Is Breastfeeding Truly Cost Free? Income Consequences of Breastfeeding for Women

Abstract

Based on studies showing health advantages for breastfeeding mothers and their infants, pediatricians and other breastfeeding advocates encourage new mothers to breastfeed their babies for at least the first six months of their infants' lives, arguing that breast milk is best for infants, families, and society, and it is cost free. Few empirical studies, however, document how the decision to breastfeed instead of formula-feed is associated with women's post-birth earnings. This is an important omission, given that the majority of women today work for pay, and many work in job environments incompatible with breastfeeding. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, our results show that mothers who breastfeed for six months or longer suffer more severe and more prolonged earnings losses than do mothers who breastfeed for shorter durations or not at all. The larger post-birth drop in earnings for long-duration breastfeeders is due to a larger reduction in labor supply. We discuss the implications of these findings for gender equality at home and at work.

A sociocultural framework for understanding partner preferences of women and men: Integration of concepts and evidence

“…The origins of the division of labour lie mainly in evolved physical differences between the sexes, especially women's reproductive activities and men's greater size and strength, as these factors interact with the demands of the current sociocultural, economic, and ecological environment (Wood & Eagly, 2002. Women's reproductive activities of pregnancy and lactation act as constraints on behaviour because they cede to women the energy-intensive and time-consuming activities of gestating, nursing, and caring for infants (Huber, 2007;Rippeyoung & Noonan, 2012). These activities can make it difficult for women to participate as much as men in tasks that require speed of locomotion, uninterrupted activity, extended training, or long-distance travel.…”

Understanding Mothers’ Infant Feeding Decisions and Practices

“…Wall argues that these wider factors are constructed in breastfeeding promotion materials as individual problems for women to solve with the assistance of health professionals. In addition to material factors shaping feeding decisions, Rippeyoung and Noonan (2012) have identified a personal economic cost of longer duration breastfeeding for women in the US. These findings gives weight to Rippeyoung's earlier work where she suggested state promotion of breastfeeding should be viewed with suspicion; identifying the promotion of breastfeeding as an individual responsibility as a strategy for the state to avoid the responsibility for tackling social problems (Rippeyoung 2009).…”

Why Breast Feeding is the Best Feeding?

“…Breast milk is a natural and renewable resource which is often overlooked. Breast Feeding is unique -it causes no pollution and is the best example of how humanity can sustain itself through provision of the first and most exact food for human life (6)(7)(8).…”

“…Because of breast-feeding mothers don't menstruate for a while, their needs for pads, tampons, analgesic and related waste with these materials is reduced. Breast milk is better digested (6,8).…”

“…Breast milk does not have to be shipped around the world, every mother has a ready supply wherever she goes and due to the breast milk is the right temperature for baby does not need to warm up. Preparation of foods other than breast milk produces more waste (6)(7)(8)(9).…”