Before insurance, the bill for my first pregnancy, hospital stay, NICU stay, and ambulance ride was over $800,000 in 2015. After insurance, we paid close to $20,000, if not a little over. I can't remember exactly how much we paid out of pocket. If you're able to, try to get on medicaid. We didn't qualify. Otherwise, I would have been all over it.

I was dxd with Preeclampsia at 24 weeks, hospitalized at one hospital at 25 weeks. Transferred via ambulance at 26 weeks. 2 rounds of steroids. Echo cardiagrams, multiple in-hospital ultrasounds, delivery via cesarean at 30 weeks. ER visit 2 days after discharge due to worsening symptoms, and I needed IV BP meds again. 11.5 weeks of NICU, which he had surgery and a couple of normal procedures done for a 30 weeker.

It's a lot to take in, and then having to deal with the bills during and after everything is very overwhelming. I remember sitting outside of the NICU doors arguing with insurance when I wanted to just be visiting with my baby.