How Much...

Did the 9 months of pregnancy cost you?

Also, the first 1-3 months once the baby was born?

I want to start trying but DH is so worried about the financial aspect and he made me panic too. I was hoping to get a realistic idea of the extra medical, food, diapers, etc costs... and see what we are still not accounting for...

We are not financially ready, we know that, we have a lot of school loans and are surviving paycheck to paycheck without savings... but I'd really like to start trying sooner than later...

any information would be greatly appreciated.

Re: How Much...

I am like you, lots of students loans, im also unemployed and DH's income is all we survive on. We have a $3,000 insurance deductible that we have to meet even before insurance starts to pay anything.

With DD, we paid about $4,000 out of pocket and then when the deductible was reached we had $12,000 for the c-section and hospital stay which we had to pay $2,500 of. So, out of pocket total was $6,500. We will be going over that for the baby because of the complications and all the expensive ultrasounds BUT hopefully we reach the deductible sooner this time.

ETA: The first 3 months (since DD couldn't breastfeed we had to formula feed) we spent about $40 per week in formula and a big box of diapers would be $40 but that was before i discovered Amazon and their Subscribe & Save program. You should look into that, you sign up for automatic delivery and you get 30% off so i can get a box of 200+ diapers for about $30 per box and save about $20 since i would have spent close to $50 at store.

Message edited 4/15/2011 12:13:42 PM.

Re: How Much...

I haven't had the baby yet,so I dont know what expenses will be like after she gets here,but Im hoping to breastfeed and have been collecting coupons for diapers already!

As far as the 9 months goes, we havent noticed an increase in expenses over the last 7 months, but I think it really depends on your insurance. We are very lucky that Dh has excellent ins. We dont have copays for reg OB visits, only $15 per sonos and between $15 & $20 for labwork. I tried to eat healthy before getting pregnant, and continued while pregnant so our grocery bill has been the same, and I asked my Dr. for a generic prenatal that only cost $6 per month.

Maternity clothes can add up, but if you shop sales, and buy basic pieces you can keep it reasonable.

We got pregnant on the 1st try, and didn't really consider ourselves "financially ready",but someone once said to me that you will never feel you are "ready" to have a baby and that things have a way of working themselves out! Best advice IMO. If you want to start trying I say go for it!!!

Plus, we go out way less than we used to, and will be going out even less when DD gets here, so that is another way we will be saving $$.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Re: How Much...

Haven't had the baby yet, but I can say that thanks in a large part to amazing insurance we haven't paid anything thus far to have a baby. I think our expenses decreased in the last 7 months because I haven't been shopping much (hate maternity clothes) and I have such food aversions that we don't really go out to eat. It's also our first and both sides first grandchild so everyone has been so so generous about buying stuff for the baby, so minus a few expenses, we haven't spent much more than we would have without being pregnant.

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Re: How Much...

I went through fertility treatments to get pregnant so this child has already cost us thousands of dollars!! It's soooo worth it though....

Re: How Much...

Well, I spent alot on maternity clothes. That doesnt apply for everyone, but I shop often even not being preg.

As for the insurance/med expenses, my OB billing office determined what my out of pocket would be, based on a vaginal delivery according to my insurance. So I believe we would have had to pay approx $1500 out of pocket, so they just broked that down into payments each visit I went to over 9 mos, so that helped alot.

I am just now getting some of the EOB's and hospital bills, dr bills (they bill separate), and some of the bills for the baby. WIth my insurance, I am responsible for 5%, so although all these bills are relatively small, they are adding up here and there.

I will say this, the first few weeks we spent A LOT of $$. We bought a giant box of diaper/wipes, I rented a pump, bought the equipment for that, different bottles (returned the ones I registered for), bought a diff swing, diff diaper rash creams, Rx for diaper rash, Different paci's.. all of this little stuff adds up. Everytime we walked into BRU, we dropped $.

We switched formulas probably 5 times, and the powder formula she is on is $36.99 a canister, and we go through 2 per week.

We returned alot of clothes and things I registered for that we really didnt need/use, so we luckily have/had alot of credit to BRU. You will go through $$$ like it's water, IMO.

Message edited 4/16/2011 10:01:59 AM.

Re: How Much...

I think everyone's will be soooo different.

I spent the most money on acupuncture and herbs for fertility before conceiving but that was totally optional

My insurance was great so I spent almost nothing on pregnancy, tests, or hospitals

I spent about 25 dollars a month on prenatals

Spent money for maternity clothes

So far at 7 weeks I have not had to buy ANY diapers or barely any clothes bc I had so many people give me used things. Same with my bassinet, swing, and Breast pump. .

Did spend money on a dresser for the baby and a glider but you would not need those things.

Overall I would say it depends on
- your insurance
- your ability to get and be happy with used things and how many "extra" things you are comfortable doing without. .

Re: How Much...