How much does it cost to have a baby in Jamaica?

Happy New Year and Welcome to The Mom Line!
Firstly, let me just say that I am quite excited to finally start this project.

So, let me introduce myself. I’m Abigail Foser, wife and a new mom to two beautiful children but most importantly I am a daughter of Jesus Christ.

In this blog, I’ll take you on this journey with me through motherhood, the highs, lows, and the in-betweens. What it’s like being a mom to two children under two years and how I maintain my sanity!

Now, Let’s begin.

Choosing an Obstetrician

So you found out you’re pregnant. Congratulations! It is such a gift to be able to carry life! Now, you have also been given the responsibility, by God of caring for a brand new human which will give your life new meaning and purpose.
This post will provide information on how much it costs to have a baby here in Jamaica.

We’ll start with doctor visits, please ensure you see a doctor as soon as you find out you are expecting. The average cost is somewhere around $7,000 (privately) which you are required to pay at each visit ( this does not include the cost of ultrasounds or other blood tests required at different points throughout your pregnancy).
Don’t forget to ask if they accept health cards as this will reduce how much you’ll end up paying in the long run, significantly.

Quick note: An insurance company will only provide coverage for pregnancy, nine months after the policy was opened. Therefore you will not be covered under a new policy that is less than nine months old.

Be sure to ask your doctor, about their delivery fees early on and which hospitals they work with.

Cost of Delivery ( UHWI)

As a private patient, you are expected to book (basically getting registered with the birth hospital) at around five months pregnant. When you go in for booking, someone will explain to you the cost. This was recently revised in October 2022 and a deposit of JMD 120,000 is now required BEFORE delivery.

The amount of money spent in total will be dependent on whether the baby’s delivery was via c-section or a vaginal delivery. As you can imagine, a vaginal delivery will be cheaper, and as such, the difference will be refunded.
In my experience, the hospital’s fee was approximately 40,000( without insurance) and I was refunded the difference 4- 6 weeks later (80k). I didn’t have any issues and the process of getting my money back was smooth. I just don’t see why they need to take so long to return it but that’s a battle for another day.

I hope this helps someone and thanks for reading!

’til next time,

Abby 

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