Title: How Much Does it Cost to Have a Baby? | The Simple Dollar
Headings: How Much Does it Cost to Have a Baby?
How Much Does it Cost to Have a Baby?
The Rising Costs of Having a Child
Estimating the Costs of Prenatal Care and Delivery
Prenatal Care with Health Insurance
Marketplace Coverage
Employer Coverage
Medicaid Coverage
Pregnancy Costs for the Uninsured
How to Reduce Maternity Costs
Cost of Raising a Child Calculator
What Your Baby Really Needs Through Age One
What to have at the hospital
Must-haves: 0 to 3 months old
Must-haves: 3 to 6 months old
Must haves: 7 to 12 months old
The Bottom Line on the Cost of Having a Child
Holly Johnson

Content: While highlighting the average cost of raising a child, the government report does leave room for geographical variations and individual circumstances. For example, living in a high-cost region or a major urban center could dramatically drive up the cost of everything from food to child care compared to a family who lives in, say, a rural part of the Midwest. Estimating the Costs of Prenatal Care and Delivery
Prenatal care is health care provided to both you and your baby during your pregnancy. The benefits of receiving this type of care cannot be understated. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that a lack of prenatal care makes it three times more likely a baby will have a low birth weight and five times more likely a newborn will die in the womb or shortly after birth. When you’re ready to try and have a child – or as quickly as possible after you find out you’re pregnant – you should seek out prenatal care from a qualified physician or clinic. Where you receive your care will depend on a wide range of factors including your location, the type of insurance you have, and quite possibly even your income. Here’s the good news: Where it was once difficult for women to secure maternity coverage on the individual health insurance market, the passage of the PPACA, or Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly called Obamacare), ensures maternity care as one of the essential benefits provided in all health plans. In other words, all plans that are compliant with the law now include maternity as a default, and individuals no longer need to purchase a maternity rider for their policies.