I thought breast-feeding was the cheaper option?

I always thought that one of the perks of breast-feeding was the amount of money couples were saving by not having to buy formula. But today I learned... you still have to shell out some cash if you are going to breast-feed!

I hit up the maternity store on my lunch hour, as I am trying to put together my bag for the hospital. Some of things I need, I can't just go to Walmart and stock up, I have to get at the speciality stores for preggo ladies.

I thought... I will go in and see what they have, and what I think I need, as I don't have a clue whats out there.

Well! I was greeted at the door by two very nice and enthusiastic w0men, who asked what I was shopping for today, and when I told them I was in the neighbourhood for nursing attire, they practically hoisted me up on a pedestal... sounded the Cinderella music, and went to town with fitting me for nursing bras, having me try on a few different styles of them, then onto the pjs, tops... all the while advising me of the pros and cons of each style.

In my head I thought I would just get one or two bras, but then after seeing all the different styles, etc... I ended up buying 4 bras... 2 good ones, 1 sports-type one, and 1 sleeping one. Then, I secured a pair of pjs for the hospital, some washable breast pads for home, some disposable breast pads for the hospital, and 2 fairly fashionable nursing tops that were on sale.

I hadn't even thought about needing tops that would accommodate breast-feeding... and I guess you really don't need all that many, but I figure if I am going to actually go out in public and breast-feed (which I am not totally convinced I am yet!) I am going to need a top or two that allows me to do it with ease, rather then getting half naked in the middle of a restaurant or the mall!

All this to say, I had a great experience, (mostly due to the service I received at the maternity store), as I felt like I was really outfitted and ready to take on this motherhood/breast-feeding thing... but at the end of the day the bill came to THREE HUNDRED AND THREE DOLLARS.

Let's recap:

4 bras: 2 good ones, 1 sports, 1 sleeping
1 pair of nursing pjs
2 nursing tops (on SALE)
1 package of disposable breast pads
1 package of washable breast pads

All of this... was $303.48.

Now... I have no idea what formula would run me.... but I am going to assume that for $303 I could get quite a few bottles out that!

The thing is, I have no idea how breast-feeding will go for me, if it will be easy and I will want to do it for awhile, or if I will absolutely hate it and want to give it up within the first few weeks. I hope to hell its the first option... as I just spent three-hundred bucks on stuff I won't need, if its the latter!

Whatever the case is... I will look damn good doing it, whether its for 3 weeks or 9 months!