CONROE, TX – Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Organized Crime Unit completed a Human Trafficking and “Buyers of Illicit Sex” operation in the central Montgomery County area
— Read on www.hellowoodlands.com/sheriff-arrests-18-in-human-trafficking-operation/
Tag: young adults
We Calculated How Much a Baby Costs Per Month, and, Oh Baby, Is It a Lot. Corinne Sullivan
As exciting as it is to welcome a new addition to your family, it’s also majorly taxing on your physical health, your mental health, and — of course — your finances. Money may not be the first consideration for those thinking about welcoming a child into their lives, but we probably don’t have to tell you that a baby is a major investment. Yes, they’re cute. But they also have a lot of needs and, as a result, a lot of expenses — many of which you may not have considered. How much does a baby cost per month? Let’s break it down.
According to the 2015 Expenditures on Children by Families report, a married, two-child, middle-income family (earning between $59,200 and $107,400 annually) could expect to spend approximately $12,680 in the first year of their younger child’s life. If you take into account an average annual inflation rate of 2.2 percent — as well as the fact that one-child households spend an average of 27 percent more on the single child — that $12,680 could be over $17,500 in a one-child, middle-income household in 2019, which equals out to almost $1,500 a month. Whoa, baby.
So what exactly does that $1,500 a month go toward? The initial cost will obviously be more than your average monthly expenditures, especially if you’re welcoming your first baby. Before your bundle of joy arrives, you’ll need baby furniture, and The Bump estimates that you’ll likely spend about $2,000 for a nursery set, including the crib, changing table, rocker, and dresser. You’ll also require a car seat (which costs an average of $175) and a stroller (which can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a thousand, depending on the model). There’s also the cost of giving birth itself, which can rack up an out-of-pocket bill anywhere from $2,244 to $2,669, depending on your type of birth, according to a 2013 survey conducted by Truven Health Analytics, in partnership with Childbirth Connection, Catalyst for Payment Reform, and Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform.
Related:
We Calculated How Much a Baby’s First Year Costs and . . . You Might Want to Sit Down
After that initial investment, you’ll have to budget for those recurring expenses, which include diapers, nursing and feeding, health insurance, child care, and clothing. You might be surprised to learn that babies go through an average of six to 12 diapers a day, according to the National Diaper Bank Network, and that can set you back $70 to $80 per month. And if you cannot or choose not to breastfeed, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children calculates that formula can cost up to $150 per month.
In your baby’s first year, you can expect to make six visits for evaluations and immunizations, plus a few additional visits for illnesses, and the cost will vary dramatically depending on your healthcare policy. Then there’s childcare. According to a Care.com survey, the average weekly childcare cost for a baby in 2019 is $199 for a family care center, $211 for a daycare center, and $596 for a nanny, which equals out to a range of $796 per month to $2,384 per month. Clothing costs will also depend on your needs, as you could spend an average of $60 a month, according to Investopedia, though that largely depends on your family’s needs and income.
Bottom line: babies are expensive. Before you make that major life decision, take a careful look at your finances, since you’ll need an average of $1,500 a month in your first year. Babies are life changing, and wonderful, and cute as can be, but for something so small, they sure cost a heck of a lot.
___________
Let’s Catch Up!
Keep up with POPSUGAR’s hottest stories,
tips, and advice with our daily newsletter,
curated by us, just for you.
Exceptional Birthing Support
It’s Time To Get Excited About Pregnancy.
Congratulations, on your big announcement. We would love to help you enhance your pregnancy experience while supporting you through your pregnancy. Visit our website for more information about our services.
Dating Violence and Adolescents
Some adolescents get involved in unhealthy dating relationships. About one in ten adolescents have been hit, slammed into something, or injured with an object or weapon on purpose by someone they were dating.1 Controlling and demanding behaviors often happen before violence occurs. For example, one partner may tell another what to wear and with whom to spend time.2Over time, controlling and demanding behavior may become increasingly violent, and that violence can have negative effects on physical and mental health throughout life (including depression, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts).3, 4, 5Adults can help by paying attention and talking to adolescents about how to build healthy, respectful relationships.6
Source: Dating Violence and Adolescents
Moms & Dads Should Be Monitored Together for Postpartum Depression.
A new study found that even mild, long-term depressive symptoms among moms lead to emotional problems for kids. Researchers also pointed out that one parent’s depression puts the other at risk.
Source: Maressa Brown
The more we talk about mental health, the better—especially when it comes to expectant and new parents. After all, one parent’s struggle with depression puts the other at risk—and can affect a child’s emotional well-being, too. That’s the conclusion of a new study out of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
Using data collected from the Children’s Sleep and Health study—in which over 1,600 expecting families in Finland were studied from the final stages of pregnancy through to when the child turned five—researchers looked at how depressive symptoms of both parents affected a child at ages two and five. They concluded that a dad’s depression lead to emotional problems for a child, such as hyperactivity, aggressiveness and anxiety, only if the mom was depressed, as well. Meanwhile, mom’s depressive symptoms, even if they were considered “mild,” affected the child regardless of a father’s depression.
Visiting Researcher Johanna Pietikäinen from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said in a press release on the study, “In families, depression experienced by the mother has a key impact on the child’s well-being.” The researchers recommend health care providers pay attention to depressive symptoms among moms from the time they’re pregnant through the child’s first birthday.
The researcher also pointed out that not only does suffering from depression before pregnancy put one at risk for moderate to severe depression during and after those nine months, but one partner’s depressive symptoms put the other partner at risk, as well. For that reason, the mental well-being of both parents should be monitored during pregnancy and after the baby is born. If one partner appears to be suffering from depression, the other should be examined.
This recommendation is particularly newsworthy, as Pietikäinen explained that “fathers’ psychological well-being is not necessarily covered by depression questionnaires in maternity clinics.”
Researchers also pinpointed the following as risk factors: sleep deprivation during pregnancy, stress, anxiety and a bad family
“Depression among parents both during and after pregnancy not only affects the person suffering from depression but also has a long-term impact on the well-being of the newborn child,” Pietikäinen explained. “Even in cases of mild depression, it is important that the symptoms are identified and the parents are offered support as early as possible, if necessary already during the pregnancy.”
