The High Cost of Having a Baby in the US

Having a baby is a momentous occasion, but sometimes the cost of having a baby catches new parents off guard with the high price tag. Even if you’ve put off having children to pay off credit card debt, you may be surprised at just how much it costs to have a baby in 2023, even if you have health insurance.

Although Americans are aware having a baby is expensive, a majority of Americans often severely underestimate just how much it costs to raise a baby in the first year.

  • 36 percent think it costs between $1,001-$5,000 to raise a baby during its first year
  • 18 percent think it costs $1,000 or less

It’s not just diapers that will set you back roughly $800 in the first year alone. The cost to buy essential items like a car seat, crib, and stroller can add up more quickly than you expect. You might also be surprised to see your hospital bill after delivery, even if you have health insurance. And, of course, there’s the exponentially rising cost of childcare to consider.

Giving birth in the U.S. costs $18,865 on average, including pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care, according to the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Health System Tracker. Health insurance can cover most of that cost as health insurers must cover maternity care and childbirth. This is one of the 10 essential health benefits required by the Affordable Care Act. But if you don’t have health insurance? Expect a hefty hospital bill.

Health insurance plans can, and most do require pregnant women to pay for a portion of their costs for labor and delivery. While the average childbirth costs $18,865, with insurance, the average cost is around $2,854. Vaginal deliveries average $14,768 without insurance, $2,655 with insurance. While Cesarean births average $26,280 without insurance, $3,214 with insurance. 

Home births tend to be a more affordable option but are typically only available for those who do not have a history of medical complications. One study estimates that the average cost of home birth—including prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care—was $4,650 in 2021. Home births tend to be less expensive than hospital births because there is no facility fee, and home births are often done without medication. 

However, many insurance plans do not cover home births, so those who opt for a home birth may need to pay supervising healthcare providers out of pocket, as doulas and midwives may not be covered by insurance. Those who give birth at home also tend to miss out on potential savings from having other expenses, like infant inoculations or circumcision, bundled in hospital charges. 

Even if you plan on having a home birth, it’s recommended to budget for the unexpected, as some home births require a transfer to a hospital, as well as additional care for Mom and Baby. 

Birthing centers are another option growing in popularity for those who want to avoid birthing in the hospital but don’t want to deliver at home. Birth centers tend to be more expensive than home births but less expensive than hospitals. Some birth centers accept health insurance, but again, make sure to budget for the unexpected, as you may be required to transfer to a hospital for delivery. You may also be required to hire a doula, which would not be covered by insurance.

Of course, ultimately, the cost you will incur when having a baby depends on the type of health insurance you have and where you live. 

While the cost of having a baby is largely focused on the cost of delivery or even purchasing baby care essentials, don’t forget to factor in the cost of prenatal and postpartum care too.

Prenatal Care

When it comes to prenatal care, expect to visit your obstetrician’s office between 10 and 15 times for a normal pregnancy with no complications. Each visit may require a copay, you may also incur parking fees, and for some, baby appointments may require unpaid leave from work.

As part of routine prenatal care, you will also need various tests, including routine blood work, a glucose test, genetic testing, ultrasounds, and other screenings, which may not be fully covered by your insurance. You’ll also need to factor in the cost of prenatal vitamins and other nutrition supplements. Even if your doctor prescribes prenatal supplements to you, you may still be responsible for a copay. 

In preparation for the baby’s arrival, you may also pay to take childbirth preparation classes, and if your insurance doesn’t cover a breast pump, you’ll pay for this equipment out of pocket as well.

Childbirth Costs

The cost of actually delivering your baby will vary based on where you live, the type of birth you have, and how many babies you are having. Typically vaginal births will cost less than cesarean births. If you receive any sort of medication like an epidural, that will increase the cost of delivery, and if you have any sort of complications, that will increase the cost of delivery. If you have a doula, you’ll be 100 percent responsible for that cost out of pocket unless the hospital provides doulas to you free of charge because insurance does not cover doulas.  

