Yesterday, a group of us got to talking about labor and delivery costs, as you do. I’ve been living in a bubble because I had no idea. I’m guessing many many women out there also don’t realize how much childbirth can cost, until they’re already pregnant. At that point, they’re kinda already stuck.

So, let’s talk about labor and delivery costs today.

We were covered by a Large HMO Insurance Company in California, and Bean’s birth was fully covered; we paid close to $0. A friend with the same insurance had a daughter that needed to be in the NICU for 3 months, a stay that eventually cost over $1 million. But, when the bill arrived at their home, a lovely $0 was at the bottom: they were fully covered.

This was what I thought standard solid health insurance meant. But yesterday, a friend shared a story of someone that required an emergency c-section, and then was billed for every medication stemming from it, so that eventually, she was on the hook for $10,000. This is a person with good insurance. Is your head spinning?

Here is a list of average childbirth charges by state and by degree of childbirth complication. A separate 2010 study that takes insurance into account shows “in California, maternal payments were $15,259 for vaginal births and $21,307 for cesarean births.”

These figures are staggering. I also wonder if it factors into women’s birth plans to some degree. How many woman have $21,000 laying around in case they need a cesarean?

If you’ve given birth, were you surprised with a huge hospital bill a few weeks later? Did you know how expensive it could be going in, or did it come as a shock? Would you do anything differently if you plan to have another kid?

More reading:

Must-Read Websites for the Newly Pregnant

The Post Partum Pajama Conundrum

What Actually Surprised Me About Breastfeeding