Cost of childbirth can be prohibitive for many families in the U.S., and some are finding themselves with the financial burden of caring for a dying infant.
The cost of birth is often a major hurdle in the lives of those who are in their early to mid-40s.
A new report from the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that tracks women’s health, found that the average cost of childbirth in the United States was $2,818 in 2016.
For the median age of American women, that figure was $3,837, and for men, the average was $5,091.
While many people are already struggling financially, the costs of childbirth are becoming more and more acute, the GUTI report found.
“This report confirms that while some people have made substantial gains in the past five years, the economic situation is not as rosy for those of us in the middle class, who are not in the workforce or in the highest-earning professions,” said Kate Anderson, a GUTA spokeswoman.
Some women, especially those with families, are paying more than their fair share of child support, and the cost can be astronomical.
For example, for a couple with two children and an annual income of $100,000, the typical child support payment is $7,931.
Anderson said the GUTE report is an indication of how much money families are spending on childbirth and related services.
But it also raises questions about what’s really behind the rising costs, especially among the young.
The report found that many women who had had children were expecting them to be financially independent by the time they reached their 40s, and had to work longer hours to make ends meet.
And while many women now take maternity leave, the percentage of women in the labor force who are working full-time has declined over the past three decades, the report found, with only 38 percent of women working part-time in 2015.
The GUTi report also found that more women are choosing to become independent and spend more time caring for their newborns.
This has contributed to the rising cost of care, but it’s also helped the overall economic recovery, the organization found.
The majority of women who give birth are mothers who choose to give birth at home, and those who have a young child are more likely to do so in the home, said Guttmer, who is a research associate at the GIST Center for Economic Policy Research.
Young mothers often have fewer financial resources than older mothers, and they often face additional financial challenges as a result.
They have fewer disposable income as well, with a baby typically accounting for less than 20 percent of a mother’s income, according to the GITT report.
Even so, there are many young mothers who are finding ways to get by.
“We have the greatest number of young women working full time in the country,” said Emily Tait, a researcher at the National Center for Health Statistics.
Tait said it’s important for young women to get involved in their own child care, and to learn about the challenges of raising a baby at home.
In addition, the number of working mothers who can afford childcare is increasing, she said.
As of 2017, nearly a quarter of American mothers were working full or part time.
That’s up from 22 percent in 2016 and 20 percent in 2007, according the Gitt report.
Taim said some working mothers, especially older ones, are choosing not to work to save money for childcare.
She said a baby’s first birthday can be stressful for a lot of young mothers, because they often have to work long hours, which can be challenging for them.
“Many of us don’t feel like we’re working,” Tait said.
“The whole world’s going to look at us like we just don’t work.
We’re trying to make our own way.”