IRS Says Breastfeeding Expenses Are Tax Write-Offs. Finally.

I am appalled at the number of breastfeeding moms who are so negative about this legislation that is PRO BREASTFEEDING!!! No one is saying everyone has to pump or that it is better than feeding your baby personally. However, in this day & age, many of us have to return to work and would like to continue providing this nourishement to our babies long after the legal 6-8 weeks we get off. In addition, we are still feeding our babies one-on-one in the morning, at night, and on weekends...which is only made possible by the fact that we continue spending every break we have at work pumping milk for our babies. I am a full time teacher and I breastfed both of my kids for a year each because I DID spend the $300 to get a good pump. Yes, that was a choice. No, I did not do it for a write off. But I think the decrease in health services my kids will likely need due to their healthy start is worth a deduction.

Pumps and bags have nothing to do with "breast-feeding."

Breast feeding is between the mother and her child. It provides essential nutriants and more for the baby and a natural bonding between the two.

Pumps do neither of the above. They are more for mothers who are not with their baby. The pump does what the baby should be doing and the bag is for storage.

Having a good pump will help you to breast feed longer and is a must for mothers of preemies. A good breast pump is not cheap. I rented the one from the hospital for $75 a month(Medela Symphony - the best). I wish I had been able to afford to buy the machine because it is so much better than the much smaller cheaper versions you see in the stores.

How does this tax write off help low income Moms, who don't have enough to itemize on their taxes? WIC should help with the cost of pumps or even have a lending system, that is where the help is needed, not tax forms.

When you get formula from WIC you have to get the kind that the State has a contract with even if a pediatrician says to use something else. Breast milk is best when possible.

I guess what they are saying is that if you buy all these pumps and stuff you can itemize it in with your medical expenses.--assuming you can itemize. I don't think the stay at home mom who nurses her kid until three can take any kind of a tax deduction. I don't know if you can itemize viagra too? I think birth control pills should come under medical expenses-I have no idea. But, boy that would be saving the taxpayers a lot of money in the long run.

It is interesting to see how much political power there has to change IRS laws. Something as simple and good for humans to do as breastfeeding gets acceptance for a tax right off. I call that common sense.
Loop holes for the wealthy? Ignorance.

To me, some women today are just lazy. When I had my two children I breast feed them for 2 months and during those two months home with them I also expressed their milk, which you can freeze for a couple of days. I had the manual hand pump and it did well. I saw the cost of the electric pumps and the prices were "outrageous". My kids continued to drink my breast milk months after I returned back to work and I wouldn't trade in my manual pump for anything. I was compact so I could take it anywhere instead of having a big, heavy and bulky bag weighing my shoulders down.

So, like many people are saying here, breast milk is FREE and women choose to electric pump as a "luxury" item and you're not obligated to go out and purchase a high end item.

Being a working mom and breastfeeding isn't the easiest thing to do. I'm glad that the goverment is doing this. Breastfeeding is the most unselfish act a woman can do. Not only does she hold the baby for 9 months but also gives up her right to eat and drink whatever she wants. I'm sorry that some people don't see breastfeeding as a beautiful thing. I do. My youngest is 3 months and the only time she has been to the doctor was for her 2 month shots. I also love the fact that if I have extra milk, I help others. I hope in the future, breastfeeding will became easier to do in public.

Breastfeeding IS 100% free! Expensive pumps aren't necessary; if travelling, bring along a couple of bottles with formula. This is pretty sick, to expect IRS write-offs when women who also choose to have babies prefer to bottle-feed their infants which is NOT a write-off. Shame on the IRS for caving into fanatics' demands. It's bad enough when certain women foist their private choices onto the public (displaying breasts in public places with unabashed, exhibitionist pride) but to have American taxpayers help to foot the bill for something that is free is downright appalling.

Wow, a lot of unnecessarily angry people. Encouraging people to do a positive thing by (potentially) lowering the cost with a tax break... shocking! not. That's the idea behind every tax cut, so why hate on this? It's not like the government is giving them a handout or driving up the cost of the alternatives to modify behavior. Besides, many women do need breast pumps in the capacity of a genuine medical device (illness, premature baby, inverted nipples, etc.) and should absolutely be able to write it off as a medical expense.

I see that Michelle Bachman (tur-er overdrive) has latched onto this issue. Natch. The breast once again becomes an object of contention, an an unfortunate symbol of everything that has gone wrong in this country from having too many children to paying a flat tax. I did not read all the comments, but I bet that someone blamed Obama for this deduction. Until the citizens of this country stop promoting their own self-interests and condemning the needs of others, we are going down the tubes. No one wants the other to get deductions, but don't you dare take away their god-given perks. We are a nation divided, not united and the political special interests like that just fine.