How Much Does It Cost to Have a Baby?

It’s exciting to welcome a new bundle of joy into your family. Being a parent is one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll have in life. But the reality is this: Becoming a parent is also one of the more expensive transitions you’ll make.

Before you budget additional costs for food, clothing, traveling sports teams and college, you'll need to figure the cost of having a baby into your budget. Here you’ll get a better idea of the costs associated with having a baby—from prenatal care through caring for a newborn.

How much does it cost to give birth in the U.S.?

The average health care costs in the U.S. associated with a pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care total around $18,865. Women who are enrolled in health insurance plans pay an average total of $2,854 in out-of-pocket expenses, according to a 2022 study by the Peterson Kaiser Family Foundation—that’s about $3,000 in 2025 dollars, adjusted for inflation.

In fact, the United States is one of the most expensive places to have a baby. An interactive map from Coyne College illustrates that across the globe, costs can range from $1,271 (for a natural childbirth in South Africa) to $7,901 (for a C-section in Australia). The U.S. outranks almost every country in the world in terms of childbirth costs.

But pregnancy and childbirth—and their costs—are rarely “average.”

• Healthy pregnancies can be less expensive than pregnancies requiring management of preexisting health conditions or conditions the baby develops.
• You might end up with above-average costs if you have multiples or need extra postpartum support (if your baby is admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or you get mental health services for postpartum depression).

The costs of having a baby last beyond the childbirth experience itself. Here is a breakdown of some of the costs associated with having a baby along with average amounts spent in the U.S.

Costs of pregnancy

Once you become pregnant, you’ll likely begin receiving prenatal care to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy development of your baby. Appointments typically start off monthly but increase in frequency as you near your due date (up to once per week for the last week of pregnancy).

Appointments with an OB/GYN can run $100 to $200 per appointment, and that doesn’t include any additional screenings, ultrasounds or labs you may need. Depending on your policy, your health insurance may cover a good portion of pregnancy costs, but there are still additional expenses you’ll need to account for.

Becoming pregnant may also be a challenge for some couples. Infertility treatments can be expensive (starting at $15,000–$30,000), and often they’re not covered by insurance.

Labor and delivery cost

Though you may frequently visit the doctor before the birth, the bulk of the costs of having a baby will come from the delivery. How much your delivery costs will depend on what type of care provider you’re using (an OB/GYN vs. a midwife), where you give birth (a hospital vs. at home) and your type of delivery (vaginal vs. C-section). The costs associated with labor and delivery can also vary quite a bit depending on whether you have insurance and, if you have insurance, what type of insurance you have.

Roughly half of women in the U.S. who give birth per year carry private health insurance policies (like those offered through an employer), and the other half are covered by Medicaid. Regardless of the policy, it’s very likely that pregnancy is a condition that will be covered. (It’s one of the 10 essential health benefits required by the Affordable Care Act.)

Here are the average birth costs for each type of delivery in a hospital:

• Vaginal birth: $14,768 ($2,655 out of pocket)
• C-section birth: $26,280 ($3,214 out of pocket)

Today, most women choose to give birth in a hospital, but birthing centers and home births account for about 1 percent of U.S. births. When choosing this alternative, prenatal care is typically included in the cost of birth (though it’s not always covered by insurance).

Here are the average costs for deliveries outside a hospital:

• Birth at a birthing center: $8,309
• Home birth: $4,650

Natural birth isn’t the only way to grow a family. In 2022 (the most recent data available), over 50,000 children were adopted in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To grow a family by adoption is a bit more expensive (and not always covered by insurance).

Here are the average costs to adopt:

• Private adoption: $30,000–$60,000
• Intercountry adoption: $20,000–$50,000

Costs to care for a baby

Babies are dependent on their parents for virtually everything for at least their first year of life. You’ll want to account for some necessities (and some nice-to-haves) to get you through this period.

Here is a cheat sheet for how much you can expect to pay for initial baby essentials:

Diapers and wipes

• Baby wipes: $17 for 500 sheets
• Diapers: $70 to $80 per month

Look for deals, buy in bulk, and be strategic since little ones grow quickly. Buy just as many as you need for about a month at a time, and then reassess for sizing, comfort, etc. Some babies suffer skin reactions to certain brands, so avoid being left with an open pack. If you’re willing to put in some extra work, using cloth diapers that you wash yourself can cut the cost down, too.

