Preparing for a baby? Here's how much you need to save for childbirth
Deciding to start a family requires thought, reflection, and logistical planning. Yet, for many couples, the most daunting part of the conversation isn't just about readiness or lifestyle changes—it is the reality check of how much it actually costs to bring a child into the world.
Long before a baby is born, expenses quickly pile up through pre-natal tests. Once delivery day arrives, the bills compound rapidly, factoring in hospital room stays, operating or birthing suite fees, medicines, vitamins, specialized newborn care, and separate professional fees for your OB-GYN, pediatrician, and anesthesiologist.
The conversation around this recently hit attention when journalist Mav Gonzales recently shared a breakdown of her delivery expenses, revealing a eye-opening total of nearly P700,000 and giving a realistic glimpse into the true cost of childbirth.
While that figure may come as a surprise, childbirth costs can vary widely depending on the hospital, type of delivery, room accommodation, doctors’ fees, and the services and medications included in the bill.
To help expecting parents plan ahead and avoid unexpected bill shocks, below is a look at estimated delivery rates across selected hospitals, what standard maternity packages cover, and how much you can expect to deduct via PhilHealth.
Cardinal Santos Medical Center
At Cardinal Santos Medical Center, the maternity packages include three delivery options. For Normal Spontaneous Delivery (Local), the NSD Local Package for the mother under the Standard Private category is P64,000, while the NSD Local Package for the baby is P50,000, making the total package rate P114,000.
For Normal Spontaneous Delivery (Epidural), the NSD Epidural Package for the mother is P74,500, and the second package is listed at P70,000, with a total package rate of P144,500.
Those who will opt for the Caesarean Delivery (Spinal), the CS Spinal Package for the mother is P90,500, while the CS Spinal Package for the baby is P107,000, giving a total package rate of P197,500.
All packages include room and board accommodation for three days for NSD local and epidural delivery and four days for CSD (spinal), standard private, admission kit, baby kit, standard nursing services, and hospital bills.
It also includes drugs and medicines, supplies and other consumable items, procedure fees and other related fees, use of Operating Room Delivery Room (DR), standard nursing services and professional Fees of attending Physician(s), including OB-GYN, anesthesiologist and pediatrician.
Diliman Doctors Hospital
For normal delivery at Diliman Doctors Hospital, the estimated costs range from P40,000 to P50,000 for regular rooms and P30,000 to P40,000 for ward/semi-private rooms.
The breakdown includes a P1,420 admission fee and a P21,000 O.R. procedure. The room accommodation costs around P2,750 to P3,500 per day, while newborn care costs around P12,000 to P15,000.
Moms who require a Caesarian Delivery will need a P50,000 to P70,000 budget for regular rooms and P45,000 to P65,000 for semi-private rooms. The doctor’s professional fees are not yet included in the indicated packages.
The admission fee for this costs P1,420, while the procedure ranges from P28,000 to P30,000. The room accommodation is P2,750 to P3,500 per day, with the newborn care priced between P12,000 to P15,000.
The Medical City
At The Medical City, they're offering a maternity plan that includes the mother’s hospital bill and a standard private room stay.
It also comes with some added perks, such as a celebratory meal, a newborn photoshoot at the Nice Print studio after discharge, a TMC bag and baby items, and lactation support, which includes prenatal counselling and support after delivery.
The price starts at P62,000 for Normal Spontaneous Delivery and P74,800 for Cesarean Delivery. However, these are still exclusive of professional fees and baby hospital fee.
The private room stay covers three days for Cesarean Delivery and two days for Normal Spontaneous Delivery.
Perpetual Succor Hospital & Maternity
Expectant parents can choose from several delivery options and room accommodations at Perpetual Succor Hospital & Maternity in Sampaloc, Manila.
For a Caesarean delivery, the rate is P77,560 for a ward room and P86,035 for a private room without PhilHealth. With PhilHealth, these rates go down to P49,025 and P57,500, respectively.
For a Normal Spontaneous Delivery under sedation, rates start at P37,010 for a ward room, P47,100 for a private room, and P52,339 for a suite without PhilHealth. With PhilHealth, the corresponding rates are P29,060, P39,150, and P44,389.
Meanwhile, those opting for a Normal Spontaneous Delivery with epidural can expect to pay P51,510 for a ward room, P58,635 for a private room, and P65,900 for a suite without PhilHealth. With PhilHealth, the rates are reduced to P43,560, P50,685, and P57,950, respectively.
VRP Medical Center
VRP Medical Center's maternity packages start at P72,400 for normal delivery with epidural anesthesia and P72,700 with spinal anesthesia.
For those undergoing a Caesarean section, packages start at P110,500 with epidural anesthesia and P107,700 with spinal anesthesia.
The listed rates apply to semi-private rooms only.
Benefits for PhilHealth members
To ease the financial burden of maternity, PhilHealth offers several benefit packages that help cover a portion of hospitalization and delivery expenses of its members. The rollout of PhilHealth Circular No. 2026-0005 replaces older caps like the previous P37,000 limit with more targeted financial relief for families.
Under the updated guidelines, coverage amounts scale according to the type of delivery. For a Normal Spontaneous Delivery across Level 1 to Level 3 hospitals, the benefit is set at P29,000.
If you require a primary Caesarean section, the coverage bumps up to P58,000, while a more complex C-section following an attempted vaginal delivery after a previous C-section is covered at P62,000.
Depending on the hospital tier and your room choice—such as opting for a standard ward even in a private hospital—these amounts can pull your final out-of-pocket hospital bill down significantly, sometimes even resulting in a zero balance upon discharge.
The benefits extend to pre- and post-natal care, too. The updated guideline expands prenatal check-ups from four to eight, bundling in necessary laboratory tests and vaccines. On the back end, your care continues post-delivery with PhilHealth covering three required follow-up visits to monitor both mother and newborn.
