The Real Cost of Prince Louis's Birth
Giving birth at the same hospital as Kate Middleton doesn't actually cost as much as you might expect.
According to the Telegraph, the deluxe package at the Lindo Wing for a non-Caesarean birth, like the kind Kate had with each of her three kids, costs approximately $10,128. It's expensive for sure, especially since maternity care, including birth and all pre- and post-natal care, is free for British citizens in NHS facilities. The Lindo Wing is a private hospital, hence the bill. But delivering your baby there actually costs less than the average birth in the United States.
In November of 2017, Fatherly reported on data from the independent nonprofit organization FAIR Health. According to their numbers, "the national average charge for a vaginal delivery is $12,290, and the national average charge for a C-section is $16,907."
"Bear in mind that these are only national averages. The costs of these procedures vary greatly from state to state, and even among localities within a state,” FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd told writer Hudson Lindenberger. "For example, the average charge for a vaginal delivery varies from $9,286.35 in Alabama to $19,266.40 in Alaska. The average charge for a C-section varies from $13,325.20 in Alabama to $27,613.58 in Alaska," she said.
Notably, those American prices don't come with the special treatment new moms receive at the Lindo Wing. While the hospital has been described as "comfortable but not luxurious," meals within the private hospital are cooked by chefs, and according to royal watcher Marcia Moody, "a waiter comes round every morning to take orders for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There’s also a wine and champagne list, and the option of afternoon tea."
That said, the cost of giving birth at the Lindo Wing, doesn't come complete with a glam squad to make you look fresh as a daisy and complete with blowout, like Kate did just hours after giving birth. That, we'd imagine, is an additional charge.
Should you want to learn more about the price of giving birth in America compared with other countries around the world, the Economist plotted the 2015 numbers out on a graph. Check it out here.
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