How much does it cost to have a baby? I'm sure every expectant parent asks that question, and my husband and I have had conversations about this many times.

The last time we spent several months planning for a major expense was when we got married, but the simple reality is that planning for baby-related expenses is extremely different from planning for a wedding. A wedding can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be, and if you have enough willpower, you can decide to stick strictly to your budget.

Having a baby is a little different. There are more unexpected costs. And whatever budget you want to stick to battles with your desire to provide the best healthcare you can afford as you guide your little one in his/her transition from your womb to the outside world.

But over the months, we've learned that all new Filipino parents can expect to be five major categories of expenses that they need to prepare for. The first two are medical expenses.

(1) Prenatal medical expenses. This covers prenatal check-ups and any complications you might undergo during your pregnancy.

Prenatal check-ups are once a month in the beginning and middle of your pregnancy, and increase to twice a week or once a week as you approach your due date. Check-up fees vary (in Metro Manila, the fee can hover around around P200 to P500 per check-up), so ask around and find someone whose fees suit you.

Set some money aside for the possibility of any pregnancy-related complications. If there are complications and you need to be hospitalized, Philhealth (if you've been paying religiously) will cover at least a portion of your expenses.

An expectant mother can get all the vitamins she and her baby needs by following a healthy diet, but many OB-GYNs will nonetheless encourage you to take vitamin supplements, so you may need to set aside some money for that as well.

You'll also need to set aside some money for lab tests and ultrasound fees. Again, the costs vary. In Metro Manila, ultrasounds at big private hospitals can be more than P1000, but are around P500 if you go to smaller clinics/laboratories that offer ultrasound services. You may want to ask your OB-GYN about your ultrasound options.

If you have a private healthcare plan, find out whether your plan covers maternity benefits and up to what extent. Most private healthcare plans will cover prenatal check-ups but will not cover lab tests, ultrasounds, maternity-related hospital confinement, nor deliveries.

(2) Delivery expenses. The second big, unavoidable medical expense is the expense related to your delivery. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration here when you initially plan for this. Ward or private room? Normal or caesarean?Big hospital or small hospital (and public or private?) or lying-in clinic or with a midwife at home? With anaesthesia or without?

And then, physicians' fees vary tremendously when it comes to childbirth. Physicians often "socialize" the PFs they charge: in big hospitals, most physicians will peg their PF to the kind of room you stay in: the more expensive your room, the more expensive the PF.

Assuming your delivery is a normal vaginal delivery, the cheapest you can go in Metro Manila is a few hundred pesos with a midwife in a lying-in clinic (no anaesthesia). A few thousand pesos for a semi-private hospital. Twenty to forty-five thousand pesos for the basic delivery package in a private hospital. Forty to ninety thousand for a standard private room in a private hospital. And upwards of a hundred thousand if you want all the frills (birthing suite or lamaze room, name doctor, top-tier hospital, etc.).

Philhealth, if you've been paying, will cover a portion of your hospital bills for the first 3 normal, low-risk deliveries. The amount is (if I'm not mistaken) P4500 for the delivery alone, and a small amount for your baby's newborn check-up. However, if you have to extend your stay in the hospital because of a different condition other than the actual delivery, Philhealth will cover portion of that as well.

But even then, there's only so much you can plan for. You may plan for a small standard room, normal delivery, no anaesthesia ... but you don't know what's going to happen on delivery day. Complications may require you to have a caesarian, your baby may need neonatal care ... You may change your mind about original plan not to have anaesthesia. Or the room you wanted in the hospital may not be available (delivery peak season in hospitals ranges from September to December), forcing you to get a bigger room.

Do your homework early. Ask your hospital (or several hospitals) about their delivery packages, and also ask your OB how much you should set aside for your delivery. You may want to check out some Philippine online bulletin boards to get an idea of how much other Pinoys spent on their deliveries around the country. On average, I think middle class families in Metro Manila should set aside P40,000 to P60,000 cash for a normal delivery, but should have a source (even if it means maxing out your credit card or borrowing from relatives) for up to P120,000 in case of a Caesarean delivery with complications. (Oo, ang mahal.)

The next three are shopping expenses, and I'll talk about them in my next post.