Having a baby may be one of the most basic biological functions of the human race, but it’s not cheap. The average cost involved in having a baby is around $6,500 – and that’s with normal delivery. If a C-section is necessary, you’re looking at more than $10,500 on average. Most folks can’t just pay the costs of pregnancy and delivery out of pocket, so they need to rely on medical insurance to take care of the associated expenses.

The best way to handle the costs of pregnancy, of course, is to be insured when you get pregnant. If you don’t have medical insurance and aren’t yet pregnant, you should consider buying coverage before you try to conceive. Make sure you know what sorts of coverage the prospective medical insurance provides for pregnancy before you invest. Also, you should recognize that most medical insurance plans have a waiting period of around a couple of months before pregnancy is covered.

Obviously, if you’re employed and have medical insurance through work, you should try to avoid switching jobs. In general, pregnancy is not a good time to try to find a different job anyways, as potential employers may be concerned that you’re about to go on maternity leave. While pregnancy is not supposed to be a factor in hiring decisions, the reality is that many employers will shy away from hiring a pregnant woman if there are other equally qualified candidates for the job.

It’s all right to ask a potential employer if maternity is covered by their medical insurance, whether or not you’re pregnant. Here again, from a practical perspective, this will send a warning signal to some employers.

If you’re uninsured and pregnant, you may be able to get a group plan through your employer or a professional organization. If you don’t have medical insurance and make below a certain income level, there are government and private charity programs that can help defray the costs of pregnancy and make sure that you have a happy and healthy pregnancy, too.

Photo via seanmcgrath