How Much Does Childbirth Actually Cost? This Video Might Shock You...

#1 The prices range from not so much to "You charge WHAT to pull a baby out?!"

Women Share Exactly How Much It Cost Them to Give Birth

#2 Amy, Brooklyn, New York

Total cost: $6,285

What went down: Attempted natural childbirth, but had to have an emergency C-section

In her own words: "After the birth, the bills started coming in fast and furious. I tried to keep on top of them and send them off to the insurance companies. It seemed like everyone at the hospital sent a separate bill, which made everything even harder to keep track of. I have come to expect hospitals to charge ridiculous amounts in indecipherable bills for unrequested services. I get very nervous when I receive multiple bills for the same procedure because it is so hard to ferret out what is what, and I am always concerned that I am being double-billed for things. I should be more aware and careful about it, but I was not in a state to do that at the time. Honestly, I probably paid more than I owed because I didn't take the time to follow up on things. I think that whole system needs to be overhauled and pricing needs to be more transparent."

#3 Nora, Unionville, Pennsylvania

Total cost: $6,000

What went down: Had a scheduled Caesarian

In her own words: "I hate insurance. It is so confusing. I had a C-section, so that added more cost and I had to stay in the hospital for two days after giving birth. Some of the bills were in my name, and some were in my baby's name. The cost was not a surprise. I called my insurance company when I knew I was going to have a C-section, just to be sure that we were covered. I had our son in May, and we went to settlement on a new home at the end of June, so we did a payment plan for the hospital bills. We just got everything paid off in November. It is crazy, the cost of having kids."

#4 Laura, Lewes, Delaware

Total cost: $6,000

What went down: No complications and had an epidural

In her own words: "Our bill from just the obstetrician was around $3,000that's not accounting for any hospital or anesthesiologist fees. We definitely expected it to be high because our insurance isn't the best, but our hospital bills never stopped. It was constant and seemed never-ending. What we didn't think about is that you start to get bills for the baby, as well. For the next pregnancy, we're putting money in our HSA to help."

#5 health-care expert Sarah O'Leary, founder of Exhale Health-care Advocates, a national consumer health-care advocacy says,

There's a reason why it often costs a lot to give birth: Childbirth is one of the most expensive payouts for insurance companies, and more than 300,000 American women give birth every month.

#6 According to a 2009 University of Minnesota study, 30 to 40 percent of all medical bills contain errors.

O'Leary notes that every hospital decides independently how much a test, procedure, medication, and even blanket costs. She says this charging system often results in "wildly inflated" costs, and they can vary from hospital to hospitaleven if you're just looking at ones in the same neighborhood. "Because insurance companies have negotiated rates with their preferred hospitals, we may not be impacted by this," she says, "but patients can be in jeopardy when insurers don't cover certain inflated costs completely or in part."

#7 Next, come up with a birth plan that includes which tests you may or may not want to get during your labor

"Many times, your health-care provider is going to be pressuring you to get a lot of testing done, and that will usually cost extra," she says. "We're in the habit of saying 'yes,' even when it's not medically necessary."

#8 You should also make that plan clear to the doctors and hospital staff;

let them know that you want to be made aware of any test or procedure that may not be covered by your insurance and/or isn't medically necessary, says O'Leary.

#9 Reporter for Vox began researching how much his impending child's birth would cost,

he decided to film the process...and frustration. Turns out, the cost of labor and delivery in America is quite a crap shoot.

#10 Stick around to the end of the video,

when the reporter gets the final bill and makes a pretty sharp conclusion about how messed up healthcare is.

Watch the video: