "nice to haves".

Oh, and there's the bundle of $$ I spent trying to find a sling/carrier that I could easily BF in (reselling the ones that didn't work out).