Many parents discuss costs as they decide whether to put their baby on formula or breastfeed. There are a lot of considerations, so let’s walk through them.

Costs of Breast Feeding

The first and most important is time and commitment. This might not be a direct cash expense, but for a mother who wants to head back to work or has other children to deal with, breastfeeding can be a difficulty that makes life complicated. There are other costs, like a breast pump (up to $250), lactation consultant services (up to $400), nursing bras, pillows, pads, and more (up to $500).

Let’s be honest: it is possible to do it like your great-grandmother did and power through. If the baby doesn't latch well, you keep trying. Get the neighborhood women to help you learn. And so on. Sadly, most of us don’t have the time or human resources to avoid these expenses. If the baby latches perfectly and life allows, breastfeeding is nearly free. Otherwise, it can cost a few thousand dollars.

Costs of Formula Feeding

We’re going to focus on European Organic Formulas. Honestly, that’s why you’re here, right? You want the best for your baby, and these formulas are the best. On average, babies will need 2.5 ounces of formula per pound per day.

So, an average 8-pound newborn will need about 20 ounces of formula per day. For a six-month-old, this can go up to 40 ounces per day. Obviously, the amount of formula per day starts to go down as soon as your baby starts eating solid food.

A lot depends on your baby’s appetite, but these numbers will give us a benchmark.

Containers of baby formula come in all different sizes, but most make between 90-150 fluid ounces of prepared formula. For the figures below, we’ve calculated average sizes for baby formula containers in each category.

That means that your infant will need about $5 of European Organic Formula per day.

By six months, most babies are eating cereals and more. That means that the cost of formula will start dropping right around six months. While there’s no way to calculate with absolute certainty because every baby is different and the time that they transition to solid food varies, it’s about $1200 for most babies to use European Organic Formulas.

For the record, the lower quality American major brands usually only save you about $200 in that year.