Money made mum mad

Ajiambo, a young career woman working in Nairobi, reveals her Baby Budget

Seven months into my pregnancy in September, I had a problem with my back and the treatment cost me four thousand shillings. I was in college and relying fully on my parents for fees and upkeep, so you can imagine what a task it was raising the hospital bill.

I can assure you that I never thought of these costs on that night when my boyfriend and I strayed into unprotected sex. I realized l was pregnant just two months after conception and from that moment I decided to start saving money for my baby. However, I thought more about reputation, my parents’ reaction and my education, and even though I knew I needed money, the magnitude of the costs associated with having a baby did not quite get to me.

I had to forgo many needs

As I was in college and my dad was the one providing for my daily bus fare and lunch, I was scared he would cancel my allowance if he knew I was pregnant. Therefore I decided not to tell anyone until they figured it out for themselves. I had to forgo many needs to afford buying crucial items for my baby. During my pregnancy, I did not buy any clothes or shoes for myself. I survived on a packet of milk during the day, which eventually made me experience some breathlessness. Sometimes I even felt like fainting.

Soon I was six months pregnant without having attended any antenatal clinic. I had to do so urgently because uncertainty started to grip as days went by. My first antenatal visit costed one thousand eight hundred shillings, which covered consultation fee and some tests. After the lab results the doctor diagnosed anaemia and prescribed some drugs to increase my iron levels. This would cost me six hundred shillings a month until I delivered, and another six hundred shillings per month for bi-weekly antenatal clinics.

Then came the big day

I was running out of money and even though my baby’s father sometimes helped me with some cash for the clinic, it was not enough because I needed more than the three hundred shillings he was giving me. In total I attended seven antenatal clinics.

Then came the big day and it sucked a whole fourteen thousand shillings from my squeezed purse! Of course I have a beautiful baby boy in return, but the cost!

Here is a glimpse of what I spent on hospital bills alone. It might look meager to someone with resources but for someone who is not employed it is a totally different world.

Hospital Bill

Item                                                                                              Kshs
First antenatal visit                                                                         1,800
4 doses of iron drugs from August to November   2005         2,400
7 antenatal clinic visits from August to November  2005        2,100
Hospital bill                                                                                     14,000

Total Hospital Costs                                                            20,300

Monthly Baby Budget
item                                                                                       Kshs

4 tins of formula milk (NAN)                                                2,000
2 tins of Cerelac                                                                           540
1 tin of Glucose                                                                              80
Baby’s diapers for the night only                                            580
2 bottles of baby oil                                                                    170
Baby powder                                                                               170
Post-natal clinic Baby food and fruit                                     120
Household baby utilities (e.g. washing powder)                 300
Miscellaneous outside home (e.g. bus fares, toys)             200

Total Monthly Budget                                                       4,590

My Salary                                                                                12,000
% of Baby Budget to my salary                                            38%

 

He says….’We must make sure the baby does not stress the budget for building our house’

Freeze! I’m Baby Junior, put your hands in the air and give me all your money!’

Babies literally wipe our whole salaries and disorganize budgets with no apologies. Here are some tips which will make investing in junior less strenuous.

Plan for the baby. It can be financially disastrous if you are not practicing family planning and you conceive an unexpected baby.

Save before conceiving. Most parents overestimate their ability to save money during pregnancy and soon find that nine months is a very short time.

Get a maternity package. You never know how complicated or simple your baby’s delivery will be and so it is advisable to arrange for a maternity package.

Get in-patient insurance. Babies can be in and out of hospital so often that it drives you crazy. You will soon realise that even a flu can get your baby admitted at the hospital. While out-patient costs come in small bills and are therefore manageable, inpatient bills are another story.

She says… ‘We must be careful that building our own house does not stress the baby’s budget’

END: PG2/46