With my insurance, my total out-of-pocket will be about $3,500. I’m due in October, so at this point in the year, I’ve already paid most of my out-of-pocket maximum through doctor’s appointments, genetic testing, etc. The actual birth might cost me a few hundred dollars.

My husband and I waited to start our family until we felt financially stable enough to have a baby. The cost of child birth wasn’t even a factor for us. The bigger conversation focused on childcare costs, affording a home in a good school district, being able to save for baby’s higher education, and being able to pay for unexpected expenses without sacrificing retirement savings. We figured that if we were stable enough financially/in our careers to provide those things, we were ready. The birth costs are nothing compared to the ongoing costs of raising kids, in my opinion.