As a brand-new first-time parent, you’ll go through a phase where your mail is made up of 1-part bills and 1-part gifts and congratulations, but you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised that the bills are less than you anticipated.
I mean — A BABY!!!
But just because no price is too high when it comes to protecting and providing for your precious new baby doesn’t mean that having an idea of what to expect in out-of-pocket expenses isn’t helpful.
How else will you know when to start saving and how much to set aside in preparation for the arrival of the precious little one that will change your life forever?
To state the obvious, this article doesn’t intend to cover every conceivable expense involved in bearing and raising a child. There are too many variables to make that practical.
But what it does aim to provide is a thorough look at a real-world scenario.
You’ll see areas where you would likely spend more or less—on things like maternity clothing for example—but the detailed breakdown of costs should hopefully be more helpful (and promising) by providing an idea of what the expenses were and when they were incurred.
This family didn’t need to come up with $10,000 overnight.
Fingers crossed, let’s dive right in, starting with a couple of notes:
Prices will naturally vary greatly from parent to parent and from state to state. This couple had insurance—and we’ve detailed what that saved them. If your current employer doesn’t offer it, you have the option of signing up for a plan of your own independent of your employer.
Sales tax is not included in the price paid for diapers, formula, and other consumables.
All costs were current as of the purchase date listed.
The type of prenatal vitamins taken, the frequency of doctor visits and check-ups, baby formulas used, and other “health” snippets here are provided only as reference points for the costs associated with them and not as personal advice. Please consult your OB/GYN and/or pediatrician.
Snapshot Summary of the Costs Involved in Having a Baby
Because each of the items in this category represents a savings of some kind and are what the parents would otherwise have to have bought for themselves, these are all credits (money saved), not deductions (money spent).
And that’s something to factor in when you consider a “minimalist baby registry” — consider aiming for a registry that sets you up nicely and at the same time allows for all of your friends and family members to be a part of your big day.
Baby Register Category
Cost of All Items in Registry Category
Baby Gear
$315.38
Baby Transport & Travel
$330.89
Baby Clothes & Accessories
$279.24
Feeding Baby
$351.86
Bathing Baby
$105.10
Diapers & Changing
$275.16
Nursery & Decor
$553.01
Baby Health & Safety
$97.91
A full breakdown of these categories and a “Needed-Rating” of each item is included at the end of this article.
06. Cost of Delivering Baby at a Hospital (CA):
$2,477.23
[Note: Some items in this section are pending verification or action from insurance providers.]
Item [Reference; ignore]
Cost Covered by Insurance
Amount Patient Paid
Delivery!
$14,108.00
$1,060.80
“Healthcare Services”
—
$954.00
Neonatal Care [NHG281]
$4,765.00 (pending)
$350.00 (pending)
Anesthesiologist [CAMOP]
$1,774.50
$80.68
Cesarean Delivery [OBHG]
$425.40
$21.60
Non-Covered Charges [GPA]
—
$7.26
Pain medication
$62.25
$2.89
07. Cost of What Mom Needed to Nurse & Recover After Delivering:
The 5-star “Needed-Rating” indicates how often used or how valuable an item is during the first two months of a baby’s life. One star (★) indicates the least useful or important, while 5 stars (★★★★★) indicates the most useful and most important.
Money-Saving Tip: Host a diaper raffle at your baby shower. Guests bring a pack of diapers of any quantity, and preferably of size 0 or 1, and are entered into a chance to win a gift basket from you.
