[PeachyPeach]

Just got the financial papers from my ob's office.... ouch! Please don't get me wrong. After one miscarriage, we are looking forward to children, no matter the cost.

In detailing the costs, the "total pregnancy package" is $2959 (before insurance). But there are fees on top of that. What we thought was shocking was the circumcision fee... $536!!! That's 1/5 of the 9 month's ob visits fee for a quick routine. Anyone have any answers??? It seemed outrageously high. I'm going for another check up on Wednesday and wanted to ask about that.

Anyway.... second question and off topic. We wanted to record the heart beat off the Doppler with our MP3 player. Do you think that would be a problem?

[baybeenurse]

check with your pediatrician in regard to circumcision and fee..our drs here charge 250-350 for circumcisions if your insurance doesnt cover it..which alot do, btw..otherwise, 2900. is about right for OB care before insurance..add on hospital costs and a vaginal delivery comes out around 5000. total..csections 7-8000..it is ridiculous, but it is what it is..good luck!

[angnstang]

Some dr's office will accept a flat rate if you can pay in full

Also we recorded our sons heart beat with no trouble at all..It is one of the best sounds in the world!!

[xmaspickle]

sounds normal to me...first two children we had in 1987/1990..no insurance..$3400...although, we skipped circumcisions on the boys..we aren't Jewish and there wasn't any medical reason for it...very happy/as are the boys with that decision...our doc offered payments ..which was great without insurance......took a while to pay the kids off...

we had all of ours in a birthing center..no drugs/no ivs..so that wasn't an added cost...

[wannasavemoney]

My OB would be about 2500 that would include all office visit 3 sonograms and delivery fee from dr. labs and hospital fees were extra. I believe the hospital was an additional 2800 for a simple no complication delivery, if anything was to go wrong there would be additional fees atop

I would ask you DR for a discount never hurts to ask. Most DR's will work with you if you do not have insurance that cover maternity

[mamid3]

i wouldn't have the baby circumsized in the hospital. Wait and have him (if it's a boy) circumsized afterwards... like at this pediatrician or your ob's office. My friend found it way cheaper having it done at her ob's office instead of having it done in the hospital

HTH

[michele dj]

speak to your Dr privately and ask him if the baby is eligible for programs like family health plus.The minute the baby is born the income limitations will change so even if right now you arent eligible you may be eligible when the baby is born. good luck and god bless.

[PeachyPeach]

Thanks everyone. Trying to figure this and the insurance out is making my head swim. I figured the ob's fees would be about that, but the circumcision thing just blew my top. Just trying to make heads and tails of it all.

[jbarber8]

Our first was a hospital birth and we only paid the $500 deductible, but I had a much better insurance plan back then - 2005.

We had our second in a birth center in 2007. Their fee was $3900 before insurance, which paid 80% after our $500 deductible. I think our OOP was about $1100 - only because they charged 20% THEN added on my $500 and I couldn't convince them the $500 deductible should come off BEFORE the 20% is calculated. Grrrrr.

I switched to them in my 7th month. I think for the full 9 months, the fee is higher, but it is a fixed fee. I had to fight with my insurance company to cover them, because they were out of network and also unconventional. I wrote to the president of United Healthcare & sent a chart of what they would save over a hospital birth, and they covered it at the in-network price.

We had #2 circumcised by his pediatrician. The only problem is, no insurance company would cover him. We did not want to add him on at work, because they charge so much at both our employers to add on the family. We purchase insurance for our children directly from Aetna, which is a ton cheaper than work... but even though we called to start it 1 day after he was born, they don't pay for anything until the 30 or 60-day (I forget) initial waiting period is over, on a new plan. So we paid OOP for the circ. & initial visits.

I wanted to leave him intact but I let my DH make that decision.

Sorry I'm so long-winded!