The Monetary Perspective.

The hospital bill arrived this weekend. It totaled $20,584.45 before insurance.

I actually feel as though I got a pretty good deal. I received excellent medical care at a clean, comfortable hospital, in a private room with friendly, competent staff. To me, that's worth over twenty thousand dollars, especially because I know I won't have to actually pay the full twenty thousand. (Hooray, insurance!)

Also, I still feel pretty bad about screaming all that profanity during labor. The L&D staff deserves twenty grand.

Here are a few things I noticed about the bill:

• My birth experience cost more than my car.
• My epidural cost more than my (refurbished) iMac.
• Pharmacy costs are about as much my husband paid for his flatscreen TV.
• I took $13.95 worth of Motrin and Colace after delivery.
• My LDR room cost a little over $33 an hour.
• My room and board after delivery cost almost as much as I was paying for college tuition per semester.
• I could buy another DSLR with the payment for my lab work.

I find myself deeply intrigued by the bill. I like looking at it. The giant numbers should terrify me, but oddly enough--they really don't.

I also find it funny that neither my first name nor my second last name fit on the bill. In the eyes of the Cleveland Clinic, I've become "Vi Brenneison Baug". :)