How much does it cost to be pregnant?

I knew that having a baby would be expensive. But I didn’t think that actually being pregnant would cost much. How wrong I was. 

As first time parents, with only a handful of friends that have children, my husband and I didn’t have the biggest network of people to talk us through what to expect. So the costs that have come with pregnancy – big and small – have been surprising. 

Before I got pregnant, I actually thought we’d be able to save more than before, and set money aside for things like nursery fees and the last couple of months of my maternity leave when I won’t be earning anything. There’d be no more drinking, fewer nights out and no trips abroad. Turns out pregnancy costs more than a few weekends away.

Here’s what we’ve learned (and spent) over the last nine months:

First trimester: Becoming Deliveroo's biggest customers

When the cravings started, I tried to stick to the weekly food shop – I really did. But everything on our shopping list made me feel nauseous and I couldn’t stand the smell of cooking. It felt like I didn’t have free will over what could and couldn’t go into my stomach.

For about six weeks, we ordered a takeaway most nights – I chose where we ordered from, driven by my insanely strong cravings, and we split the cost (about £150 a week, so almost £1,000 in total – I know). 

The cravings also bumped up our supermarket shops by about £50 a week. The food and drink aversions were so strong – I had to buy what I wanted when I wanted it. For two weeks, I exclusively drank Ribena and Fruit Shoots. I also spent a small fortune on Babybels, Dairylea Dunkers, mozzarella balls, and Pom-Bears. Whenever I satisfied a craving, it felt like I’d made a medicinal breakthrough.

Speaking of medicine, I also bought a few vitamins and minerals to take during my pregnancy, and early on after the first positive pregnancy test, two more tests from different brands (just to be absolutely sure!).

Second trimester: mocktails are just as expensive as cocktails

It didn’t take long for nothing to fit me anymore. Jeans were the first to go, swiftly followed by pyjamas and underwear. I bought two pairs of baggy trousers (£30 each), two pairs of maternity jeans (£40 each), bigger pyjamas and underwear, plus a few, cosy oversized jumpers (£80 each).

I also bought one dress to see me through a wedding, two funerals and Christmas party season (tough brief!), which was just under £100. I thank my lucky stars that my feet didn’t grow (it happens to a lot of women) so I didn't need any new shoes. 

During the second trimester, my bank account was very grateful that my cravings stopped and we were able to go back to sharing the cooking and doing our usual weekly shop (about £80 a week). My bank balance was less happy about the price of non-alcoholic cocktails or ‘mocktails’. If I went for drinks with friends or colleagues, I spent exactly the same as I did before I was pregnant, if not more.

Towards the end of the second trimester, I found that I needed a pregnancy pillow to help me sleep better by reducing the pressure on my hips and back. Luckily my sister-in-law lent me hers, which saved me about £150. The only other adjustment I needed was during exercise – I bought a belly band to support my bump (£15).

Third trimester: Making friends through NCT classes

Our biggest expense for the third trimester was a set of NCT classes (run by the National Childbirth Trust and designed to help parents-to-be prepare for their baby). They were worth every penny, especially because it’s given me a community of other local mums – something I otherwise wouldn’t have had. It cost £270 for 17 hours of classes. 

The smaller costs were yet more underwear (the bigger ones I’d already bought no longer fit) and a support band to help my tummy heal after the birth (£50). And the most unexpected was the total cost of my numerous café stops so that I could use their bathroom when I was out and about – probably an extra tenner a week on coffees or juices for six weeks.

The pregnancy rundown

Who should foot the bill?

My husband and I have put most of the costs that have come with pregnancy on our Starling joint account. It’s saved a lot of awkward conversations about who should pay for what and made everything a lot simpler.

Some things, like clothes and undies, I’ve paid for myself (as I’m wearing them) but then my body is changing for a shared reason, so maybe we should have chatted about him contributing towards those costs. Then again, he didn’t have the pregnancy cravings, I did, and I made him eat takeaways with me and split the cost (I think he enjoyed that period a lot though!)

For everything we need when the baby arrives, we’ve gone 50/50 on the cost. We’ve been lucky that some friends have lent us things and I’ve found some stuff second hand. But we’ve still spent about £2,000 on a buggy, cot and car seat, as well as the essentials like clothes, nappies, blankets, bottles, and getting the baby’s room ready. 

Saving money during pregnancy

It's been much harder than expected to save during my pregnancy. What we have saved, we’ve put into a number of Starling 1-year Fixed Savers so we can earn interest over the next 12 months and only take the money out when our child starts going to nursery (and we’ve been paid our interest).

We’ve also been saving towards the nursery deposit: £1,400. This will secure a full-time nursery spot and this, believe me, is cheap for London (the average cost in the UK for a full-time place is £285 per week, so approx. £1,226 per month).

With such big costs looming, I’ve been very deliberate about my spending. I’ve not got any taxis, I’ve not had any pregnancy massages or done any pregnancy yoga (£20 per class). I bought one app to track my pregnancy (£15) and one book called ‘Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool’ (£10 – totally worth it). There are so many extra things I could have bought but even the essentials add up. Especially when you factor in the takeaway era – I stand by my choices.