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For many years, I’ve loved browsing the Sundance Catalog — and even though I haven’t ordered anything in quite a while, I still receive it in the mail. Sundance was founded in 1989 by Robert Redford (after he created what is now called Sundance Village in 1969) and sells beautiful clothing, jewelry, accessories, and home goods.
I loooove their jewelry most of all — especially the turquoise designs — and have coveted many of their pricier items. I also like the company’s commitment to supporting important charities.
I’ve been exclusively wearing post earrings lately, because dangly earrings don’t work well with a face mask (so annoying), and I really love this lapis, turquoise, and amethyst handmade set. The oxidized silver settings are so pretty and are a nice balance between simple and ornate.
The set of three pairs is $78. Color-Coded Earring Trio
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Anonymous says
My 15-month old decided to jump head first out of the tub last night! I sort of caught him, but he busted his lip (we’re lucky he didn’t crack a tooth!). I guess my question is, how can I prevent this from happening? It really freaked me out, though baby is fine — he was only mad I took him out of the tub.
CPA Lady says
1 was the hardest age for me as a mom. I spent the entire time I was near my child keeping her from accidentally harming or killing herself. There was no special trick. It was just constant eagle eye supervision, unfortunately. Even with that she took a few hard tumbles.
That age is so rough because your child is increasingly mobile and active but has absolutely no sense of danger or self preservation.
anne-on says
Solidarity, this is a rough age. Mine DID chip a tooth around 18mos? I was within arms reach but he stood on the lip of the tub instead of climbing over it and (of course) face planted. So many tears/blood/emergency call to the dentist. On the bright side, they’re just baby teeth? Sigh.
We did a LOT of ‘you must hold hands in parking lots/outside’ and immediate return to car/home for not complying. It was also so important to NEVER deviate, if grandparents let him hold onto the cart in the store (instead of hands), or walk alone we had to deal with tantrums when we insisted on hand holding. Daycare also was super on top of this – the colored rings for walks, holding hands with your partner, etc. all helped loads. This is also the age when I suddenly understood the parents with toddler leashes at parks/playground…
Anonymous says
Mine chipped a tooth at 18 months too. I think that’s a very dangerous age for teeth. In our case there was actually no blood, just a front tooth with a giant chunk out of it that is still very visible over a year later (and lots of tears). Funny story – even though a solid quarter of her tooth was missing, my husband didn’t believe me that it was chipped until I showed him a recent photo of her with the whole tooth and a photo of her with the new chipped tooth side by side. Men.
Katala says
My oldest also chipped his 2 front teeth at 18 months. The nanny “didn’t notice” so we don’t know what happened. (Yes, she was let go shortly thereafter.) He’s 5 now and still has shark teeth in the front, but we’re used to it now and he’ll lose them soon. I called my kiddos “little suicide machines” at that age. They are just constantly putting themselves in mortal danger.
TheElms says
So much sympathy. We are in this phase and its exhausting. I’m not sure there is anything you can do to prevent these things other than constant vigilance. We do talk a lot about things like mommy and daddy’s job is to keep you safe. Jumping out of the tub is not safe. Mommy won’t let you jump out of the tub. If you jump out of the tub bath time is over (if you’ve done the necessary washing – otherwise I would quickly do that and end bath time). Instead, do you want to play with your boat or your duck (or whatever toys are in the bath). The script is from BigLittleFeelings on Instagram. Repeat ad nauseum.
SC says
1 year old, and specifically 15 months, was one of the hardest ages for me too. It feels like they’re constantly trying to create ways to put themselves in danger. I don’t think there’s any way around it, besides keeping a close eye on them and making sure there are some safe places.
Anonymous says
+1
It also gets better when they have a verbal explosion soon.
Anon says
Any advice for first hair cuts? My almost 3 year old badly needs one and I did such a bad job trimming her bangs when she was a baby that I think I’m just going to take her to a salon (she wears a mask like a champ and we’re not in a hotspot). My salon says they’ll cut kids’ hair during an adult haircut and it seems like it would be helpful for her to see me getting mine cut first, but I don’t really get how this works logistically – what if she decides to run off while I’m in the shampoo chair unable to chase after her? Should I just make separate appointments for us?
AwayEmily says
I think you need to bring someone with you to sit with her while you get your hair cut. Having a squirmy kid on your lap during your haircut would not work.
