The Hidden Costs of Breastfeeding in the UK

 

Table of content

• How much does breastfeeding really cost?

• Breastfeeding vs formula: which suits your life?

• What is lactation mastitis?

• How common is postnatal depression?

• Where to get support

Good day lovely reader, it’s your favourite taboo-breaking Aunt Julie, come to tackle social constructs and stigma. This month, I want to talk about something that we may not all experience, but by virtue of how we came to be in this world, our mothers did —pregnancy and postnatal.

 

Many people have an idea that breastfeeding is a simple process and that it is innately free, but when we look deeper into the realities of breastfeeding and the compromises mothers have to make, the story looks a little different.

How Much Does Breastfeeding Really Cost in the UK?

The Unavoidable Tax of Breastfeeding

When I researched the cost to mothers of breastfeeding in the UK, I was sadly not that surprised to find article after article talking about the cost to the NHS when babies are not breastfed. I researched high and low to find the impacts of breastfeeding on the mothers who were undertaking this significant life choice.

 

Here I was, thinking about the tax on bodily autonomy, the tax on having to purchase extra supplies like breast pumps, pads, the potential cost of seeing a lactation specialist, and so forth, and the internet threw me stats about the economic benefits of mothers choosing to breastfeed their child.

 

While there is significant research to show that breast milk is the ideal choice for the baby's health, it is not a black-and-white choice when we take into consideration socioeconomic standing. There is pressure to return to work to afford the new costs, the loss of earnings and pension contributions if you take full maternity leave, not to mention the potential setback in your career.

 

Loss of Earnings Postpartum

Some women choose to take full maternity leave because they desire the time to welcome their new little one into the world and to recover from the nine-month ordeal, though 43% take 12 weeks or less according to women's grid, largely due to financial pressure.

 

Women experience an average loss of earnings of £65,618 for their first child, and further earning losses with each child thereafter. That is a staggering figure. Anyone who has had a baby knows the first year of babying is unlike anything else: the sleepless nights, the anxiety, the chaos the little bundle brings, plus the financial strain many families experience, can make it feel overwhelming.

 

This issue does, of course, disproportionately affect women, especially if they intend to solely breastfeed their child and going back to work feels like the opposite of a solution. Finding the solution that works for you is vital.

 

 

What Are the Benefits of Formula Feeding?

For mothers who choose not to breastfeed, mothers who are unable to, or for carers, formula is a life-saving invention for many babies globally. Formula is carefully concocted to include the vitamins, minerals and proteins a baby needs to grow healthy and strong. Carefully prepared, formula is a safe and healthy choice for many babies.  

 

Formula feeding enables both parents to share the feeding schedule, taking the pressure off mum to wake in the night and be on hand all day to feed. This also allows more freedom for mothers to return to their usual daily habits without the baby needing them for every feed, which can be up to 12 times a day for the first three months.

 

For some mothers who are taking medications,  formula provides a safe feeding option to ensure no medications are passed through the breast milk.

 

What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding has well-established benefits according to the NHS, including protection against certain infections, diarrhea, SIDS along with health benefits for mothers. That does not mean parents who use formula should feel that they have failed or made an inherently bad decision.

Women should not need to go into detail about their choices, and respectful, individualised and evidence-based support for parents’ feeding choice will help support new mothers.

 

The first milk produced during pregnancy is called colostrum and contains antibodies, white blood cells, and proteins that helps increase growth and reduce chances of infection. Colostrum can sometimes be harvested before the baby is born and frozen for later use.

 

Our bodies are incredibly adaptive to our needs as they are constantly fighting for our health, therefore, our breast milk will contain environmental antibodies ready to be passed on to our infant. The contact of babies' saliva with our milk helps create a healthy metabolism and gut bacteria in our baby.

 

The first breast feed also helps pass endorphins from mother to baby through breast milk and reduces stress response, helping you and your little one settle into this new world together. Some studies even suggest that breastfeeding your child from the first day of birth can reduce childhood obesity, lower blood pressure and reduce childhood asthma.  

