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Ginormous (and Also, About the Size of a Turnip) Announcement Here at Frugal Confessions

I've been operating over here with a bit of a secret and I'm ready to spill the bean (only one, that we know of): my husband and I are expecting our first baby!

What a wonderful blessing for us, one we had been hoping to receive for some time. What can I say…there's just an explosion of love in our household!

Strawberry edited 12 weeks

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The More-than-Turnip-Sized Financial Digits

You didn't expect me to glaze over the financial specifics of such a life-changing event, did you?

Fortunately, we've got great insurance coverage now with Paul's job (though unfortunately, it costs quite a chunk each month — close to $500 for the two of us).

  • OB/GYN Estimated Bill: Our total bill for the approximately 9 months of OB/GYN care + labor and delivery (my OB/GYN's costs only), after insurance, are calculated at $1,321.13. The way our doc works is you make payments each month until the full bill is paid by month 7 of your pregnancy, so for us it's been $264.23 each month. We also have a $35 co-pay for each ultrasound, and one $35 co-pay for our initial visit.
  • Hospital Estimated Bill: Our OB/GYN only delivers at one facility, and we'll be taking a tour of it this next weekend to make sure it's going to work for us. To be honest, I'd like to labor as naturally as possible, with the possibility of emergency care and help should I need it (hey, I've never done this sort of thing before! So I like to cover my bases). On the website there's a number where you can call to work out an estimate of the total hospital costs for a ‘normal' delivery. I haven't actually done this yet, but it's definitely on my to-do list.
  • Maternity Clothes: So far I've had to purchase a belly band (these are amazing, seriously), and a maternity swimsuit. Cost of these were approximately $50.00.
  • Prenatal Vitamins: I actually started taking prenatal vitamins about five months before we became pregnant. So my estimated cost there has been about $130 so far.
  • Unexpected Doctor Visit: I got nipped (broken skin) by our cat two days before we headed out on our 5-year anniversary trip to Cozumel (upcoming post on this). Ugh! Since the last time I was bitten by a cat resulted in a major infection, I couldn't take the risk. Even though I seriously did not want to take any antibiotics, I took a set with me just in case an infection started. The total cost for the doctor's visit/parking/antibiotic was $40. Thank goodness the infection never developed and so I didn't have to take any medication!
  • Food Costs: If I had to put a number on it, because I have not tracked this, I would estimate we've been spending an extra $100-$150 per month on food. Of course it's not because I'm actually eating that much extra food; in fact, it's because my body has become so extremely picky about what it will and will not eat! I completely lost my appetite for about three months, and have this superwoman sense of smell, so I also had to stop cooking when Paul is on his 7 days on at work. Since he's also attending college full-time and does not get home until late, those days he was surviving on some frozen meals, some takeout, and an occasional meal I was able to stomach making. For me, it was bagels/cream cheese and tons of fruit salad for about five weeks. I've lost 5.5 pounds so far, which has been completely unintentional, and have heard from lots of other women who had similar experiences with a healthy baby as the outcome. My appetite is definitely coming back (though still not what it was before pregnancy), so that's a relief.

Total Known Extra Costs So Far (approximate, but pretty close): $2,141.13

Ways We've Saved Money So Far

I should really name this section “ways our family and friends have saved us money so far”, because honestly, the generosity has been so helpful and touching!

