How much does a pregnancy cost?

I was wondering how much would a pregnancy cost? I know this isn't something that can be measured money-wise, but I would like to be a little prepared. Having an amount squirreled away for the pregnancy and little after would give me some peace of mind about it (given the recession, job scene etc etc). 

I, obviously, haven't had a baby before but really really want to!  

So, I am looking for advice from all those gone ahead of me. Even if you can ballpark an amount, that would be helpful. Thanks!

There's no way to ballpark an amount pregnancy will cost. You will never think you have enough money socked away. Here are some things to consider:

What does your insurance provider cover? I had to pay one $25 copay to cover all my office visits and then a $100 copay for the hospital stay and 20% of the hospital bill after that. Each insurance plan is different. Just call the company and find out what their plan is for maternity care.

You can take up to 12 weeks unpaid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (I assume you live in the US). I happen to work for a company that allows female employees to take 6 weeks of short-term disability when they give birth. This means we get paid 60% of our salary for the 6 weeks. If we want to take more time off, it's unpaid.

If you want to keep your benefits while on maternity leave, you have to pay for them out of pocket (at least,  I had to with both my leaves).

You will receive a lot of gifts but plan on buying your own furniture. Baby items such as car seats, strollers, cribs, matresses, changing tables and diapers can be expensive. If you decide to purchase things second-hand, understand that there are regulations that are ever-changing and you shouldn't buy items that no longer meet those regulations (here are the regulations for cribs, for example).

Again, there is no way to give you a ballpark but you won't ever feel like you have enough saved :)

Thanks a lot bier!! That was very helpful and insightful! :)

It depends on your insurance and if you have short-term disability at your job.  If you have disability, they usually pay a percentage of your income for 6 weeks after the baby is born.  For me that was 60% income.

For my health insurance (which I paid 20% after deductible of 500) and with an induced labor and then a c-section I spent around 3000 dollars for the doctor visits and hospital bills in the end.  If your job has a flex spend plan or "cafeteria plan" it is really helpful to put some money in there in the beginning of the year you plan to have a baby so it's not all one giant bill when the baby's born.

I have read that the average uninsured and uncomplicaed normal labor costs 7000 dollars without insurance for just the hospital bills.

rainjoules has an excellent suggestion with the flex spending account. It allows you to put money into an account on a pre-tax basis. That money can then be used for anything from hospital bills to vitamins and bandages. Not having to pay taxes on that money can really save a lot.

My bill for my planned c-section totaled almost $14,000. This did not include the additional fees the doctors charged. Granted, insurance covered all the doctor's fees and 80% of the hospital bill. I wound up paying roughly $1200 for my prenatal care and hospital stay.

After the birth, you have to take your baby in for well-child exams. You can set your own schedule or follow that of the pediatrician. You'll typically go in at 7 days, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 2 years, etc. If you have a copay, you'll have to pay that each time.

A lot of states have help with pregnancy and delivery costs through medicaid as well.  I didn't have a maternity rider on my policy (wasn't supposed to be able to have any more children, said 4 doctors) when I got pregnant and they wouldn't let me add it.  So I was able to get help that way. 

Taking time off work, check what the policies are ahead of time and squirrel away the extra money you'll be out if you go to a percentage situation.

Maternity clothing, tons and tons of it is at goodwill or 2nd hand stores around here.  I got a fair bit of handme down stuff from friends that didn't need maternity items anymore and did buy quite a bit new but for that price tag it was easier getting it 2nd hand. (with my other kids, I had things that I'd saved from previous pregnancies so that was a lot easier)

The 'big' buys I'd save for so you can get the crib you really want instead of settling for what you can afford.  I had convertable cribs for my kids so it started off with a bassinette inset, then crib, then toddler bed and then if you like...a headboard/footboard for a twin.  Changing table was over-rated... my oldest, even strapped down would fidget/roll about and I just ended up using a waterproof pad on our bed or the floor vs that evil table.  Also, I recommend putting aside a diaper fund.  If you're going to do cloth a toilet sprayer is Really worth the cost (especially when you start solids) and the extra you have you can spend on some cute covers =) or even using a diaper service if you're pressed for time.  If you're doing the disposable route.... they add up fast so the more you have there the better!

