{"id":447,"date":"2023-06-26T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-26T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/the-business-of-babies\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T01:36:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T01:36:43","slug":"the-business-of-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/the-business-of-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"The Business of Babies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019re a millennial on the fence about becoming a parent, you\u2019ve probably heard the phrase, \u201cIt costs $1 million<\/span><\/a> to raise a child through college.\u201d (*insert white guy blinking meme*, gee, no wonder the American birth rate just keeps getting lower<\/span><\/a>.)<\/p>\n

While that\u2019s not necessarily<\/em> true, the average middle-income family with two children will spend $310,605<\/span><\/a> to raise a child born in 2015 up to age 17, according to the Brookings Institution. To my knowledge, these costs include housing<\/span><\/a>, which\u2026I mean\u2026you\u2019re probably paying for that anyway, right? But it highlights how the decision to start a family usually means opening a big, fat tab.  <\/p>\n

So you can imagine my surprise when I learned that even physically birthing a baby<\/em> was probably going to run at least a four-figure bill, even with insurance. (USA! USA!<\/em>) <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So how much does having a baby cost?<\/h2>\n

Several months ago, we polled our Instagram audience about the biggest \u201csurprise\u201d costs they\u2019ve ever incurred. Here\u2019s some news that won\u2019t<\/em> be surprising to parents and homeowners the world over: The most frequent expenses pertained to things like roofs, HVACs, and, yes, having babies.<\/p>\n

Totals without health insurance<\/h3>\n

While the costs of childbirth widely vary, the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker (a quippy name if I\u2019ve ever heard one) found that the average cost<\/span><\/a> of giving birth\u2014including pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care\u2014is $18,865<\/strong> for people without health insurance.<\/p>\n

The average cost of vaginal deliveries is $14,768, and the average cesarean runs a staggering $26,280. <\/p>\n

Fortunately, under the Affordable Care Act<\/span><\/a>, pregnancy, labor, delivery, and newborn baby care must be covered by all health insurance plans. Similarly, all preventive and prenatal services must be provided without copays<\/span><\/a>, to make this experience more affordable. (So, like\u2026we\u2019re moving in the right direction, I guess?)<\/p>\n

Totals with health insurance<\/h3>\n

Rockin\u2019 that fancy UnitedHealth plan via your benevolent corporate benefactor? Incredible news for you, Glen Coco! Your average out-of-pocket cost drops to $2,854<\/strong>\u2014not exactly cheap, but a hell of a lot better than the near-$20,000 bill we were running before. (For vaginal deliveries, the average is $2,655 and cesareans are $3,214, for context.)<\/p>\n

But take it from me, your favorite non-mother: Having a baby is\u2026kinda unpredictable. <\/p>\n

You don\u2019t exactly get briefed a week ahead of time by your medical virtual assistant that Baby\u2019s going to prefer a C-section over a vaginal birth. That means you may not really<\/em> know your final amount owed for several months after delivery, and that can shock you out of baby bliss and back to reality pretty quickly. Baby better pick up a shift or two.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Here are the known<\/em> factors you can plan for:<\/p>\n