How Much Does it Cost to Have a Baby?

When a family is expecting a new baby, there is certainly a lot of emotions. Lots of excitement, joy, and likely some stress. One thing to consider and to prepare yourself for is the expected expense of having a baby. High level it is not cheap! There certainly is a lot of variation depending on where you live, the type of birth you have, and what kind of insurance you have. However below is a few stats and categories for you to consider when totaling up the cost to have a baby.

• Preparing for a baby: Shopping for a newborn is going to be expensive.  While you don’t want to go overboard, there are must haves that you need to purchase prior to having a baby. Some of the basic items include a car seat, crib, diapers, changing table, baby clothes, and a baby monitor. Most of the time, families and friends help contribute to some of these items, but others aren’t as fortunate. 
• Care during pregnancy: You will want to make sure your baby is healthy, and this will require regular visits to the doctor during your pregnancy. There are also lots of tests and screenings to do which add up over time. Lastly, you will want to take care of yourself during pregnancy and you should eat very healthy foods. Healthy food can also become very expensive over time.
• Type of birth: Depending on your situation and your doctor’s recommendation, a c-section will be much more expensive as this is major surgery. You will also be staying in the hospital longer in order to recover. There could be further complications that require specialists, which increase costs.
• Type of Insurance: Insurance is going to vary significantly by state, employer, and individual. Some health insurance coverage covers the majority of your bills, while others cover very little. I would highly recommend to speak with your insurance company prior to becoming pregnant to understand what your insurance covers and doesn’t cover.
• Care after a baby: I won’t go into the costs of a baby after birth, but its obvious your expenses are going to go up considerably after the birth. 

The average costs of having a baby in the US is over $10,000 and can increase to over $30,000 if you include care prior to birth and other complications. Having a baby is a true blessing for many people, but I highly recommend to do as much research as you can and prepare a detailed budget.