In my efforts to KonMari my life, I was going through a ton of files the other day and tossing old documents that we’ve been hoarding. During my rummaging, I found a hospital bill from when Goose was born in 2015. I’m not sure if I erased it from my mind or just didn’t notice the total in the first place, but I was slightly stunned by the cost to have a baby!

I’d never been hospitalized and she was our first child so I had no idea what to expect. I guess that I just imagined it wouldn’t be quite as expensive.

So for all of you soon-to-be parents, I’m sharing our actual hospital bill with you. Hopefully, you’ll get a ballpark idea of the charges coming your way in a few weeks or months. And if you’ve already had a little bundle of joy, I’d love for you to share in the comments how similar or different your expenses were!

My Labor and Delivery

For context, my labor and delivery did not go exactly as planned. I developed Bell’s Palsy (paralysis of half of my face) and I was induced at 38 weeks. I’d also planned on having a natural birth but ended up getting an epidural. Contractions are no joke!

From the time we were admitted to the time we were discharged was a little more than 2 days. Goose was born completely healthy and I had minor tearing.

Let’s Break it Down

The cost to have a baby depends on a ton of variables, including:

• Your insurance
• Where you deliver
• What type of birth you have
• Medications that were administered
• How long you receive care
• Any complications

And while you can control some factors, a lot of times you just kind of have to wait and see what happens with the baby.

Here are the itemized charges for Goose:

Altogether, the total charges for Goose amounted to $11, 417.50. Again, this is for an induction, epidural, vaginal birth, zero complications, and two nights in the hospital.

Insurance automatically covered $6,992.90 of the cost and we paid the remaining $4,424.60 with a medical debit card given to me by my job. I was a kindergarten teacher when both girls were born and nothing actually came out of pocket for either of our children. Phew!

Are any of the charges surprising to you?

I haven’t been able to locate the bill from when Belle was born, but we were in the hospital for less than 36 hours and I’m positive the total was far less.

Obviously, you can’t put a price tag on your children and I would pay anything to have my daughters all over again. I won’t get into a political conversation right now, but if you don’t have great insurance, I suggest you start saving now!

How much did it cost to have your baby? Tell me in the comments!

If you’re pregnant, congratulations! Here are some ways to manage your morning sickness! If you already have a little one, see how you can prepare your family for a new baby! And look at how easy it is to build a stash of freezer meals for those first days when Baby comes home!

Talk to you soon!