childfree

Assuming you have health insurance, which we all should have, it's nowhere close to that expensive. A C-section cost me about $1500 in silicon valley with a high deductible crappy insurance plan. A regular delivery would have been even cheaper.

Kids are not very expensive except in two areas... Child care, or the opportunity cost of a parent staying home to take care of them, and college. And maybe feeding them when they become teenagers.... Because holy crap they eat a lot!

Now I'm lucky enough that I made enough money that my wife was able to not work when we started having kids, but if I ignore that opportunity cost (which is fucking massive), in me experience kids are actually quite cheap.

Food was cheap, clothing was hand-me-down, even most infant care stuff was cheap if you get it used and people are always giving away used stuff that their kids outgrow. Child care was the only thing I would consider expensive when they're young. (This is looking at things from a middle class perspective)