They say knowing your opponent is half the battle won. This is true in the financial aspect of labor and delivery in the Philippines, which may be extremely expensive at the present time.
The actual amount varies greatly, and is dependent on factors such as location, hospital, and type of delivery. But these only belong to the tip of the iceberg. There are so much more to consider when preparing for the cost of childbirth. So to paint a picture of what your hospital bill may look like, expecting mom, here are six different first-time moms’ birth stories – yes, with a hospital bill reveal for each!
It’s common for an expecting mom to aim for a normal delivery, as its cost – depending on the factors mentioned earlier – may be significantly lower than that of a caesarian delivery. So when Mommy Jalina Tuazon Anicete, 29, was about to give birth, her birth team “administered medications to induce labor and help things progress naturally.” However, as Mommy Jalina experienced firsthand, childbirth is not all about reducing costs. It’s more about ensuring the safety and well-being of both mom and baby.
During labor, Mommy Jalina’s amniotic fluid started decreasing, a circumstance that could put their baby at risk. This led them to decide to proceed with C-section, which amounted to ₱100,000, including the ₱40,000 professional fees.
Mommy Jalina shares it’s always wise to prepare for the cost of C-section, “as you can never be certain whether a normal delivery will be possible.” She also encourages moms-to-be to “research healthcare expenses early, understand your insurance coverage, create a dedicated savings plan, and explore hospital payment plans or financial assistance programs.”
She also shares these valuable tips to expecting moms:
Mommy Novielyn Villamor, 29, was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. As it was not a cause for alarm, her OB-GYN still prepared her for normal delivery. But two weeks prior her expected delivery date, they discovered the cord coil (or the umbilical cord is around the baby’s neck), prompting them for a Caesarian delivery instead. They paid a total of ₱140,000, including the ₱45,000 professional fees.
To prepare for the cost of childbirth, she and her husband Kevin researched heavily and asked their friends for reference.
For expecting moms, Mommy Novielyn has this very practical tip to share:
One of the best ways for a mom to prepare for childbirth costs is to not go through it alone. Mommy Prei and her husband made sure they’re going to prepare as a team – they asked for maternity packages, used them as a reference to set a budget, and added an extra 25% for safety net for unexpected expenses. They saved for the total cost by breaking down the total amount “into manageable monthly savings over 10 months.” They also decided to use their credit card as a back up “to help offset any immediate payments if needed, giving us a little breathing room.”
Mommy Prei also shared that they were able to save for the Normal Spontaneous Delivery package of ₱120,000 and for the additional Forceps Delivery of ₱20,000, and more. She admits to over-saving, because she was preparing for the most expensive scenario, such as an emergency C-section. But five days after giving birth, her baby had to be brought to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) due to jaundice, pushing them to shell out an additional ₱80,000.
Her first childbirth experience gave her the wisdom to share this tip to expecting moms:
No two pregnant bodies are ever alike, no matter how similar birth stories may sound. For Mommy Justine Anne Bunag, 31, a scheduled C-Section delivery was the best birth option as advised by her OB-GYN, also due to cord coil. Her operation took longer than usual because she was a heavy bleeder.
As teachers who are veterans in planning and preparation, Mommy Justine and her husband Edmond had a clear game plan for preparing for childbirth costs: aside from their monthly savings, they also applied for partial withdrawal from their insurance plans, and requested advance payments in their honoraria. Their efforts paid off as they had no problems paying for a total hospital bill of ₱160,000, which includes professional fees amounting to ₱85,000. The total amount also reflects the additional medications to address her heavy bleeding.
All the little expenses leading to childbirth and after childbirth add up, so Mommy Justine asks expecting moms to see beyond the actual childbirth costs:
The doctors’ professional fees, as previous birth stories revealed, is a significant chunk of the total hospital bill. Thankfully for Mommy Alexa Rae Cueto, 30, she didn’t have to pay that hefty amount as she was able to make a doctor-to-doctor arrangement. So the ₱170,000 they forwarded to the hospital was just the total estimated childbirth cost. On top of this, she shares more of the blessings they received through staying in the hospital for only three days, inclusion of meals from breakfast to dinner, and an abundance of snacks from their little one’s grandparents!
But this doesn’t mean she and her husband Jervy didn’t have to prepare for their financial battle: their first step was to reach out to their healthcare provider to get an estimate. Thankfully, Mommy Alexa didn’t have any unexpected expenses during childbirth, so what they saved from their salaries each month was enough for her delivery.
As a doctor and first time mom, Mommy Alexa generously shares these tips for moms:
Do you believe in attracting your own birth story and praying for it? This worked for Mommy Jera Torres, 30,who shared that, “As soon as I knew I was pregnant, my birth story was clear in my head.” She kept praying for a Normal Spontaneous Delivery and watched birth meditations in YouTube. She did this for the duration of her pregnancy along with saving up to ₱6,000 per week for 36-40 weeks leading to childbirth.
There were no unexpected expenses during Mommy Jera’s delivery. She and her husband Arvin even opted for a private labor room that would allow him inside. This cost an additional ₱8,000 in their bill. The professional fees amounted to ₱120,000, which brought their bill to a total of ₱220,000.
For expecting moms, Mommy Jera has this to share:
What did you learn from these moms’ birth stories? How do you plan to prepare for your own delivery? Share your thoughts with us through the comments section below!