What are the costs for pregnancy and childbirth? Is there any insurance coverage or public support?

Although there is an image that pregnancy and childbirth is expensive, there are probably many pre-maternal and dads who don't know what it actually costs and how much. Be sure to check what and how long it will take at each stage from before giving birth until after receiving your baby.

What are the costs required before giving birth?

The main expense during pregnancy is probably the fee for prenatal checkups.
During pregnancy, your body changes dramatically, so regular health checks are required. It is recommended to have around 14 health checkups from early pregnancy to just before giving birth.

Since health checkups are not medical treatment or treatment, the entire cost is borne by yourself. In most cases, you can receive subsidies for expenses by submitting a pregnancy notification to the local government where you live, but unfortunately the full subsidies are rare. Most senior mothers recall that every checkup was about a few thousand yen, and sometimes more than 10,000 yen incurred by self-payment. If you combine 14 servings, it is generally around 50,000 yen.

Pregnant women tend to be unstable, so due to some kind of problem, they may need to be examined at night or on weekends. In such cases, you will be charged for after-hours consultation fees and transportation costs.

How much does it cost to give birth?

When giving birth, you will be paid to the hospital for what is known as "birth costs," such as hospitalization costs, delivery costs, and treatment fees.

Costs are not uniform and vary by prefecture and hospital. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the national average cost of childbirth in 2020 was 467,000 yen. The average annual increase is around 1%, so it is expected to be around 485,000 yen in fiscal year 2024.

Public hospitals such as national and public hospitals are the cheapest, while private hospitals such as private university hospitals, medical corporation hospitals, and private hospitals are the most expensive. Private hospitals tend to have a particularly large variation in price ranges.
At any hospital, if you are hospitalized in a private room rather than a large room, an additional room fee difference will be required. Additionally, additional costs will apply if you suffer from gestational diabetes or preeclampsia and need to deal with it, or if you use contraction-inducing agents.

The amount varies depending on the type of birth.
For example, in the case of Caesarean section, the amount of self-paying costs tends to decrease because health insurance is applied, but the amount varies depending on the necessary treatment, so the individual will vary greatly. A survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare analyzed that "the variation in the high-value zones of abnormal childbirth was greater than that of normal childbirth." If you wish to have a painless birth, there will be an additional fee, which will add to your costs.

What do you need after a baby is born?

The things you will need right after giving birth are baby clothing, diapers, baby bottles, and milk. Even when breastfeeding, breast milk may not come out as you would expect, so you will need to prepare milk.
If you are using your car when you are discharged from the hospital, you will need to prepare a child seat in advance. Baby carriers are often used from around 4 months old when the neck is held in, but some products can be used from the newborn age, so it is a good idea to buy them early.

Once you return home, baby bedding and bathing items such as baby baths and body soaps will also become essential items.

There are many consumables, so each item is small, but once it is combined, it costs a reasonable amount. It's best to look at around 30,000 to 50,000 yen. If you are also preparing a child seat, it will cost an additional 20,000 to 30,000 yen. Depending on the type of baby carrier, a multi-functional one can cost around 20,000 to 50,000 yen.

Is there any other money I need?

Moms before and after giving birth have a major change in their body shape and physical condition, so both clothes and underwear are used for pre-natal and post-natal purposes, taking into consideration these factors. After giving birth, breast milk pads, birth shorts, and pads to remove dew are also required.
Pre-natal clothing ranges from price ranges. There are a wide variety of options, so please choose according to your preferences and ease of use. Some consumables that last for short periods of use can cost around a few hundred yen.
If morning sickness makes it difficult to cook, food costs may be higher than usual. If you use housekeeping services, you may need to pay for that.

Depending on the distance to the hospital, transportation costs may be charged for prenatal checkups, infant and child checkups, and for visiting the hospital. If you take a taxi depending on the season and your health, your transportation costs will increase. If you are giving birth to your hometown, you will also need to pay for your transportation to return home.
Some local governments provide subsidies for transportation costs incurred by health checks and hospitalization at childbirth, so it's a good idea to look into the area where you live.

Is there anything you can use, such as government support?

We have already mentioned that there are subsidies for transportation expenses for prenatal checkups and other means when visiting the clinic, but there are various public support systems, such as the lump-sum birth and child-rearing payments and the birth loan system.
Health checkups and treatments related to childbirth are generally not covered by insurance, but if treatment is required, such as serious etiology or threatened miscarriage, if the monthly self-payment limit is exceeded, you will be subject to the high-cost medical care system. In addition, childbirth costs can also be subject to medical expenses deductions, so apply as necessary to reduce the burden.

If a mother works, she can also receive a maternity allowance, which is provided 2/3 of the standard daily collection amount for the period she took off from work to give birth.

It may take some time from application to benefit, and even if the payment is covered later, you may have to pay yourself first, so it's a relief to calculate your budget and prepare it.
When choosing a maternity hospital, it is important to have a place that is easy to access and to match your doctor, but we recommend that you take these into consideration the costs of hospitalization and delivery into consideration.

♪This is the only one baby carrier you can prepare! Supports your baby's life from birth♪