It’s not just Mom’s recovery that you’ll be responsible for at the hospital. All babies need some basic medical care after delivery. For example, doctors will monitor your baby’s breathing and heart rate, administer their first vaccines and take a blood sample before you and the baby can get discharged. If your baby had a difficult birth or is born with certain medical conditions that require additional monitoring and testing, that will increase the costs incurred. 

Average Cost of Having a Baby State by State

Alabama

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $5,230.46
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $9,516.86
  • C-section with insurance: $8,221.42
    C-section without insurance: $13,589.75

Alaska

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $11,609.95
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $20,243.38
  • C-section with insurance: $16,707.29
    C-section without insurance: $28,617.34

Arizona

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $8,034.32
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $14,812.45
  • C-section with insurance: $10,699.23
    C-section without insurance: $18,023.04

Arkansas

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $5,724.24
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,172.09
  • C-section with insurance: $8,616.81
    C-section without insurance: $13,970.83

California

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,755.49
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $13,974.77
  • C-section with insurance: $11,390.88
    C-section without insurance: $19,184.14

Colorado

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,435.49
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $13,593.07
  • C-section with insurance: $10,356.17
    C-section without insurance: $17,713.57

Connecticut

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $8,071.26
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $15,000.57
  • C-section with insurance: $10,936.89
    C-section without insurance: $19,692.76

Delaware

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,496.76
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $12,104.65
  • C-section with insurance: $10,280.30
    C-section without insurance: $17,617.02

Florida

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,745.00
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $14,757.28
  • C-section with insurance: $11,917.39
    C-section without insurance: $20,805.89

Georgia

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,264.89
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $13,410.70
  • C-section with insurance: $11,162.80
    C-section without insurance: $19,328.71

Hawaii

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,112.40
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,552.42
  • C-section with insurance: $8,968.17
    C-section without insurance: $14,445.19

Idaho

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,550.40
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,242.58
  • C-section with insurance: $9,485.11
    C-section without insurance: $15,102.93

Illinois

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $8,329.52
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $14,725.11
  • C-section with insurance: $11,999.74
    C-section without insurance: $19,631.75

Indiana

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,805.89
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,571.69
  • C-section with insurance: $10,749.93
    C-section without insurance: $16,951.98

Iowa

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,405.78
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,938.84
  • C-section with insurance: $9,708.81
    C-section without insurance: $15,135.67

Kansas

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,368.52
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,862.29
  • C-section with insurance: $10,287.78
    C-section without insurance: $16,269.51

Kentucky

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,111.73
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,242.27
  • C-section with insurance: $9,055.16
    C-section without insurance: $15,150.94

Lousiana

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,008.24
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,970.87
  • C-section with insurance: $8,542.98
    C-section without insurance: $13,776.54

Maine

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $5,947.02
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,047.39
  • C-section with insurance: $9,162.19
    C-section without insurance: $15,906.99

Maryland

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,471.87
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $12,596.52
  • C-section with insurance: $9,610.39
    C-section without insurance: $16,425.80

Massachusetts

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,741.64
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $14,549.03
  • C-section with insurance: $11,012.54
    C-section without insurance: $19,879.60

Michigan

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,545.41
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,211.17
  • C-section with insurance: $9,695.69
    C-section without insurance: $15,107.17

Minnesota

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,994.03
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,721.86
  • C-section with insurance: $10,453.20
    C-section without insurance: $15,646.02

Mississippi

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,545.41
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,211.17
  • C-section with insurance: $9,695.69
    C-section without insurance: $15,107.17

Missouri

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,327.80
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,871.98
  • C-section with insurance: $9,830.36
    C-section without insurance: $15,513.47

Montana

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $5,962.30
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,244.88
  • C-section with insurance: $8,484.98
    C-section without insurance: $13,344.77

