parents want a second baby.....but!!!

[Mononoke28 135]

yup...it's about 20-30k a day to stay in the NICU where I work at...and some babies stay here for months.

I've seen bills on the chart for $2 million for babies who have been here for 6 months...and most of them are on medicaid...

OP: it's really worth it to try to talk to your doctors about getting discounts...you don't want to go bankrupt over this

This is true. My niece was in the NICU for almost a month and her hospital bill was $60k. Good thing my sister had health insurance!

Diana

[TracyTN 237]

It really does depend on your insurance. I'm pregnant and the only thing I've paid out of pocket so far is $40 for an ultrasound. No other copays or charges, and I even had a genetic test done at week 12 since I'm a slightly older first time mom.

The copay for my hospital stay will be $100 and then the rest is completely covered. Once the child is born, I believe the copay for a doctor visit is only $20 (though it may be $40 if they see a pediatrician as a specialist - have to read up on that one).

But I can see where being uninsured would make it damn expensive to have a baby. OUCH!!!

[Audy_Rob 26]

yup...it's about 20-30k a day to stay in the NICU where I work at...and some babies stay here for months.

We were very lucky. My Ex-wife developed Eclampsia very rapidly going into the 26th week. The babies (twins) were cut out at 26.5 weeks. They stayed in the NICU and IICU for ten weeks. Everything was paid for by the Insurance company. We saw the bills but paid nothing. It was about $250,000.

[Justine+David 218]

How are your twins doing now?

Eclampsia, eep!

[TBoneTX 45,319]

It's THAT expensive to have a freakin' baby? Man, thanks for the info, +1 for our "cons" column.

Not to mention the description of birth-childing that I heard, which is "like passing a watermelon through your nose." It must be really tough to be a chica, si man...

[sachinky 465]

Nuh uh--nothing's coming out of my ya-hoo.

[Justine+David 218]

Haha, but they're SO CUTE!!!!

I adore babies.

I mean, I should. I take care of them for a living though it's rare for me to see a healthy one.

Watermelon through the nose==Fabulous Drugs! I've always wanted to be hyped up on drugs to see what it's like, alas, I'm a law-abiding citizen and I've never been very sick or accident prone.

So, reasons to have a baby:

1) Cute

2) Good drugs

...yeah, it'd the end of my 12 hour shift. Maybe I'm not thinking this all the way through...

[TBoneTX 45,319]

I adore babies. I mean, I should.

Same here, si man, but perhaps on the basis of different reasoning: Naps are wasted on babies when WE need them, si man.

That's Reason Numero Primo. The second-most common reason that I have traditionally heard is expressed thus: "I love babies -- they taste like chicken," si man.

[Justine+David 218]

I don't have the patience to wait 9 months for prime chicken

[Christi and Ian 24]

In addition to WIC, many areas have special services for pregnant women and babies. California has MediCal, and I know here where I live there is a special program specifically for the needs of pregnant women, babies, but I can't recall the name of it right now.

Most areas, you will find, will have low-fee programs for families under your same circumstances. In addition to caring about the health and welfare of your child, it will cost much more for the county to help care for a child who, due to lack of medical attention during mom's pregnancy, has medical issues. It's cost-beneficial for the County/State to help you now.

[Justine+David 218]

Bingo Christi, thanks for pointing that out. The larger problem is getting these services out there. Can't get the service if you don't know it exists...

In Seattle, many of the homeless shelters I've worked with have told me that there are more than enough resources available to those who need them, it's more a matter of getting the word out and people wanting to take them up for it.

OP, have you decided anything?

[TracyTN 237]

Not to mention the description of birth-childing that I heard, which is "like passing a watermelon through your nose." It must be really tough to be a chica, si man...

Half the reason I'm petrified to give birth! Drugs are great but there's a point at which you cannot have drugs - it's those hours I'm dreading.

I'll be similar to Rene Russo was when she went into labor in Lethal Weapon 4.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKIksAA0RPE

Except the needing to get married part.

[TracyTN 237]

I should mention - headphones on if viewing at work.

[m_ru 0]

Yes it is help out-there for pregnant woman, BUT

when you are PR with "support"(read: form I-864) it could be a problem in the future,

when You got help from your state:-(

"If the sponsored immigrant uses federal means tested public benefits, the sponsor is responsible for repaying the cost of the benefits

...

Federal means tested public benefits are the following:

* Food stamps

* Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

* Medicaid

* Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

* State Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

...

The following types of assistance are not considered means tested public benefits and do not have to be repaid.

* Emergency Medicaid

* School lunches

* Immunizations and treatment for communicable diseases

* Student assistance to attend colleges and institutions of higher learning

* Some kinds of foster care or adoption assistance

* Job training programs

* Head start

* Short-term, non-cash emergency relief"

from: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3183.html

and

"Removal for Public Charge Reasons:

Persons may be removed (deported) if they have become public charges within five years of entry to the United States. However, this can only occur if the cause of their financial condition existed before their entry to the U.S. The USCIS is not to view the use of public programs, including federal means-tested public benefits, as the single ground for the public charge determination. Case law requires that, in order to be removed under the public charge provisions, a foreign national must receive state or other government benefits for which there is a fee. The government must seek repayment from the foreign national and/or the sponsor, and there must be a failure to pay the government."

from

http://www.murthy.com/news/n_unembe.html

please correct me if I am wrong.

?

[TracyTN 237]

To my knowledge, WIC is not considered a 'means tested benefit'.