Georgia is one of the worst states to have a baby. Here’s why.
If you’re expecting a little one soon, you’re sure to feel the pressure (pun-intended) of what-ifs and unknowns.
Having a baby is not only a joyful and exciting experience, but it also comes with many questions when the due date approaches.
Should you have an at-home birth or hospital birth? Will the baby need to use formula or be breastfed? What color should the nursery be?
One question that may not have crossed your mind is the effect the state you live in will have on your pregnancy, birth or child care.
But don’t worry, mama. We’ve got you covered.
A WalletHub study ranked Georgia 47th out of all states.
How could that be?
Well, after WalletHub compared the costs associated with having a baby in Georgia, available health care, baby-friendliness and family-friendliness, the study found that Georgia ranked very low in just about every category.
For health care rankings, researchers reviewed costs associated with child birth, such as caesarean and conventional hospital charges, child care, health insurance premiums and newborn screenings.
“When planning to have a child, families must consider their health benefits. The average cost of a hospital birth ranges from $5,000 to $15,000. Additionally, there will be clinic checkups and potentially, unexpected medical needs,” said Dan Moen, Ph.D., CFLE, LMFT, Professor at the College of Allied Health and Nursing, Minnesota State University. “Start saving early for household items such as a crib, car seat, diapers and other supplies. The average household ... will spend close to an additional $12,000 for the first year of their baby’s life.”
Georgians should also check their health care plans to clarify parental leave options, prenatal and pediatric care and access to postpartum and postpartum depression care.
In addition to these factors, the WalletHub study focused on each state’s overall baby and family friendliness.
“Local authorities have many options to make cities more baby-friendly. Some are investments in the built environment, such as parks, playgrounds and public libraries. Other investments are in local educational systems, from prekindergarten through high school,” said Steven Meyers, Ph.D., ABPP, Professor and Chair of Psychology, Department of Psychology at Roosevelt University. “There is a range of initiatives that assist young children with developmental disabilities to help them develop skills to avoid lifelong challenges. Other programs are critical for helping families avoid food or housing insecurity. These all reflect whether children and families are a priority in terms of local-level resource allocation.”
Other more simple ways to make a community more baby and family friendly include incorporating more changing stations in all restrooms as well as introducing or having more nursing stations.
All of these factors contributed to Georgia’s low ranking on WalletHub’s list of best places to have a baby.
If you are curious about what the best states to have a baby are, here are the top five:
Massachusetts
Vermont
Rhode Island
Minnesota
New Hampshire
Georgia is ranked 47th, but here are the other states at the bottom, with Alabama being the worst state to have a baby in 2022.
48. Louisiana
49. South Carolina
50. Mississippi
51. Alabama
