Expenses involved in pregnancy and childbirth

Expenses involved in pregnancy and childbirth

Many of the couples who are ttc ( trying to conceive ) will also be wondering about how much does it cost to have a baby.
Child birth in USA is supposed to cost more than child birth in other countries . In countries like USA, people use insurance very extensively. Even with a good insurance coverage, there will be many other expenses for which you may have to pay out of your own pocket ( like basic blood tests, so called diagnostic tests , optional birthing classes and for technicians to read / interpret the ultrasounds etc even if the ultrasounds might be covered by your insurance and other so called out of network professionals, birthing tub, room rent for private room in the hospital and extra room rent for the baby after childbirth , baby-blanket , formula for the baby after birth in the hospital if the baby is not being breast fed , so called maternal supplies, TV  ) . Sometimes, as soon as the child is born, the new born baby is treated as  a new separate patient for billing purposes.

Couples are therefore very worried about how much the pregnancy might cost even with insurance coverage and about the costs of prenatal and postnatal visits to the doctor if they are not covered by insurance .Sometimes  your current health insurance ( even so called family insurance ) might not cover maternity care / pregnancy. Even if your current health insurance pays for maternity care/ pregnancy, the insurers are likely to pay for only the bare minimum. It is better to read through the insurance documents and  discuss with your insurance provider about exactly what they will and will not cover.  Usually the pregnancy costs are split into separate bills for item by item ( itemized ). These bills / receipts will come one by one in the weeks and even months after child birth. A higher percentage of women in USA are giving birth via c-section when compared to other developed countries. There is a big difference in the amount required for uncomplicated vaginal births versus births via c - section. There is also difference in the money paid out of their pockets by women who have to go to a hospital and those who opt for a birth center  and there is also a huge difference between insurance providers. Usually a woman without insurance might be eligible for medicaid for pregnancy expenses if she is below the poverty line. But they will have to search for a doctor who accepts payment from medicaid .

In other developed countries maternity / pregnancy care will usually be cheaper and available to all pregnant women for a negligible fee . In some countries even the scans after the 13th week or 20th week may be free / borne by the government. But sometimes, the waiting line might be long for non emergency medical care in government funded public hospitals. In some countries, some money is given to the new mothers to help with the initial child care supplies. In  most European countries, midwives are used extensively in maternity / pregnancy care both during pregnancy, labour, childbirth and in the post partum period for lower risk pregnancies. Midwives are usually classified as out of network providers by insurance companies in the US.

In  general, the older the mother, the more prenatal tests that are likely to be done on her. Some doctors even go for ultrasounds every other week. Therefore the expenses are likely to increase with the age of the mother and some of the tests might not be covered by the insurance provider.
 
The insurance expense is also likely to increase after the birth of the child. After childbirth, the parents will have to buy items for the baby, Usually, the crib and baby mattress, baby seats for the car, stroller, baby carrier should be new. Diapers, baby wipes are going to be expensive. Cloth diapers are likely to be better from a environmental  as well as economic point of view when compared to disposables. Diaper sizes also change from month to month. Trying to potty train the baby as early as possible is useful. Planning and waiting for sales and buying some items in bulk at events will help in cutting down on expenses . Babies  outgrow clothes and some toys very quickly. Buying brand new clothes for the baby all the time is likely to be very expensive. Hand me downs are useful in reducing some of the expenses for baby clothes.

In general breastfed babies are likely to get antibodies via the breast milk which is helpful for the babies to increase their immunity to various infections and is also likely to reduce the risk of allergies.Breastfeeding is also helpful in developing the bond between the mother and child. But many women will not be able to breastfeed their children, some babies will not be able to latch on to the nipples properly. Lactation consultants might be useful.Some women will have to give up breastfeeding within one or two months.  Some mothers will opt for formula for their babies especially, if they are working mothers . Formula milk which is synthetic and the accompanying feeding bottles ( which have to be sterilized regularly ) is also more expensive. Formula milk which might advertise themselves as containing all required nutrients for the baby, might sometimes lead to indigestion problems.






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