Why Monkey Food

Monkey, 9 Days Old

Raising a baby is expensive! According to SureBaby.com one can expect to pay $1,600-$2,300 on disposable diapers alone, by the time your baby is potty-trained -- cloth diapers are not much cheaper. It is estimated to cost between $1,000 and $2,300 for cloth diapers if you do not use a diaper service (2010). Also, feeding a baby formula is pricey! Depending on the type of formula you decide to use, the average cost is approximately between $1,000 and $2,300 during the first 12 months (2010). One way to cut out the price of formula and save a few bucks is to breastfeed.

When I decided to breastfeed Tommy, aka Monkey, I had a lot of people tell me that it wasn't worth the trouble. Now that Tommy is five months old, I would tell them it was definitely worth it! Yes, there were times that I wanted to give up, but the benefits of nursing outweighed any pain that I might have endured.

Breastfeeding is VERY beneficial for Baby and Momma. When a mother decides to nurse her new baby she is providing nutrients and antibodies that can only come from breast-milk. These nutrients and antibodies help protect the baby from illnesses. Studies show that babies that are breastfed are less likely to have ear infections, asthma, suffer from obesity, and upper respiratory infections (Barton, 2010).

Let me tell you, it is a lot of work to breastfeed a baby but the bonding time is priceless. Tom and I have decided to continue to feed Tommy breast-milk until he is a year old and not give him formula, or as long as my supply lasts. Recently we purchased a Medela Freestyle breast pump. It has saved us a lot of tears. Now, we have slowly weaned Tommy off of the boob and feed him expressed milk the majority of the time. He also has started solids!

I created this post to share my experiences feeding Tommy home-made baby food and other interesting discoveries that we encounter. I hope you enjoy!

Barton, Lea, Feburary 2010. A Guide to Breastfeeding. Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.

SureBaby.com, 2010. “Costs of Having a Baby.” http://www.surebaby.com/costs.php. Accessed 14 September 2010.