I’ve finally found a chart that looks at the cost of an average birth in the U.S., depending on whether it was vaginal or C-section, complicated or uncomplicated. Finally! (I’ve previously blogged about this subject here and here.) The chart lists average costs in 2003, 2004, and 2005. These costs do not include any anesthesia (anesthesiologists are typically billed separately from the hospital), newborn care, or “maternity provider charge” (I’m assuming that’s the woman’s prenatal care, but it could be costs billed directly by the doctor who attends the birth, similar to the separate billing by anesthesiologists — if anyone knows for sure, feel free to leave a comment.) For the most recent year, an uncomplicated vaginal birth was nearly $7,000; a complicated one was almost $9,000; an uncomplicated C-section was over $12,000; and a complicated C-section was about $16,000.
Oh, and a birth-center birth was about $1,600.
Filed under: C-section, birth choices | Tagged: baby, birth, C-section, cost of c-section, health, hospital birth, how much does birth cost, pregnancy, pregnant, vaginal birth
Nice.
I think my birth center was about $1900 not including prenatal care.
Midwifery rocks, plain and simple.
All four of my pregnancy’s and births cost $80.00 Total. Yes, that’s $20 dollars each. That’s what it cost for the Black and Blue Cohosh to help my labor progress well and the sterilized shoe laces to tie the cord after the birth.
By the way, I caught each of my own babies at home. It was the most empowering and awesome things I’ve ever done in my life.
Hi I was just curious as to what the difference between a hospital and a birth center is? And do you know how I could find one in my area? Thanks!
Mary,
Some hospital maternity wings are labeled “birth centers” but are not what is typically under consideration when people use the term “birth center.” I think it’s done to deliberately confuse and mislead the public, so that they think they’re getting a more naturally-oriented place of birth, when in reality, they’re just getting a standard hospital birth, with just a name change to hide the truth.
What I think of when using the term “birth center” is a free-standing, independent place of birth, typically run by midwives, that does not answer to the hospital, nor has its practices run by nor dictated by the hospital. It may be located near a hospital, but would not be in a hospital. However, some hospital-run “birth centers” are not necessarily located within the four walls of a hospital, so location is not necessarily a guarantee.
A birth center is going to be similar to a home birth, except instead of midwives coming to your home to attend you, you go to the birth center (which is likely where you will have prenatal visits) to give birth. “House of Babies” on The Discovery Channel (or TLC?), is a good example of a birth center. You will have to be low-risk, and if you need or want an epidural or some other medication or intervention, or if certain complications arise, you will have to transfer out of the birth center and into a hospital.
The advantage of a birth center over a hospital is that since the midwives and nurses deal with normal, healthy, low-risk birth on a daily basis, they typically don’t use interventions at the level of the typical hospital, which may serve to introduce risk for little or no benefit. Hospitals may have protocols which effectively limit women to lying in bed for the entire labor, whereas at birth centers (like home births), women will be encouraged to move around and be active to help with labor. Most of the routines that hospitals have are not common in birth centers.
To find a birth center near you, as well as to answer other FAQs, you can check out the American Association of Birth Centers website.
[...] Pretty much the entire cost of the whole maternity hospital of Santa Monica back in 1952. Click here for some current average costs of hospital [...]