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Most new parents ask “Why is a baby formula so expensive? Baby formula is a manufactured food formulated for feeding babies and infants that are well below twelve months of age. Most of the time, formulas are designed for cup-feeding from powder or liquid.
According to the United States Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), baby formula is defined as a food which typifies a special dietary function for infants. This definition is due to the fact that baby formula stimulates human milk, and is ideal as a total or unbalanced alternative for human milk.
For a long time now, baby formula has been in high demands in places like the United States and Europe to mention a few, and this demand does not evade the fact that more parents cannot afford a baby formula compared to those who can. Why? Baby formulas can be so expensive.
What makes baby formula so expensive? Here is it. Baby formulas are products of intensive, rigorous research, and processed with huge expenses. You need to know that formula is not the same thing as powdered milk. Research experts have put in lots of work in figuring out the actual contents of breast milk, and are trying to find a way to make some of those contents available in baby formula.
At the end that, babies who cannot get breast milk, will not be devoid of the essential nutrients that make for healthy growth and development. Even at this, baby formula companies know that they can always only try, and breast milk nutrients are not easy to match.
So in the background, a terrific amount of money is spent on marketing these goods. Marketing in the sense of television advertisements, full-page advertisements, and countless sponsored content, are parts of the money spending process. If you have browsed on your computer before, about pregnancy and baby-related things, chances are that a baby formula paid advertisement have once popped up on your screen.
Formula companies dissipate lots of money into marketing every year, and spend quite a lot in advertisements. Somehow, if you feed your baby with formula, you will pay for this. So the thing to keep in mind when you are purchasing a baby formula is that, you are not only paying for a can, but also for research, expertise, meticulous processing, advertisement, and free samples. Alongside all of these, you are somehow paying for profits too.
Unless you want to opt for relactation, you have to get a formula for your baby, in a case where they cannot get breast milk.
How Much Formula to buy per month?
To have intimation with the cost of baby formula, the first thing to do is come up with an estimation of your baby’s requirement of milk. It is clinically established that babies take in an average of 25 ounces of milk every day throughout their first twelve months alive.
The second thing to know is the cost of your favorite formula per ounce. Research has it that, the cheapest of brands will cost you as cheap as nine cents for an ounce, while you can expect to pay 32 cents thereabout for the most sophisticated ones.
Depending on the brand of your choice, it is advisable to budget between $822.25 and $2,920, if your baby takes in 25 ounces on a daily basis. This should cover up throughout their first year.
Below is a comprehensive calculation of the cost of your baby formula in a year:
If you are getting a cheap formula:
0.009 times 25 = 2.25
2.25 times 365 = 821.25
If you are getting an expensive one:
0.032 times 25 = 8.00
8.00 times 365 = 2,920
Basically, to ascertain the cost of baby formula per month, all you need to do is divide the price you got for a year by 12. And that leaves you with a range between $68 and $243.
How to Get Free Baby Formula Samples
- Request Free Formula Samples: Many companies give baby formula samples out for free, in hope that you will love them, and probably make a purchase soon. Companies where this is done include: Enfamil, Similac, Gerber, Member’s Mark and, Nature’s One.
- Consult your Physician’s Office: Formula companies believe that sending free formulas to clinics and doctor’s offices is a good channel for parents to get them. So, you can just place a call through to your doctor’s office to find out if a free formula is on ground.
- Check Your WIC Status: WIC is a government initiative intended to offer assistance to mothers of young infants who are earning little. If you score all the requirements to qualify for this assistance, you will be able to get cheap or free baby formula and other baby products.
- Connect with Your Local Food Banks: Beyond being a place to get food, local food banks also have a variety of baby items. You can’t say, but the food bank in your area might have baby formula that they can give to you for free. Just ensure you call in advance.
Cost of Breastfeeding vs Formula
Considering that more than a thousand dollars go into infant formula purchase in the first year of life tilts the discourse in the favor of breastfeeding. My God, you can save 1,000 dollars and much more in your baby’s first year of life. Plus prevent them from infant illnesses.
The supposed cost of breastfeeding, such as bottles, nipple creams, lactation supplements and consultants, are all more of conveniences than necessities. So, breast feeding comes with a lesser cost, however, only during the first year.
Conclusion
Baby formulas, as much as they are great and support the healthy growth and development of infants, can require lots of dollars. The making of formulas is a critical and painstaking process. Intensive research and the careful contributions of different experts precede that magic that you see in the can. Not to mention the large swaths of money that goes into the marketing and advertisement of the products.
These are the things that buyers pay for. We quite understand that fingers are not equals. So, in this article you will find solutions to all of these issues.
