Baby Formula Rip-Off
For all gay parents, some straight and lesbian parents the most expensive part of rearing a babies is feeding them formula. Take into account, most birth mothers breast feed their kids from birth to how ever long they wish or the child begins to wean off. Here are the current U.S. statistics, 81% of new families breastfeed. That number drops 20% by 6 months and by after 1 year that starting number drops to down significantly to 34% of mothers are still breastfeeding. Now that number isn’t that bad when you consider that in 2010, the after 1 year number was 25%. Sadly for you I am not that interested in the statistics as to why the child or mother choose to stop. That’s a whole other topic in it self.
Now back to the root of this rant or story. Formula is highway robbery! You figure breastfeeding is free, except for all the breast pumping gadgetry. If another mom complains to me how expensive breast pumps are, I am about to slap them! Now I will give them the pain factor but what formula does to your bank account is just plain theft. Let’s do the numbers!
For all 3 of our kids, we bottle feed them breast milk for the first 2-3 weeks of their lives. After that it was or will be bottled formula till they are 12 months. Now by 2 months, babies have usually have moved from 4 ounces to 8 ounces. Their feeding schedule can demand anywhere from 4 to 6 bottles each daily. So that means by their peak the twins were eating 12 eight ounce bottles daily. Now formula is economically purchased in cases.
We currently use the enfamil brand and a case of refills contains 8 packs. Now, one refill pack feeds the twins for one day. Which means one case lasts us 8 days. That case of formula is $154.00. So that means we spend over $550 a month on formula! Now, if the kids were drinking regular whole milk instead of formula the cost would be dramatically different. If one child averaged five (8 ounce) bottles a day, they would drink about 150 bottles a month. I figure we can get about 16 bottles from a gallon a milk, which means at $7 a gallon, we would spend around $65 a month on regular milk. Saving us $485 each month.
Like I said, formula is rip off! I understand I need to feed my baby but companies like Mead Johnson, Abbott Labs and Gerber are milking, parents who need to use formula, dry. What’s the alternative to using formula? There of coarse are some homemade recipes online and some parents resort to using Almond, Cashew & Hemp milk with a lot of additives like sea moss, maple syrup or fruits like bananas. From what I’ve read online, the reason why whole milk is discouraged is because scientists believe that newborns intestine lining is not tough enough to process whole milk. Your child runs the risk of developing conditions like lactose intolerance.
Overall the arguments about using whole milk are pretty much a non-topic. Some parents believe using goats milk is the answer but honestly you are just running into the neighborhood of the cost inflation. Not to mention using all those other milks will probably run up a hefty bill with all those additives, well maybe not as high $150 week for formula. So for now, we are counting down the 49 days left we have using formula. Seriously we are counting. We are already practicing the use of the sippy cup. Yes! Progress!