FWIW we took our kids to a “kid” salon for their first few haircuts, which was nice because they are pros at doing it quickly and keeping the kid distracted. Then once they were used to getting their hair cut I switched them to a real salon. My experience is that the real salon gives better haircuts, but are much, much slower.
anne-on says
I’d also ask the salon who does the best job with kids. There is almost always one or two stylists that are the designated ‘kids’ ones who are great at distraction/working quickly.
Cb says
I just DIY it and it’s not great but fine, but I’d just take her to a kiddie salon rather than an adult salon.
Mary Moo Cow says
I’ve always done separate appointments because I like the time to sit in a chair and have a scalp massage without interruption. Also because my kids have enough patience for their own haircut but not mine, too.
Does she have a tendency to not handle new situations well? If she’s usually fine with a new experience, I wouldn’t worry about it too much; just talk it up as a cool thing you get to do together. If her past behavior has you worried about future behavior, what have you done in the past that’s helped in a new situation? Could you at least drive by the salon to show her where she’s getting a haircut? Also, there’s a Daniel Tiger book and episode about getting a haircut; you could read and watch that together.
Anonymous says
Kids can handle a lot of new things just fine if adults, and Daniel Tiger, don’t signal that they ought to be scared.
AwayEmily says
Speaking as someone with one kid prone to a lot of anxiety and one kid who has never worried about anything in his life — it varies so much. Some kids are helped by Daniel Tiger, some kids aren’t. Some kids are always going to be wary of new stuff, some kids aren’t. I would agree with Mary Moo Cow’s statement that it’s about knowing your kid, not about a blanket assumption that “kids can handle a lot of new things just fine.” Many can! Some can’t.
No Face says
Depends on the kid. My kid used to be scared of changes in floor texture! As in, she would be scared where a wood floor and a tile floor met.
That said, I think it’s good advice to avoid signaling anxiety or fear before trying something new. Even scardey cat kids are randomly fine with some things.
Anonymous says
I’d find another salon that does separate appointments. My stylist will cut kids hair only for the children of current adult clients but the appointments are definitely booked separately. I can’t imagine having to get out at the same time. That sounds annoying.
Anonymous says
Definitely a separate appointment- little kid haircuts don’t take long anyway. My girl has very thick hair and it still only takes 2-3 episodes of Peppa Pig and she is done.
Anonymous says
You can do it yourself, highly recommend YouTube videos to keep her still and real scissors. If a salon, she can sit alone or in your lap. In a salon, a good tip is to give her a lollipop while getting it cut (not as a treat, during the cut). Typically little kids don’t get them often or at all and it helps them stay still.
Anonymous says
Separate appointments and take her to a kids salon.
Anon says
Separate appointments. You can watch a video together beforehand to understand what to expect.
Anonymous says
I did simultaneous appointments at my salon when my daughter was 5 and wouldn’t try it before. She was a little nervous at first, but excited to go to the *real* salon and do the fancy hair washing thing. It’s not my preference for the scalp massage and blow dry reasons mentioned above, but it’s a fun mom-daughter thing I’ll do once a year or so.
For toddlers, we went to a Great Clips-like chain. Wiggly kids sat on a parent’s lap, or parent stayed next to the chair for reassurance if needed. You really need 1 parent hands-on available for each kid while they’re in the chair, and you cannot expect a 3 year old to sit and wait for the duration of an adult haircut. The stylists were always great, but they are there to cut hair, not wrangle the kids.
Anon says
We took my kid at 2.5 and it was no big deal. We took her to my (mostly adult) salon because she has gorgeous curly hair and I wanted someone I trusted to do it right. It was pre-COVID, so it was a separate appointment, she sat in the chair, I sat facing her on another chair. They asked if they should wash her hair first and I said no because I thought that would be too distracting, so they just misted it down with a spray bottle and then cut it that way and it took maybe 20 minutes.
Anon says
Open enrollment time. Do I add my 8 month old daughter to dental coverage? Cost is minimal. She has no teeth yet but I’m expecting that she will grow some soon (let’s hope!!!).
Anon says
My pediatrician didn’t tell me to take my kids to the dentist until they were around 2; 18 months at the absolute earliest (my memory is foggy) so I think you could probably make it another year if you wanted.
Anon says
I think it depends on how eager you are to take your kid to the dentist. My ped said it was not necessary until age 3 and I was happy to not take her a minute sooner.