Feeding accessories

Breastfeeding accessories: $300

If you choose to breastfeed, you’ll likely want to look at nursing bras, a nursing pillow, nursing covers and a breast pump kit. Many insurance plans will pay for a pump, so be sure to check if yours is covered (and order it before you give birth).

Formula: $200 to $400 per month

How much you pay per month for formula will depend on the type of formula you use and whether your baby is exclusively formula fed. Babies grow quickly—especially in the beginning—so you’ll likely be going through formula quickly.

Bottles: $5 to $30

Even if your baby is exclusively breastfed, you may want bottles and nipples in the house so you can pump to keep a store of milk in the fridge (especially if you’re planning to return to work). The benefit is two-fold: Your partner can participate in feedings, and you can (gasp!) actually leave the house once in a while.

Baby gear

• Crib: $80 to $1,200
• Baby bedding: $20 to $75
• Baby monitor: $35 to $500
• Stroller: $150 to $1,000
• Highchair: $25 to $300
• Newborn clothes: $0 to $60-plus per month

There are lots of ways to save here. Hopefully you’ll get a lot of these items as gifts or hand-me-downs, so you won’t have to buy too much. Frequenting rummage sales and seeking out buy/sell social media groups are other good ways to find discounted items.

Childcare

• Weekly cost for day care: $323
• Weekly cost for a nanny: $827

According to the 2025 Care.com Cost of Care Report, families with children are currently spending around 22 percent of their household income on childcare, so this line item can account for a decent chunk of your budget. And you may even need to dip into savings to cover childcare—the Care.com report shows that the average parent reported using 29 percent of their savings on childcare costs alone.

Remember that the average costs reported are also per child. So if you have multiple children, you’ll need to multiply this figure. Many day care centers offer a small discount when adding siblings. For example, Care.com found the national average for a sibling discount to be 10 percent.

Why is giving birth so expensive?

Rising childbirth costs keep pace with the growing cost of health care overall. (According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, average family deductibles have increased 17 percent since 2017.) Because pregnancies can require so much medical care—for you and for the baby—having a baby has now become a big-ticket item.

How to afford the costs of childbirth

Though you likely aren’t going to be able to drastically alter the cost of having a baby, there are some small actions you can take to keep costs reasonable and make sure you’re not incurring unnecessary costs. Having a good understanding of coming costs can also be helpful in planning ahead and working them into your budget as well.

Understand your insurance

If you don’t know a lot about your health care insurance policy, get up to speed on what your responsibilities are for copays, coinsurance, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. That way, you’ll know what to expect as you start receiving additional medical services.

And consider additional life insurance to help protect your kids if anything should happen to you. You might buy life insurance on your kids, too.

Look into a short-term disability policy to help cover potential lost income, especially if you don’t have paid parental leave.

Ask questions

While you’ll likely want to make decisions that will support a healthy pregnancy, you may decide to forego treatments or screenings that may not be medically necessary. You also can eliminate surprises on your bill by getting in touch with your health care provider’s insurance department to understand what your out-of-pocket responsibilities will be after insurance. A billing representative should be able to compare billing codes for services you have scheduled and run them through your insurance to see if they’re covered and what you may be responsible for. It may take some detective work, but it could be worthwhile.

Shop around

When selecting a health care provider, make sure you find someone who is in-network and covered under your plan. And shop around for different health care systems and providers—costs can vary there, too.

If you’re considering having children and you’re near the open enrollment period for your insurance, you might also consider looking into your options and making changes. Moving to a lower-deductible plan or starting to defer more money to an HSA or FSA could help cover added costs associated with birth.

How should I save for childbirth?

Unfortunately, costs of childbirth are only the beginning. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that parents can expect to spend more than $250,000 (including projected inflation) to raise a child—and that doesn’t include the cost of college. (While it might seem early, you might want to start a college fund.

In short, if you’re thinking of having a baby, it’s a good idea to begin financially preparing for a baby. Start putting away money to cover birth costs, and complete your baby financial checklist. Review your monthly budget and financial plan to make room for new costs.

Adding a child to your family is an important life milestone, and it comes with many moving pieces. The good news is you don’t have to navigate this change alone. Your Northwestern Mutual financial advisor can help you develop a financial plan to help support and protect your growing family.