After having a baby, this woman was charged £31 by her hospital to hold it

A US hospital bill for a labour and delivery service has included a $39.35 (£30.91) charge for skin-on-skin contact after delivery - for a mother holding her child after giving birth.

The bill, which was shared to reddit on Tuesday, showed a charge for "skin to skin after c-sec".

The user who posted it said he wasn't angry about the specific charge, more the overall cost of healthcare in the US.

Picture: imgur/halfthrottle

User halfthrottle, who posted the image of the bill, wrote:

During the C-section the nurse asked my wife if she would like to do skin to skin after the baby was born. Which of course anyone would say yes too. We just noticed it in the bill today.

I was able to hold the baby on my wife's chest. Her arms were tied to the table and the nurse was there to remind me not to let go so the baby didn't fall. She actually took my camera from me and started snapping pictures for me. It was a positive experience for sure.

The nurse even borrowed my camera to take a few pictures for us. Everyone involved in the process was great, and we had a positive experience. We just got a chuckle out of seeing that on the bill.

The reason 'skin to skin' resulted in a charge was due to the presence of an additional staff member - required to watch the baby for safety reasons before it is taken to the nursery.

With the mother having recently undergone a c-section, laying a baby on her chest requires a few things to occur (as a reddit user explained), a sterile area for the baby and a nurse who is ready to catch the baby - all of this requires supervision.

Also notable on the bill was a lactation consultant, who talked about, in halfthrottle's words...

...latching, nipple size and mouth size of the baby.

.,.which also cost $61.96 (£48.67).

Aren't you grateful for free at the point of access healthcare now?

HT Vox

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