Financial Planning Tips For a Baby

1. Prenatal Expenses

The best way to have a healthy baby is to have a healthy pregnancy. It is vital to get the necessary prenatal care and go for check-ups to improve the chances of having a healthy pregnancy. The care starts before pregnancy by visiting a health care practitioner. Even before conception, you can start visits to the doctor who will conduct a physical examination, blood tests and/or ultrasound to assess the weight of the prospective parents.

These checks and visits will continue through the period of pregnancy. Wellness care, yoga classes as recommended by the doctor, and hired help in case of bed rest are all expenses the couple must plan for. Proper prenatal care is essential to ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery and can be an expensive proposition

a. Doctor Visits

Throughout your pregnancy, you will visit the OB/GYN on a regular basis. Tests, ultrasounds, and check-ups cost a considerable amount of money. The cost of private clinics and hospitals ranges from 500 Rs to 2000 Rs for every appointment. Tests will also cost money, depending on the kind of labs you choose for testing.

b. Medication And Supplements

Medication and supplements are a must for the pregnant woman to for a safe and healthy pregnancy. Supplements such as prenatal vitamins, Vitamin D, and folate supplements will be routinely recommended by doctors to ensure a healthy pregnancy. All these costs are a must and must be run till delivery happens.

In addition, women with any additional health complications may incur extra expenses. Women with diabetes or hypertension during pregnancy may need regular monitoring and testing and have to take regular medication to keep their health in a good form.

c. Maternity Clothing And Activities

The body of a pregnant lady keeps undergoing many changes. With a growing belly, regular clothes do not fit after a while. This is the point where maternity wear comes into the picture. Maternity wear comprises jeans, ethnic wear, comfortable and lose dresses, and footwear that will be a must buy. All these clothes are branded and cost above Rs. 1500, also depending on the quantity and type of cloth one wants.

Overall, the prenatal phase is an expensive affair.

2. Delivery And Childbirth Expenses

Once you are ready for delivery, you will have to prepare yourself for a new set of expenses.

a. Delivery Charges

The delivery of the child is the biggest expense during this period. Before this, the OBGYN has already done checking for any possible complications and the overall health of the mother and the fetus. Depending on this, the doctor will recommend a normal vaginal delivery or a C- section. The costs vary for both the deliveries with C-section being the more expensive one.

Besides that, the room rental, tests etc. will all increase the overall hospital charges. Post-delivery, the doctors recommend rest for 48 hours, thus, increasing the room cost. The costs also increase if the mother has had a C-section and needs more time to heal which may require more hospital stays.

b. Unforeseen Expenses

In some rare cases, medical complications arise unexpectedly with either the mother or the baby. The costs thus escalate in this situation as well. It is also important to keep the child or the mother under observation, thus adding to the delivery costs. In totality, the delivery of the baby costs from 25000 to 2 lakhs in any private hospital.

3. Post Delivery Expenses

Bringing a baby into the world is an expensive deal. It is important to be ready with the things that a newborn needs.

Few expenses that must be bear by the expected parents are as below:

a. Baby Essentials And Home Equipment

Post the arrival of the baby, one must be ready for handling all things needed by the newborn. These comprise cribs, cots, burping clothes, diaper essentials, nail clippers, thermometer, wet wipes, swaddling clothes, diaper rash cream, soft pillow, clothes, pacifiers, bath essentials etc. A crib of superior quality or make will cost 5000 and above, diapers of 76 pieces is around 800Rs. Cribs and cots are a one-time investment, but diapers and other essentials need a change from time to time.

The repeated cost of baby essentials is close to 3000 monthly while a crib will be around 5000 to 25000 Rs. This entirely depends on the features that the crib offers.

b. Nursing Gear For The Mother

Breastfeeding or nursing the baby is a new experience for first-time mothers. It takes time to get habitual to it, and certain things are a must to make it work smoothly. Things like a nursing pillow, nursing pads, nursing bra, milk storage bags, breast pump, nipple cream, bibs etc., are a few of them. If the mother-to-be cannot breastfeed immediately, they do need a milk bottle, powder, and a cleaning liquid to feed the baby. A manual breast pump comes for Rs. 1500 while an electric one comes for Rs. 2500 or so.

c. Clothes And Toys For The Baby

Toys and clothes like onesies, sweaters, pyjamas, caps, booties, mittens, socks, and napkins are an all-important part of the newborn baby’s wardrobe. This is also the time when mobiles and baby smoothers can be purchased. These toys are built in a way to help the baby have a good sleep and a few colorful rattles that can attract their attention. Baby clothes are very expensive and cost about 3000-5000 in the initial months. The baby toys are equally expensive and start at Rs. 500 onwards.

d. Vaccinations For The Baby

With the birth of the baby, the doctor starts administering vaccinations. In the span of 12 months, different types of vaccines are given. These are also expensive but not all given at the same time, so the payment is not a lump sum. Its initial payment is Rs. 2500 for each visit.

Overall, the cost would vary between 20000 to 50000 for settling well and smoothly with the baby. Besides this, the costs of setting up a room or a nursery etc., are a one-time purchase, however, these costs are not mandatory. Many parents do not keep kids in separate rooms or do not set up a nursery so it is one’s choice and can keep changing as per their needs.

Thus, planning a family is not an easy affair. There are way too many things that need attention. But if prior planning for the savings is done, the parents are more confident of getting a child and bringing him up in the best possible manner without having arguments or clashes. It is thus said, the earlier you save, the better returns come.

FAQ’s

1. How Much Savings Must be There For Having a Baby?

A normal pregnancy costs between 2Laksh to 3.5 Lakhs without any insurance and with coverage, about 3 Lakh 15 thousand.

2. How Much Are The Monthly Costs For Raising a Baby?

It is important to plan well for a baby, it costs 20000 a month initially for the first year and then some changes do occur.

3. How Much Should I Budget For Diapers a Month?

Diapers are a costly affair, and the costs keep varying. On average it is 5500 a month.