Expenses Associated with Pre and Post-Pregnancy Care
Becoming a parent is a life-changing experience but comes with various medical expenses, including pre and post-natal expenses. It makes it necessary to understand the different pre and post-natal expenses while planning to bring a newcomer to your house beforehand.
One way to take care of pre and post-pregnancy expenses is to invest in the best health insurance plans with maternity coverage or to buy maternity insurance to reduce the extent of the financial burden from your shoulder and to welcome the child with the best healthcare services. So here in this article, let’s understand the financial aspects that can help expectant parents plan their needs to understand a smoother transition into parenthood.
What are Pre-Pregnancy Care Expenses?
These are those expenses which are incurred before the birth of a child that includes the following:
● Preconception Visits
Before conception, expected parents need to book an appointment with doctors and discuss the parent’s medical history, lifestyle changes, necessary treatment, medications and vaccinations. It includes the expenses of the following:
- Doctor visits to monitor the mother’s health and the foetus’s growth and development.
- Ultrasound and imaging to track the baby’s growth and check for any abnormalities.
- Blood tests to assess the mother’s health.
- Prescribed medications to manage any pregnancy-related conditions or complications.
- Education and counselling, if any
● Fertility Treatments
Many couples nowadays get problems with fertility, but thankfully the advancement of technology and treatments like In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) give new hope to couples. However, these fertility treatments are expensive and not always covered by insurance. It includes the following expenses
- Consultation fees
- Medications
- Procedure costs
● Prenatal Vitamins and Supplements
For the healthy development of a baby, many doctors or gynaecologists suggest that expectant mothers take prenatal vitamins and supplements. This supplement ensures that the mother has the necessary vitamins and nutrition to reduce the chances of any complications in pregnancy. However, these supplements are costly, increasing the expectant parents’ monthly expenses.
● Maternity Clothing
As the pregnancy progresses, expectant mothers may need to invest in maternity clothing. It will be required to accommodate their growing belly. While the cost of maternity clothes varies, it’s essential to budget for this expense.
What are Post-Pregnancy Care Expenses?
These are those expenses which are incurred after the birth of a child it includes:
● Hospital or Birth Center Expenses
It refers to those expenses associated with labour and delivery. This cost may vary according to the choice of hospital and medical facility. However, it generally includes the cost of the following:
- Doctors’ fees
- Vaccination
- Operation fees (If needed)
- Hospital stay expenses
● Prenatal Check-ups
Even after the delivery of the child, regular prenatal check-ups are required to monitor the health of both the mother and the baby. It includes
- Consultation fees
- Lab tests
● Postnatal Care
After childbirth, both the mother and the newborn require postnatal care. It includes
- Follow-up appointments,
- Medication and vaccinations,
- Diapers and other baby care essentials
● Maternity Leave and Income Loss
Many expectant parents, especially mothers, must take time off work during pregnancy and after childbirth. It will result in a temporary loss of income that can also be counted as an expense. However, some companies provide paid maternity leave to the employer, but it may vary from company to company. Thus, it is crucial to consider this while determining the pregnancy expense.
Does a Health Insurance Policy Cover Pregnancy Expenses?
It is not necessary that your health insurance will cover your pregnancy expenses, and typically, it is not covered in standard health insurance plans. However, some of the insurance companies, such as Tata AIG or else will give you the option to enhance your health insurance plan by adding maternity coverage or riders that can be added to the policy to provide coverage for pregnancy-related medical expenses.
But remember, maternity coverage often comes with a two to four years waiting period. Thus check the terms and conditions before purchasing any medical policy.
However, you can purchase maternity insurance, also known as pregnancy insurance, a comprehensive insurance policy that covers various medical expenses. It typically comes with its own term and limits of coverages and premiums.
Conclusion
Pre and post-pregnancy care involves a wide range of expenses of which the couple should be aware while planning their child. These expenses start incurring the day the prospective parents get the good news and occur even after the birth of a child. However, to enjoy this journey, investing in comprehensive or maternity health insurance and doing strategic financial planning is necessary. It helps to prepare for the financial aspects of parenthood and welcoming a new member into your home with lots of excitement.
