The costs involved with a typical pregnancy range from $6,000 to $11,000. Knowing this, many people rely on health insurance to help shoulder the burden, especially during an unexpected or difficult pregnancy. Millions of women each year experience unplanned, difficult pregnancies, with the excitement of near-future childbirth quickly disappearing with the sobering realization that a child on the way means almost certain debt.

The best possible route for handling an unexpected or difficult pregnancy is to have health insurance beforehand. Health insurance can pay for prenatal care critical for determining whether a pregnancy will be successful. Prenatal care can screen for any issues that may occur during pregnancy, at childbirth, and beyond. Health insurance can provide expecting mothers with options such as doctor consultations, access to screening labs, and even provide pharmaceutical benefits crucial for delivering children without unnecessary complications. Health insurance can cover ambulance costs for transporting pregnant mothers to the hospital for child delivery. Health insurance can also address all costs involved during the childbirth itself, such as doctor fees, nursing fees, hospital stays, and any costs involved with a difficult pregnancy should something not go according to plan.

While having health insurance from the get-go is the smartest move, many women find themselves in a less-than-ideal situation. The second best bet would be to get into a group plan with a waiting period that will end well in advance of the anticipated delivery date. One other viable solution is to seek COBRA benefits which allow you to continue coverage if you are between jobs and between insurance plans.

Unfortunately, more than 13 percent of pregnant mothers each year undergo childbirth without insurance. This doesn't even account for those who have insurance but not enough to cover all pregnancy costs. Fortunately there are government funded health insurance plans that can assist expecting mothers with the costs of an unexpected pregnancy. Medicaid, for example, is a state-run, federally funded program providing medical assistance for low-income mothers. States like California offer programs like Medi-cal which may be able to offer further benefits. Other plans like AmeriPlan offer substantial discounts on health care services, with some discounts saving patients up to 50 percent or more on costs.

Another cost-cutting method for those mothers without complicated pregnancy issues is to think about giving birth at a birthing center. Birthing center costs, range from $3000 to $4000 for child delivery and prenatal care.

When it comes to unexpected pregnancies, health insurance can help foot the bill, provide healthy childbirth, and bring peace of mind. Being uninsured or underinsured doesn't mean there's a need for panic. However, viable alternatives exist to help those mothers in need.