Nebraska

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $5,775.12
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $9,655.74
  • C-section with insurance: $8,756.02
    C-section without insurance: $13,143.40

Nevada

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,700.71
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $13,761.86
  • C-section with insurance: $10,912.63
    C-section without insurance: $18,266.84

New Hampshire

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,648.16
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $12,692.15
  • C-section with insurance: $9,569.52
    C-section without insurance: $16,837.87

New Jersey

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $8,963.92
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $17,504.25
  • C-section with insurance: $11,662.16
    C-section without insurance: $21,294.82

New Mexico

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $5,946.97
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,830.34
  • C-section with insurance: $9,096.24
    C-section without insurance: $14,921.50

New York

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $8,462.84
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $16,057.74
  • C-section with insurance: $12,114.11
    C-section without insurance: $22,059.22

North Carolina

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,750.16
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,991.33
  • C-section with insurance: $10,102.62
    C-section without insurance: $16,839.97

North Dakota

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,974.09
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $13,277.45
  • C-section with insurance: $11,408.56
    C-section without insurance: $17,647.14

Ohio

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,138.46
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,629.46
  • C-section with insurance: $9,100.74
    C-section without insurance: $14,212.56

Oklahoma

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,083.51
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,266.83
  • C-section with insurance: $10,553.98
    C-section without insurance: $18,121.42

Oregon

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,351.16
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $12,622.35
  • C-section with insurance: $10,972.50
    C-section without insurance: $17,948.33

Pennsylvania

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,458.71
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $12,223.65
  • C-section with insurance: $10,349.39
    C-section without insurance: $18,753.63

Rhode Island

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $5,472.47
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,385.63
  • C-section with insurance: $8,183.02
    C-section without insurance: $14,088.87

South Carolina

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,697.16
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $12,277.26
  • C-section with insurance: $10,036.85
    C-section without insurance: $16,707.30

South Dakota

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,835.96
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,457.59
  • C-section with insurance: $10,167.63
    C-section without insurance: $15,994.09

Tennessee

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,817.41
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $12,587.19
  • C-section with insurance: $10,181.71
    C-section without insurance: $17,157.99

Texas

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,699.20
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $14,641.11
  • C-section with insurance: $11,267.77
    C-section without insurance: $19,551.97

Utah

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $5,951.76
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,199.52
  • C-section with insurance: $8,952.52
    C-section without insurance: $14,252.80

Vermont

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,219.90
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $12,138.26
  • C-section with insurance: $9,734.18
    C-section without insurance: $17,428.48

Virginia

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,517.02
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $12,342.55
  • C-section with insurance: $10,593.92
    C-section without insurance: $18,261.83

Washington

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,043.42
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $12,210.33
  • C-section with insurance: $10,725.39
    C-section without insurance: $17,680.54

West Virginia

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $6,163.94
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $11,108.51
  • C-section with insurance: $9,376.43
    C-section without insurance: $15,553.63

Wisconsin

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $10,171.19
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $17,888.14
  • C-section with insurance: $14,239.59
    C-section without insurance: $23,746.69

Wyoming

  • Vaginal birth with insurance: $7,724.00
    Vaginal birth without insurance: $13,143.39
  • C-section with insurance: $11,331.72
    C-section without insurance: $18,476.31

Postpartum Care

After your baby is born, they will need to visit a pediatrician to receive newborn care. Your baby will receive a complete physical exam and additional vaccines as part of the exam. 

Mom will also have a six-week checkup and may need to meet a lactation consultant within the first few weeks after delivery as well as a postpartum therapist. Meeting with a lactation consultant is usually covered by insurance, but like the prenatal and postpartum checkups, there may be a copay involved. 

If you’re struggling with fertility issues, the costs of having a baby are even more costly. 

Approximately 10 to 15 percent of heterosexual couples experience infertility, defined as the inability to get pregnant after trying for one year. Factors like sperm quality or motility, hormonal factors, ovulation issues, or structural problems with the uterus or fallopian tubes may cause infertility. Same-sex couples or single individuals who want to have children may also use fertility services to achieve a pregnancy.

