A Breast Guest Story: "Just Give it Two Weeks"

Our first featured "Breast Guest"!

Lil'ExecutiveMomma writes:

"When I was pregnant with my first baby, back in 2006, I was also a student at FAU, completing my student teaching internship as a second grade teacher at a public school.  During my teaching semester, I was not paid (but was actually paying for a semester of college), and thus, was on a tight budget.  Because of this, I knew that I was going to breastfeed my baby, not necessarily because it was considered the best thing for him, but because it was the cheapest option for me—free.  I didn’t even bother researching all of the benefits of breastfeeding, simply because my decision had already been made.

At the time, I was also good friends with someone who already had two children, and was pregnant with her third.  She was the only person who spoke openly with me about child birthing and breastfeeding—she shared with me the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I’m glad that she did!  Up until that point, partly because of my new found obsession with “A Baby Story” on TLC, I thought that having a baby would be a wonderful experience, and that we would leave the hospital, go home and sleep peacefully at night.  Haha!  (Has that happened to anyone?)  I didn’t even consider that MY baby would be colicky, and would cry ALL day and ALL night for three months!  No, I was living happily in my very own fantasy land where I thought that I would breastfeed my baby without any issues, and we would all live happily ever after.

One of the things that my friend told me while I was pregnant (which turned out to be a very important message) was that breastfeeding would be painful for about the first two weeks, and I just needed to “stick it out that long” and everything would be smooth sailing afterwards.  She also told me to pack nipple cream in my hospital bag and apply it after EVERY feeding, even after the very first feeding (before the pain set in).   Well, she was right about having to stick it out for the first two weeks!  Breastfeeding was extremely painful for me (although, I’ve heard that has not been everyone’s experience, so don’t get discouraged).  Even with the nipple cream applied after EVERY feeding, it was still very painful, especially since my baby needed to nurse every two hours.  I remember crying in pain before/during a few feedings, and came VERY close to switching to formula, despite my budget.  But, I remembered my friend’s advice, and vividly remember her telling me to stick it out for the first two weeks, and then nursing would be pain-free after that.

Partly because I’m stubborn and am determined to make everything work in my favor, and partly because I had already nursed my baby for a week, I didn’t want to give up so easily (when I only had one more week of pain left, according to my friend).  I did stick it out another week (after a few conversations/pep-talks with my good friend), and I am so glad that I did.   After my two-week break-in period, nursing became extremely easy for me.  I no longer needed nipple cream, I could nurse comfortably in front of the TV, or even in public, and I didn’t have to pay for formula.  That only left me to deal with a colicky baby 24/7… but four and half years and three breastfed babies later, we ARE living happily ever after. 

So, I will gladly echo my friend’s advice to all new mothers who are planning to breastfeed, “just give it two weeks”."

Thank you Lil'ExecutiveMomma for sharing your story, for the great tips and for being a breast friend to our readers!

I did a little research to see exactly how much it costs to feed your baby formula. According to Suite101:

"Pre-Mixed Ready-to-Feed Formula - Cost Per Day - $6.00, Cost Per Month - $180,

Cost Per Year - $2,160

Concentrate in Cans (Mix with Water) - Cost Per Day - $4.60, Cost Per Month - $138,

Cost Per Year - $1,600

Powdered in Cans (Mix with Water) - Cost Per Day - $3.75, Cost Per Month - $112,

Cost Per Year - $1,350

Cost of Hypoallergenic and Organic Formulas for Babies With Special Needs:

If you are savvy parent-consumers, it does not take you long to realize that the cost of formula varies widely. Our list above is by no means an all-inclusive list. In fact, some of the more expensive, hypoallergenic, lactose-free and organic brands of formula can run parents $14 or more for approximately 24 ounces of formula. This translates to about $420 per month or over $5,000 per year. Not to mention, by the time your baby is several months old, he or she will be eating more than 24 ounces of formula a day."

And that does not include the cost of bottles, sterilizers, nipples, brushes, etc. Health care expenses also increase with formula fed babies because they are sick more often.

The article did a price comparison for the cost of breastfeeding:

Cost of Breastfeeding Supplies:

Double Electric Breast Pump - $400
Breastfeeding Pillow - $40
Breast Milk Storage Kit - $30
Breast Cream - $8
Breast Pads (Pair of 2) - $20
Nursing Bra (2) - $50
Breastfeeding Tops (4) - $120

Total Amount of Breastfeeding Supplies - $668

I just have to say that those numbers seem high to me. Maybe some moms go out and spend $120 on a new "nursing wardrobe" but I wasn't one of them (okay maybe I spent $8 per nightgown from Target and bought a weeks worth - still that's only $56!). And not all moms buy a pump, though I do highly recommend the Medela Double Electric Breast Pump which is currently selling for $279.00 at Target, compared to the $400 estimate listed above.

And as our "Breast Guest" pointed out, breastmilk itself is free!