I had to pay a one-time co-pay of $25 for my doctor, and a $500 co-pay to the hospital after delivery, but I was not responsible for any of the bill.  Like the others, I'd say to ask your insurance agency.  My employer also gave me my full salary for the 6 weeks I took off, but they're not required to pay you anything.  You should inquire what your employer's policy is on maternity leave.  

Also, I bought lots and lots and lots, lol, of baby stuff while pregnant.  I started buying diapers immediately after finding out.  I'd pick up one pack of diapers and other items like baby wash, lotion, diaper rash cream, etc. each week at the grocery store.  It helps to buy stuff ahead of time so you don't have the expense of buying it all at once.  Plus, it's nice to have all that stuff on hand right after delivery so you don't find yourself sore and needing to go to the store for something. 

I bought my son's furniture from a baby furniture store.  I think I spent over $2000 for it, and it was in the mid-range pricewise.  I didn't get the cheapest thing I could find, but I didn't buy high-end either.  My son was still using his furniture when I had my daughter, so I had to buy another crib, etc.  Luckily, my mom's neighbor wanted to sell hers, so she sold it to me for next to nothing.  A deal like that is hard to come by! 

You probably will get a lot of things at a baby shower, but bier is right, most people aren't going to spend a lot on any one item.  If you get it great, but you should plan on buying the expensive stuff yourself.  And I totally agree about buying second-hand.  Make sure you're buying something that meets the current safety standards if you're buying used.    

i have no idea how much a pregnancy costs in the US, but if you're asking that question, i hope you're also asking how much raising a child to 18 and financing an education costs.

It has been awhile for me but in 1997.. my insurance was billed $10,000 for all of my medical treatments..  doctor visits and delivery.. I had one ultrasound.  so I would say it has atleast doubled in price considering everything else has.  Plus I live in a small country town, not in a big city where cost -- I am sure is higher for everything.

About.com has a pregnancy site.   Also the government has a list of statistics.  Dig around on Google. 

It really depends on where you live and how good your insurance is.

Co-pays for all my office visits were $15 (I saw my OB-GYN about 10 times during my first pregnancy).  Insurance covered about 85% of the ultrasound.

The birth, including hospital room, epidural, lab work, and delivery, would have amounted to about $1,000 a pound for my oldest boy (birth weight 6.5 lbs) without insurance.  With insurance, it wound up being about $500 (this was in 2000).

And that's just for the pregnancy portion.  The rest is a monumentally larger number.

My daughter's birth was about 12K, including anesthesia and drs and hosp charges and nicu and such.  We had a sort of complicated birth but not really and infection afterwards.  I dont remember the copay on drs visits, but I went to a family practice that was associated with the local hospital so it was staffed by residents who were "learning" so it was cheaper.  I paid out of pocket in the beginning and it was like 50 a visit. 

Babies are expensive!    Luckily, we nursed-- but I had to pump for the first 2 months because she couldnt latch and didnt learn until about 8 weeks old.  That was pumping every hour--I was producing enough milk for like 4 babies lol.  That saved a lot of money later as I had milk frozen for when I went back to school.  I also made a lot of her baby food when she was ready to start-- just know what veggies you should not use b/c of pesticides and nitrates.  Diapers-- we used Pampers (v expensive) and I think Target brand (cheap) depending on where we were at movement wise etc-- it all depends on the kid what sort of diapers work well.  Just know they are SUPER expensive and formula is 2x as expensive (for stinky smelly staining nastiness)

The rest of raising a kid you dont notice so much.  It sort of just becomes bound up in what is normal, its sort of like its for you anyway because its for the kid....

Your Sanity! lol

It all really depends on your insurance. For my insurance I had no co-pay for any of my visits to my doctor or any co pay for the hospital either. My insurance pays for 90% of the hospital bills, so that means I have to pay roughly around 2,000 dollars for the total of everything. Plus if you have complications (god forbid) you'll have more bills on top of that. Can' really sum it up, but if you have Medicaid you won't have to pay a dime!