Want a little weekend math? Now that I’m done nursing, we’re feeling the financial impact of formula. Woah, that stuff is expensive! It’s no wonder some stores actually require an employee to unlock it for you if you’re buying it. I actually gave away the free tubs we got from the hospital since we didn’t need it then and now I’m kicking myself!
So let’s do some milk math to find out how much we saved by my almost eight-months of breastfeeding.
How Much Milk Did I Make?
Here’s a rough estimate of the amount of milk I’ve provided in the past eight months.
| MONTH | BREAST MILK | FORMULA | TOTAL INTAKE/DAY | TOTAL BREASTMILK EXPRESSED (Approx 30 days/month) |
| 1-2 | 8x day x 3oz = 24oz | 0 | 24oz | 1440oz |
| 3 | 6x day x 5oz = 30oz | 0 | 30oz | 900oz |
| 4 | 5x day x 5oz = 25oz | 1x5oz = 5oz | 30oz | 750oz |
| 5 | 4x day x 5oz = 20oz | 2x5oz = 10oz | 30oz | 600oz |
| 6 | 3x day x 5oz = 15oz | 3x5oz = 15oz | 30oz | 450oz |
| 7 | 2x day x 5oz = 10oz | 4x5oz = 20oz | 30oz | 300oz |
| 8 | 1x day x 5oz = 5oz | 5x5oz = 25oz | 30oz | 150oz |
| TOTAL: 4590oz |
Note the slow decline in the amount I was producing over the months. It’s kind of neat to see it in a chart form. (For someone who stopped taking math junior year of high school, I really like numbers!)
How Much Money Did We Save?
How much money would 4,590oz of milk cost? Well if you consider a 23.5oz tub of Enfamil is usually $23.99, each 5oz bottle of mixed formula cost $1.26 (not including tax).
4,590oz of milk is 918 5oz bottles. 918 Free Bottles of Milk!
So 918 Bottles x $1.26 each = $1,156.68. WOW!
Cost of Nursing
It’s true that breastfeeding isn’t free though. I suppose it could be, but for us, there were significant costs involved:
$325 – Pump
$25 – Hands-Free Pump Bra
$25 – Extra Pump Membranes <— last ditch effort to try to increase supply!
$10 x 5 = $50- Lactation Support Classes
$75 – Breastfeeding Class at the Hospital
$25 – Six Boxes of Mother’s Milk Tea
$20 – Fenugreek Pills (To try to increase supply)
$10 – Nursing Cover
$16 – Medela Freezer Storage Bags
$45 – Three Calma Nipples (to avoid nipple confusion <— waste of money, by the way!)
=$616 <— My Out-Of-Pocket Cost of Breastfeeding
Money Saved
So if the value of the milk I produced was $1,156.68 and I subtract the costs associated ($616), I still saved us $540.68 over the course of 8 months. Of course there are other benefits to breastfeeding (nutrition, bonding, convenience, etc) but it’s also fun to see the financial benefits as well.
Happy Weekend!
Kelocity.com 
Thanks for the post. I’ve been breastfeeding for 4 months now and being a working mom the pumping is a pain. I keep reevaluating every month but so far so good. I just don’t want to pump next school year! It’s so worth it though. I love our bonding time. Formula is ridiculously expensive!