We have wanted another baby for so long, but our ins. doesn't cover maternity. DH owns his own company so we have individual ins. and most companies either don't cover it or they have a lot of restrictions (like you have to be enrolled for a yr b4 benefits kick in). Well I am not getting any younger and don't want to wait a year (I'm 38, 39 in Aug.)

We are looking at some new heath ins., but will probably end up paying some out of pocket.

What should we expect as far as cost?


I should have had this baby when we were poor, I could have qualified for free care.....well I couldn't have fed the child, but no medical bills!!!

My first child was born in the hospital, I think that was about $10k for everything including multiple ultrasounds and some repeat tests since we moved mid-pregnancy and my new OB wanted the tests done again, I also saw an endocrinologist which I really didn't think I needed to see, can't remember if I included that in my hospital bill add-up.. But this was almost 10 years ago I've heard much much higher prices lately, like $20-30k I think there was someone on here years ago that paid cash for their pregnancy/birth and negotiated a cash discount?

My 2nd and 3rd kids didn't cost me hardly anything out of pocket, but that's because we had pretty good insurance, I never bothered to add anything up. I had them at home unassisted but the cost for me to have them in the hospital would only have been 2-300 each.

I think a midwife would cost in the $3000 range for pregnancy and birth if you wanted to go that route, most insurance won't pay anything towards it. Still a good idea to have insurance though, in case a transfer to the hospital was necessary.

When I had my son 2 years ago at St Lukes Hospital in Boise Idaho my total billing with induction and and epideral (sp?) was just over $8,000. That was for the labor and delivery. I never added up all of my prenatal care costs.

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You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

$10,000 for midwife (all visits, not including first one), labs, hospital room, epidural, ped visit, circumsion, etc.

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I've never lied to you. I've always told you some version the of truth.

we had great insurance so paid very little but I remember the bills coming and showing what insurance paid and it was over $9K for my last one (7 years ago) which was a c-section and I opted out of the hospital a day earlier than they wanted me too.

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

Costs are going to vary depending where in the US you live. I would think that you'd need to contact your OB office and ask them.

It really depends on whether it is a full term birth, no additional medical problems for the mother, etc.
I mean mine was about $20,000 for me and $50,000 for each one of my twins but they were two months early and I had to stay in the hospital 6 days because of pre-eclampsia (that doesn't include the costs of my pre-natal care either). Without these complications it would have only been about $12,000. And if you are above age 35 you are in a higher risk for complications category. I would contact the hospital you are thinking of going to and ask them what an average non-complicated birth might cost. Or call another medical insurance company that does cover pregnancy related costs and ask what their average payout is.

Like momogod said, any thing out of the norm will make the cost skyrocket. I was in the hospital for a week before my baby was born, and then she was in the NICU. So our costs were tens of thousands of dollars. You may want to consider medicaid, or medicare (I can never remember which is for old people and which is not) because it used to be that at the higher income levels you could get a cost share type of coverage.

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!

A lot of hospitals that are affilated with Medical Schools and do residency training have OB Clinics where they charge a set fee for the whole PRegnancy and birth I went that route twice way back and it cost me $700 when I had my 22 yr old I was covered under Medicaid for the disowned one who was one of three preemies I had. My costs sky-rcokets with my last 3 kids My youngest the total costs for my care and birth was over $100,000 I was on bedrest at 9 weeks, had surgery every month to replace a nephrostomy tube and prety much lived at the hospital with infections and pre-term labor.

With the OB Clinics you get great care I know lots of people who still do it around here, I think you have to start out at the Health Dept for the first 3-4 months and then they transfer you, but it s been so long since I really picked anyone's brains about the local clinic and the last person I know who used it was on Medicaid but the care she got was phenomenol and that was in 2002.

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~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
RIP Daddy~ 01/24/1930-06/01/2007 I miss you !
Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

My cesarean was around $25,000. Thankfully we had insurance. I was shocked to learn the hospital charged $1500 for my baby to spend ONE night in the nursery. He wasn't even there for any special care, I just had no one to help me with him and had a long labor before the evening cesarean (Dh had to go home with our 3 other kids).

I would not let the cost stop you though. There are so many options out there, from midwives to negotating with a hospital or using a birthing center. Good luck!

Funny you just asked this......my mom just gave my brother the reciept for his birth....he is going to be 41 this year. It was $250

Kathie

It depends on the dr. & the hosptial and if there are any complications.

Labor, Deliver & postpartum for my DS#1 with a few minor complications was around $5000 for 2 nights stay. For DS#2 with no complications, it was $7500 for one night stay. My kids were born in two different states, three years apart, so that probably has something to do with the difference in costs. We had insurance that covered it both times, so I only paid a fraction of the $5000 & $7500. Those costs also don't take into consideration any prenatal visits, ultrasound, etc. I don't know how much those cost because they were all covered under one co-pay and I never saw them billed indivdully.

I would call the billing office at your OB. They should be able to give you a better idea of what the costs may be.

Sarah.......mom to Jason & Devin

ALL hospitals now must display their charges and make them available to the public. Look on the website for the hospital you are considering.. They have to tell what the charges are.

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GO TONY!!!!!!!!!!! # 20!!!

Just keep in mind when you get prices from hospitals or Dr.'s office, that is their "base" price. If there are any complications, odd circumstances, etc. those "base" prices usually increase exponentially.

Good Luck!

Honestly, there really is never the "PERFECT" time to get pregnant....you just have to roll w/ the punches and do the best you can w/ what you got.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

My Last 2 were $30,000 each and they were 12 months apart. OOP was Zero.

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Mommy to Alverto (10/92), Cassandra Marie Elaine (8/99) ,Isabella Theresa Maria (8/04) and William Ryan (9/05)