Most women, when thinking of having a baby just want to feel that joy of procreating this little creature that they are going to hold in their hands and take care of with love. They don’t usually think of the financial obligations that go with it. But sooner or later they will have to face the expenses involved. The experience of becoming a mum can not be estimated in cash value but it is important for a woman to be cautious about how she spends her money during the pregnancy. Here are some few paragraphs that will give you an idea on how much it cost to have a baby.
The cost of pregnancy
Definitely, once you get you know that you are pregnant you start thinking of the baby supplies you will need. But the most important thing at that point is to take care of your health. Both you and the baby will have to remain healthy if you want the whole process of gestation turn out to be successful.
The obstetrician Jeanne Conry said it is important for the expectant women to visit the hospital during the early stages of the pregnancy but also have regular check ups just to makes sure the baby remains healthy. That way, if anything goes wrong during the different stages of the pregnancy, the doctors will see it early enough and take the appropriate measures.
With a health insurance, prenatal visits as well as diagnostic tests may probably not cost you a penny since they are all covered. Those services are included in the preventive care list. On the other hand if you did not get an insurance before getting pregnant you might have to deburse about $2000 out of your own pocket for just the prenatal care.
During prenatal care, women are usually given vitamins like folic acid to prevent the risks of neural tube birth defects. It is advised to start saving for the cost of those vitamins long before you even get pregnant. The reason being that about half of all pregnancies are a surprise, so you better get ready. Conry said that all childbearing women should be on multivitamins that contain folic acid. Getting multivitamins is probably going to be one of the most important investment you are going to make during the pregnancy costing you about $10 to $20 for an over-the-counter option.
The higher expenses usually come at the later stages of the pregnancy, when the woman is getting ready to give birth. In average expect the cost of uncomplicated cesarean section to be around $15 000. Uncomplicated vaginal birth is averaging around $10 000. So when you put prenatal care and childbirth together you should be having between $12 000 to $17 000 before getting pregnant. Mind you that is just the cost of the hospital expenses that go with the pregnancy. We are not yet talking about the furnitures that you will need after the baby has come out. It is really important to prepare yourself before getting pregnant. If you are not yet ready to deal with those expenses, protect yourself anytime you are having sex. Hopefully this article has raised your awareness about the importance of protection.
