The Average Price of Childbirth Delivery

The cost of delivering a baby can be very high, especially if you don't have insurance.

The birth of a child is a one-of-a-kind experience. It is not a free one, however. Hospitals (or midwives, for parents who choose to give birth at home) can charge thousands of dollars to deliver a baby.

Cost

The average cost for prenatal care and the delivery of a child in a hospital was $7,600 in 2004, according to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Almost all of that cost came from time spent in the hospital.

Factors

One of the biggest factors that can affect the cost of childbirth is whether a mother has a cesarean section. C-sections account for some 45 percent of the $79 billion in hospital childbirth expenses that were billed in 2009, Sentient Publications reports.

Alternatives

Childbirth can be considerably less expensive if new parents consider alternatives. The price of giving birth at home, as of 2010, ranged from $1,500 to $3,000, most of which is taken up by the cost of the midwife, according to the Home Birth Guide website.

References

• Medical Expenditure Panel Survey: Health Care Expenditures for Uncomplicated Pregnancies
• Sentient Publications LLC: Childbirth is Healthcare's Biggest Expense
• Home Birth Guide: Home Birth Cost and How to Pay for It