I read a post elsewhere today about someone complaining about the rising cost of baby food and how he has consistently been buying baby food for all his four children when they were younger, and now the new born baby makes it the fifth round of buying baby food for his kids. It got me thinking about how lucky I have been with my kids in terms of feeding cost and expenses in their early years.
In my early days in marriage, and right from when my first child was born, I have never bought a single can of baby food for any of my children. Instead, my wife takes all the responsibility of feeding the babies with breast milk and home made pap made from maize flour which is more affordable and nutritious. The decision not only saved us money, but also ensured that our children grew up healthy and strong with a better immune system.
Whenever I see parents talking about the cost of baby food today I always count my blessings and realize how much sacrifice my wife made for our family wellbeing and financial stability especially in our early years in marriage when we were less financially stable. Honestly, I didn't think much about it at the time but now I can see how much of a difference it made on my family.
Women today don't want to give their babies suck because they want to maintain their body shape and appearance, but my wife prioritized the health and development of our children over beauty and personal vanities. It was not that I couldn't afford to buy baby food, but my wife vehemently kicked against it because she believes all she was told about the benefits of breastfeeding and the negative effects of processed baby food on child development.
I know some people would say she was not a career woman or that she was a full house wife who doesn't do any work apart from taking care of the house and kids. But that's not the truth. My wife has been a very hardworking woman who juggled multiple responsibilities together with caring for the babies. She has been a business owner since the beginning of our marriage. She would put the baby on her back while going to her business shop, breastfeed the baby whenever it was time which could be up to 3 to 5 times during the day, and still have to continue the same at home in the evening and night. She usually stops breastfeeding baby after a year instead of the normal six months most women do. In all these, she never complained about the stress or demand for baby food any day.
I know this post is about the thing I have never bought in my family since I got married, but my wife is the center of everything and the reason why I didn't have to buy baby food for my children.
Although we are through with child bearing after 20 years in marriage with four children, I still feel that if we should have another child today, my wife would not ask me for money for baby food, she will handle it the same way she did with other children. So, I am hundred percent sure I will keep being exempted from men who pay for baby food every two weeks or month. The baby food production companies missed my family, we are not numbered among their customers, and I am proud of that.