It costs so much to give birth in a hospital — in America. While the ranges can differ based on the experience and how smoothly labor goes, it’s still startling to see how expensive it can be. One TikToker named Lingua Marina recently made a viral video sharing her experience giving birth in a California hospital and how much it cost.
She begins the video by sharing that she began to labor at home: “I started laboring at home, so we waited a couple of hours to make sure I am actually in labor. And then we drove all the way to the hospital,” she said.
“When we came to the hospital, I was already eight centimeters dilated. We went straight to the delivery room. Because this was my second baby, the delivery was super fast.”
“It was a very smooth delivery, I had a tear — which they stitched — and brought us to our room. Here we had our own bathroom, my husband was allowed to stay with me, and we had unlimited food.”
“Now, because we had a small kid at home, we asked them to discharge us the next day. So, we only stayed there one night,” she said.
“We went home and, in two weeks, we received a bill. $36,000…I actually had insurance, so it was only $2,000 for me, but STILL, $36,000 for a natural delivery and one night at a hospital.”
Viewers from other countries compared their experiences, expressing shock at how much money it costs to give birth in the United States. One woman quipped: “To think we complain about having to pay for parking at the hospital in the UK.”
And some people are just unable to pay off that fee.
I mean, if you want people to keep having babies — maybe make it more affordable?
Featured Image: TikTok