#vizoftheweek 2: The Costs of Breastfeeding

"Breastfeeding is free. It costs zero… zip… zilch… absolutely nothing beyond making sure you eat healthy food."

-A quote from KellyMom.com

Producing breastmilk takes investment in the form of time and resources. As breastfeeding becomes more prevalent while most mothers work, there are many hidden costs to doing both. So, as I looked for numbers to visualize, I kept up with my nursing costs for the first year of my daughter’s life* to assess how expensive it was and to address the privilege of #workingwhilebreastfeeding. The cost can skyrocket even higher than what is reflected here because the growing breastfeeding accessories market heavily influences new parents to buy more. Even though I managed without special milk production teas and vitamins, test strips, training books, and wraps, the costs were not insignificant. In total, I spent over $850 on goods related to breastfeeding in my daughter's first 12 months.

There are also many indirect costs, including the amount of time it takes to nurse and pump, and the lack of freedom when you must consistently be near a pump or baby. However, it was enjoyable getting a chance to quantify my experience, and I must acknowledge the privilege of being able to nurse and pump while working full time. 

 

*I only looked at the first 12 months because babies typically no longer need formula after the first year, and after my daughter’s first birthday, breastfeeding became a supplement to solid food.

• Read more on the topic: Stop Saying Breast Milk is Free.
• Visit the dataCAVE and use the software to make your own viz.
• Reach out to dataCAVE@uta.edu for help with quantifying or visualizing your research.