Mom's Hospital Bill for Giving Birth Without Medicat...

By Alia Shoaib

News Reporter

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An American mother revealed in a TikTok video that it cost her more than $30,000 in hospital bills to give birth, sparking concerned comments from around the world about the costs of American health care.

"I got super lucky with no complications and being able to do it unmedicated, but I can’t imagine if neither of those things were true—like, how do you pay for that?" TikTok user @hannahleiigh said in her video.

Why It Matters

The U.S. is one of the most expensive countries in the world to give birth, which can place a significant financial burden on families, even those with insurance.

These expenses stand in contrast to countries with publicly funded health care systems, such as Canada and much of Western Europe, where childbirth is generally free or very low-cost.

What To Know

In her video, TikTok creator Hannah shared the costs of her birth, which she said was unmedicated, presumably meaning without an epidural, and without any complications. She said she had been in hospital for six-and-a-half hours.

"I just got the bill for having her," she said about her newborn baby, "it was $30,689." She said that the labor and delivery room alone cost more than $11,000.

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The comments were filled with people from Canada and across Europe shocked at the costs.

Estimates for the cost of childbirth in the U.S. vary, differing by state, type of birth, additional costs such as an epidural, and whether the mother has health insurance.

Analysis from FAIR Health in 2024 found that the national median hospital charge for a vaginal delivery in the U.S. was just over $31,000, while a C-section had a median charge of around $44,400, for patients without insurance or using an out-of-network hospital.

For patients with insurance using an in-network hospital, the median amounts were around $15,200 for a vaginal delivery and $19,300 for a C-section.

For insured patients, insurance usually covers most of the bill, leaving patients responsible for some out-of-pocket costs.

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By comparison, many Western countries have public health care systems funded by taxpayers, which means childbirth is generally free or very low‑cost for citizens and permanent residents. This includes Canada and much of Western Europe.

Families rarely pay out-of-pocket for standard childbirth services, including labor, delivery, and postpartum care.

In these countries, mothers could opt to give birth in private hospitals, which requires extra payment, but are still entitled to give birth under the public health care system.

What People Are Saying

One TikTok commenter said: "Im genuinely asking where do American taxes go, i know in canada we don’t have the greatest health care system but our taxes covers everything hospital related."

Another TikTok commenter said: "Aussie here, we don't pay anything. Our taxes provide our Medicare system."

Another TikTok user said: "In Scotland, you pay £0. You also get paid child benefit and other child payments and also receive a baby box."

Another TikTok commenter wrote: "As a New Zealander this is mind blowing. Free in New Zealand for everything related to pregnancy and delivery and after care."