Registered Nurse RN

Registered Nurse, Free Care Plans, Free NCLEX Review, Nurse Salary, and much more. Join the nursing revolution.

  • RN
    • Nursing Clinical Skills
  • Nursing Videos
  • Blog
  • Nursing School
  • Nursing Care Plans
  • Nursing Quizzes
  • Nursing
  • Nursing Jobs
  • NCLEX Review
  • Store

How Much Does it Cost to Have a Baby in the Hospital? | My Labor & Delivery Nurse Experience

This past year was an exciting year for my husband and me. We had our first child, a boy, on December 20, 2013.  It was a great Christmas present and a nice way to end the year of 2013. Now that it is January, the hospital bills have started to come in and let’s just say that I am astonished about how much the hospital bill ended up being. I am a nurse and know that the services I provided as a stress lab nurse are expensive so I expected our hospital bill to be expensive. My husband and I had a bet on who would guess the closest amount to how much it would be. He said that it would probably be around $10,000 and I said $25,000. One of us was right (well one of was close to the figure); keep reading to see who was.  In addition, I want to talk about my experience with the labor and delivery nurses that helped deliver my son. I know many of you are interested in becoming a labor and delivery nurse so I want to tell you what it was like to be a patient (since I am usually the nurse) and how my encounter was with the nurses.

So, when you think about the cost of having a baby you may say to yourself “I know this will be expensive.” Moreover, yes you would be correct in saying this. I recommend that before you decide to have a baby, you have health insurance. I have health insurance from my job and I am very thankful for it. I am going to break down the costs of everything from the prenatal visits, physician charges, labor & delivery hospital charges, post-partum visits. Note I am not including in this calculation my son’s doctor’s visits: which included his circumcision (performed at doctor’s office), hearing test, and pediatrician visits because I have not received the bills for that yet.

 

How much it Cost to Have a Baby?

  • Prenatal Lab Work: $3,075.50 (standard labs that is required for everyone throughout the pregnancy) & Ultrasounds (only had two ultrasounds)newborn baby, baby's first moments, baby after delivery
  • OB-GYN Delivery Charge & Office Visits: $3,680
  • Hospital Charge for Delivery & Care: $18,393.00
  • Anesthesiologists Charge for Epidural & Care: $4,600
  • Miscellaneous Lab Work Charges from Hospital: $332.70

Total Cost to Have a Baby: $30,071.20

My Labor and Delivery Experience with the Nurses

I had an amazing experience with the nurses I encountered during the birth of my son. It was my first time having a baby and I was very anxious. Being a nurse, I know about the many things that can go wrong. The saying is true sometimes “Ignorance is bliss.” However, the nurses I had were calm and very knowledgeable about what they were doing which made me feel better.

What do labor and delivery nurse do? I was in labor for about a total of 20.5 hours. During the labor process you mainly encounter the nurse and you will probably only see the doctor about 2-4 times before you actually give birth. I seen the doctor when I was admitted, two times while I was progressing, and then for the actually delivery. What did the nurses do for me?

  • Started my IV and collected labs
  • Started Picotin drip and managed it
  • Checked my cervix intermittently for dilation and effacement
  • Monitored my uterine contractions & my son’s heart rate during labor
  • Inserted a Foley after I received my epidural (CRNA inserted epidural and maintained my epidural)
  • Assisted me with pushing and getting my son in the birth canal
  • Set-up the sterile field for the doctor for the delivery
  • Assisted the doctor with the after birth
  • Took care of my son after he was born (suctioning airway, stabilizing his temperature, administering vitamin K & eye antibiotics)
  • Helped recover me after the birth (educated me about what to expect with the tearing I had, how to care for the vaginal area etc.)
  • Breastfeeding help
  • Discharge care

Above is what I encountered with the nurses during my labor and delivery. I had a great nurse during the actual pushing part of my son’s birth. She was a great coach and very positive. If it was not for my husband and nurse, I don’t know how I would have got through it. Labor and delivery nurses are so essential for the birth your child. I don’t know if they know how important they actually are to their patient.

After everything was said and done, I was very happy with my birth experience but very shocked about how much it all cost. Healthcare is crazy expensive! I hope this article helped open your eyes to the actual costs of having a baby, and what a labor & delivery nurse does during the birthing process.

Please Share:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
Nursing Gear

RSS Latest YouTube Videos

  • Anaphylactic Shock (Anaphylaxis) Treatment, Nursing Interventions, Symptoms NCLEX
  • Dopamine IV Drip Calculation & Nursing Considerations Pharmacology Implications
  • Septic Shock Nursing (Sepsis) Treatment, Pathophysiology, Symptoms Distributive
  • Nursing Interview Questions and Answers

Recent Posts

  • Anaphylactic Shock NCLEX Review
  • Anaphylactic Shock NCLEX Questions
  • Dopamine IV Drip Calculation Practice Review
  • Dopamine IV Drip Calculation Practice mcg/kg/min

Disclosure and Privacy Policy

This website provides entertainment value only, not medical advice or nursing protocols. We strive for 100% accuracy, but nursing procedures and state laws are constantly changing. By accessing any content on this site or its related media channels, you agree never to hold us liable for damages, harm, loss, or misinformation. See our full disclosure and privacy policy. Copyright Notice: Do not copy this site, articles, images, or its contents without permission.

Important Links

  • Contact Us

Follow Us on Social Media

  • Facebook Nursing
  • Instagram Nursing
  • Twitter Nursing
  • YouTube Nursing

Get Free Email Updates:

Enter your email address below and hit "Submit" to receive free email updates and nursing tips.

Copyright © 2019 RegisteredNurseRN.com. All Rights Reserved.