[silencio]

my largely medically uneventful labor, induction, and unplanned c-section birth at a bay area hospital two years ago cost me a $500 copay, but the insurance paid amount was somewhere in the neighborhood of $38k.

i also exclusively pumped for a year, which cost a few thousand dollars. the pumps alone were $1200. then replacement parts, accessories, random necessities.. can't even count the time and the calorie investment involved (i was eating upwards of 1000 extra calories a day to prevent weight loss).

throw in gear and clothing and...going past $50k for the first 18 months doesn't seem so unrealistic?

[lotsofpulp]

I wouldn’t count what the insurance pays to have any relevance, especially with the fuzzy nature of costs in healthcare field.

Also, one pump is required to be provided by the health insurance company by law, and as now, a new pump costs a a few hundred dollars. This is the most popular one:

http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/573/pump-in-st...

A crib/car seat/rocking chair/stroller can be had for $1k total if you stick to mid level stuff, maybe a few thousand if you go super fancy. Food and clothes might be another few thousand.

I wouldn’t count one’s time cost to be of importance to the conversation either, as it’s universal. If we’re comparing how much money came out of parents’ pockets with a baby versus not having baby, I would say at most $10k for most people, I would budget for $15k though (and lost wages due to time off if you don’t have paid parental leave).

[mtnGoat]

I would include the costs of what insurance pays, because it is in fact part of the cost of bringing a life into this world in the US. You are scratching to prove your point, and keep moving the mark. If you don't want to include what insurance covers, how about including insurance premiums, at least two years worth since you cant just hop on insurance once you get pregnant. Lost wages are another factor, but those can easily cost thousands for many people, i wouldnt minimize those down so low.

based on your math and assumptions i really wonder if you have had a child in the US recently.

[fuzz4lyfe]

I had no idea my daughter costs my entire post tax salary. I wonder how we pay the mortgage?