There are three main types of treatments for infertility, each with different typical price tags:

  • Medications that stimulate ovulation.
  • Surgical procedures to repair blocked or scarred fallopian tubes, remove cysts or fibroids from the uterus or extract sperm.
  • Assisted conception, including intrauterine insemination (IUI), which inserts sperm into the uterus, or in vitro fertilization (IVF), in which an egg is fertilized outside the body and inserted into the womb.

The cost per successful outcome, or the cost to achieve a successful pregnancy, ranges from just under $6,000 for medications alone to more than $70,000 for IVF with a donor egg.

Wait, should I save money before getting pregnant?

Some financial experts recommend that before you have a baby, your emergency fund should have at least $20,000. Their reasoning is that even if you have insurance, you will need enough cash to cover your deductible plus what you will need to cover any co-pays your insurance requires. Plus, you’ll need funds for diapers, formula, and other baby equipment and furniture.

Generally, it’s sound financial sense to eradicate your credit card debt before having a baby. But unless you’ve consulted with financial experts who strongly advise against it, it’s perfectly acceptable to start a family even if you carry credit card debt.

While addressing your debt before your baby comes along would undoubtedly make your path more comfortable, there just isn’t a moment in one’s life that is the absolute perfect time to have a child.

While it’s best to be prepared financially for a baby, it’s not always possible.

“I don’t think it’s completely realistic to have a sit-down budget because the reality is completely different, said Sarah Arevalo, DebtWave Credit Counseling’s Quality Assurance and Compliance Administrator. “You’re never really going to be 100 percent prepared financially.”

“My first was completely different than my second one, you know, my first baby was exactly on point with all the clothes, and then my second one grows like a weed where he’s already in 12 months clothes at 9 months old,” Arevalo shared on DebtWave’s podcast Talk Wealth To Me. “So there are certain things you can expect to buy, like diapers, but then when the baby actually comes, you have to adjust. We went through, I want to say, 20 diapers in a day, and it was like, when did this happen?”

For some, having a baby is the motivation for paying off high-interest credit card debt and securing a healthy financial future for their family. There is something about being responsible for a tiny, fragile human that tends to kick people into high gear to achieve their goals. For many, this kind of responsibility is precisely the fuel they need to get focused.

What Happens If You Can’t Pay Your Medical Bills After Childbirth?

You have a few options if you deliver a baby and can’t afford to pay the medical bills.

  • Set up a payment plan: Ask the hospital if you can set up a payment plan. Breaking up the lump sum payment can make the cost more manageable. If you know you’re going to need assistance, talk to the hospital as soon as possible.
  • Request discounted rate: You might also qualify for a discounted rate on your medical bills if your hospital or doctor is willing to work with you and you’re uninsured or meet certain income requirements. It won’t completely eliminate what you owe, but it can lessen the financial burden.
  • Government health insurance: Depending on your income, you may qualify for Medicaid or your state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). If you meet the Medicaid or CHIP requirements in your state, your policy will cover health care expenses retroactively for three months before the application date, but you must have been eligible for Medicaid during that period.

There may also be state-specific grants or financial assistance programs available to you. Ask to speak with someone from your hospital’s billing department to let you know what financial aid options are available to you.

If you’re struggling with high-interest credit card debt after having a baby or while pregnant, an accredited nonprofit credit counseling agency like DebtWave can help you work with your creditors to come up with a plan to get you out of debt in three to five years. They will also help you build a budget that will work for your growing family.

Don’t allow your less-than-ideal financial situation to stop you from having one of the most transformative experiences humans can have. Instead, let it inspire you to plan, budget, and set a good example for your family.

Did the cost of prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum care catch you off guard financially? Is the high cost of starting a family preventing you from having a baby? Share your story with us in the comments below.

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