 

Skin to skin contact with your baby helps to establish a long-term bond and follows the instinctual needs of both baby and mother with the release of oxytocin after childbirth, helping to calm the nervous system post-birth. This is important whether breastfeeding or bottle feeding.  

What Is Lactation Mastitis and When Should You Seek Help?

For those who are breastfeeding, I sincerely hope that someone along your pregnancy journey told you about mastitis and what it can look like, as 1 in 3 will experience it. Mastitis is swelling, pain, heat, potential lumps, and even fever that can be accompanied by an infection in the breast tissue.

 

This often happens to breastfeeding mothers as their milk can become clogged in the breast tissue or in the milk ducts. This can be an incredibly painful experience, especially if you have chapped or cracked nipples and are continuing to feed your baby.

 

If you are already in pain, use cold compresses along with hand expressing milk if the baby no longer latches or direct feeding is too painful. If symptoms worsen, to prevent build-up and cysts, it is important to speak to a healthcare professional who can help get the trapped fluids moving again.

 

What you wear matters here too. The NHS advises avoiding tight-fitting clothing or bras while you have mastitis, and wearing a comfortable, supportive bra instead. A bra can’t treat mastitis, but the right one can make those sore, swollen days easier to get through. Our Glacie nursing bra was made for exactly this stage: it is non-wired, the cups unclip with one hand for feeds, the cup lining is pure mulberry silk for tender or cracked nipples, and every elastic is covered in cotton so nothing synthetic sits against your skin. Your cup size can change a lot while you are feeding, so if you are not sure what to order, try our Find my fit quiz or book a free virtual fitting with our bra fitter.

How Common Is Postnatal Depression?

 

While we all want to see the little gurgling cherub and coo over them, I do feel that mothers are not necessarily given the full scope when it comes to the financial, physical, and mental health changes they are potentially facing.  

The harsh truth is that the NHS suggests around 15-20% of women will experience postnatal depression and anxiety, though revisions suggest that it could be a higher percentage with underdiagnosis at checkups.

 

Many women find themselves in the newborn bubble; connecting with their little one takes top priority, but they slowly distance themselves from their community due to the new needs and roles of parenthood.

Findings from the Maternal and Child Health Journal suggest that postnatal depression risk increased for mothers who had intended to breastfeed but are not able to do so, and highlight the importance of compassionate care and support to ensure the best outcome for both mother and baby through this journey. For some families, combination or bottle feeding is a solution that works best for everyone involved in this sensitive decision.

The pressure to do everything right, sleepless nights and recovery can quickly build, especially if you haven’t got a support network to take the reins every now and then. While in many ways mothers are reborn when their baby enters this world, as we step into a new version of ourselves,  but feeling a sense of emptiness and loss of self should not be normalised.

 

Where Can New Mothers Get Feeding and Mental Health Support?

If you are feeling a loss of interest in the world around you, low self-esteem, or hostility toward your baby, along with other symptoms, reach out to one of the below dedicated charities for support. Remember, your needs are valid too.

 

Mind Mental Health Charity - here

Tommy's The Pregnancy and Mental Health Charity - here

Association for Postnatal Illness - here 

 

A Word For Our Mothers

So whether you are pregnant yourself, have a friend or partner who is, or just want to show some solidarity to the women in your life, have a little extra tenderness for the women who undertake this journey. Because while it can be a truly amazing experience, it can also be one of the toughest paths to travel.

 

If you would like to read more about how your breasts and skin change after birth, and what to look for in a bra while you are feeding, our postnatal breast comfort guide covers it in more detail.

 

We are committed to listening to you, making things that genuinely help, and keeping honest conversations like this one going. So, if there is a topic you would like Aunt Julie to tackle next, we would love to hear from you.

 

With bountiful boldness, Aunt Julie x