  • Maternity Clothes: I began showing pretty early (and yes, I'm kinda in love with my baby bump, let alone the little guy moving around inside of it!). So it was hugely helpful and money-saving when my friends Aurora, Helen, and Kelly each sent me a batch of maternity clothes. They all fit me perfectly, and did I mention that they're nicer and newer clothes than my normal wardrobe? I'll hardly have to purchase any others for the duration of my pregnancy (and that includes a beautiful dress I can wear to my brother's upcoming wedding). You ladies rock!
  • Crib: Helen graciously gave us her crib and mattress, both of which are in pristine condition. Unfortunately, Aurora alerted us that drop-side cribs can be dangerous. So after looking into it online, I was able to track down a free repair kit for our exact crib that the manufacturer sends out to ensure that it is safe and meets all new federal regulations. Problem solved!
  • Bottle of Prenatal Vitamins: Our sister-in-law Kelly has an extra bottle of prenatal vitamins she'll be sending our way because they didn't work well for her stomach (funny enough, there are three of us pregnant ladies in our family right now, all due within one month of each other!).
  • Breast Pump: Thanks to a perk of the Affordable Healthcare Act, every pregnant lady on insurance now gets to pick out a free breast pump or breast pump rental. And these things are several hundred dollars; in fact, the one I chose was around $150.
  • Library Books: Our library is getting a work out with me diving into the world of labor and delivery. Particularly helpful and enlightening are the two books recommended to me by Aurora, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and Birth: The Surprising History of How We are Born (definitely some cringe-worthy stuff in this one; while fascinating, I wouldn't recommend reading while nauseated).

How this Will Affect Frugal Confessions

Frugal Confessions is such a passion of mine. However, I need some space to enjoy this new phase in my life. As such, I'm working on “baby-proofing” my business as much as possible. Be on the lookout for an upcoming post on how I will be baby-proofing things (well, as much as anyone can baby-proof anything!).

In the meantime, it's business as usual and lots of joy in our home. Please wish us luck as we embark on this new chapter in our lives.

Baby Money + Prep Posts You Want to Check Out:

My Freezer Cooking Day (for Baby + Beyond)
Steal My 15-meal Freezer Cooking Day Plan {Follow-Along Video + Printable Ingredients List}
Our Experience with Cloth Diapering + Reusable Wipes

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Amanda L Grossman

Personal Finance Writer and CEO at Frugal Confessions, LLC
Amanda L. Grossman is a writer and Certified Financial Education Instructor, Plutus Foundation Grant Recipient, and founder of Frugal Confessions. Over the last 13 years, her money work has helped people with how to save money and how to manage money. She's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger, Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, LifeHacker, Real Simple Magazine, Woman's World, Woman's Day, ABC 13 Houston, Keybank, and more. Read more here or on LinkedIn.

Crystal

Sunday 10th of May 2015

You know you have our congrats!!!! Woot!!!

Michelle

Friday 8th of May 2015

Congrats! That is so awesome that you are expecting and planning! Once Upon a Child (gently used items) will be a great money saving option for you once you start looking at baby items (swings, bouncers, highchairs, toys, etc).

Just as some additional information I had to have an emergency c-section which ended up costing us $7500 (out of pocket). Cause remember you might have a max indivual out of pocket (which for me was $5k), but once that baby pops out they have their out max out of pocket (which accounted for the remanining $2500). Sneaky Sneaky :)

But I tell you what, after 12 hours of labor I got an epidural (hoping to still have a "normal" birth) and that was the best money ever spent ;)

Cat Alford

Wednesday 6th of May 2015

Congratulations - what awesome news for your family! Hang in there. Growing a bean is hard work and you're doing an awesome job so far. I'm sure the birth and everything will go really smoothly. Everything you said so far sounds smart and right on point.

Amanda

Thursday 7th of May 2015

Thanks so much for the encouragement and kind words, Cat!

Money Saving

Tuesday 5th of May 2015

Congrats!! That is so exciting! Looking forward to the pictures down the road :-)

We have saved a small fortune by using yard sales to get 95%+ of all of our kids clothing. Give it a try if you weren't already planning to do this :-)

Amanda L Grossman

Tuesday 5th of May 2015

Thanks! And nice tip. Kids grow out of things so quickly:).

Emily @ evolvingPF

Monday 4th of May 2015

Congratulations! I love seeing the cost breakdown, too. You are fortunate to have such a supportive community!

Amanda L Grossman

Tuesday 5th of May 2015

Thanks, Emily! I hope others find the cost breakdown useful (I know I perused the internet a few times to see what others should expect in terms of costs after insurance).