Also I think (?) pediatric dental care is covered by Obamacare so I’m not sure you need separate dental insurance for kids, but not 100% sure about that. I don’t have dental insurance and just pay out of pocket for my cleanings, since the cost of two cleanings is significantly less than the annual premiums.
anon says
Pediatric dental care is one of the 10 essential health benefits, but apparently that only applies to exchange plans, individual plans, and small group plans. My husband and son are covered on an exchange plan because my employer’s group coverage is so expensive, so my son had pediatric dental coverage through that plan. But if your daughter is on your employer health plan, and it’s not a small group plan, that health plan doesn’t have to include pediatric dental (and probably doesn’t).
Boston Legal Eagle says
We brought our first to the dentist at around 18 months and our second not until 2 (waited for all molars to come in) so I think you’re fine for another year.
Anonymous says
Depends on the cost, but I vote yes. Teeth= need for dental coverage. My friend’s 1 year old tripped and knocked her front tooth out. I think it was much cheaper for them that they had her on dental insurance instead of having to pay out of pocket.
Anon says
We took our first to the dentist around 14 months, which turns out was good because she has two fused teeth that require some extra care. Our dentist (and ped) recommend within 6 months of the first tooth eruption or 1 year, whichever comes first. I added her at birth, and I’m glad I did because it covered 90% of our laser tongue and lip tie procedure, but you’re past that stage now, so I think you could probably wait a year.
Audrey III says
Our youngest did not have her tongue and lip tie repaired until she was slightly older than 1, and it was covered by dental insurance. Also agree with poster above re emergencies. Would add her now.
TheElms says
In your shoes last year I did not. My daughter was 7 months at open enrollment last year and I didn’t add her. I plan to add her this year when she will be 19 months and we plan to actually go to the dentist in the spring /early summer when she will be around 24 months. Its not very expensive to add her, but if it was I might wait until the next open enrollment period and add her when she was 2.5 years old and go to the dentist soon after adding her.
Anonymous says
Keep in mind that the ACA requires pediatric dental coverage as part of health insurance, so you may not need separate dental for her
anonn says
My daughter turned 3 in July and I’m adding her to our dental for 2021 for the first time. She didn’t have teeth until 1. I thought about paying cash for a cleaning/exam this year, but really wasn’t in a rush due to covid. Thanks to Daniel Tiger she asks about going to the dentist about every day.
Katala says
Given the number of commenters above with 18 month olds that chip their teeth, I’d just do it. When mine chipped both front teeth, it was good he was covered because they had to do an x-ray to see whether the nerve was exposed, which would have necessitated pulling the tooth. We still watch it every 6 months as well until it falls out.
Anonymous says
Same. The pediatric dentist recommends coming earlier, but… of course she does. I would not bother going before 18 months at the earliest unless you notice that teeth are coming in very late or there’s some other issue.
Side note, I just don’t have dental insurance in general because I added up the total cost of paying out of pocket for a year’s worth of cleanings and exams for the whole family and it was less than the insurance. We might be out some money if anyone has a dental emergency, but so far so good (knock on wood). Especially if you are not already on a family plan, I wouldn’t pay the extra to add an 8 month old.
AwayEmily says
Looking for book recommendations…lately my kids (2.5 and 4.5) have been more interested in longer books. Favorites are the Iris & Walter series, Barkus, Mercy Watson, Dodsworth, and the Henry & Mudge series. Any recommendations for other books in this vein? Basically, reader level 2/3 seems to be the sweet spot to keep both of them happy (to clarify, they are not reading on their own; I am reading to them). I tried Frog and Toad but that got a thumbs-down.
Anonymous says
Robert Munsch?
AwayEmily says
NAILED IT. They adore Robert Munsch, we have two of his big treasuries plus a lot of used ones we’ve collected over the yeah. A selection of Munsch books is now one of my go-to 2nd/3rd birthday presents.
Anon says
my 4.5 year old boy loves dog man (which I think is mildly controversial on here but I enjoyed), bad guys, princess in black, george and martha, and the national geographic little easy reader books about different types of animals.
anne-on says
My son LOVES bad guys but there is SO MUCH poop and fart talk. SO much. I’m fine with him reading it alone but I couldn’t deal with reading it aloud after a while.
My weird school is a good silly one. We also read the entirety of magic treehouse at this age.
AwayEmily says
I will check out my weird school. The 4yo likes magic tree house but the 2yo can’t quite follow along yet. George and Martha is a great idea too, I think we got one of those from the library once and they liked it.
anne-on says
Oh, I forgot the Elephant and Piggy series (basically anything by Mo Willems – Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny). Once upon an alphabet was great (I would only read a few letters at a time, the book is rather long otherwise) and the crayons quit series.
Anonymous says
Frances the badger!
Mary Moo Cow says
We LOVE Frances on audiobook! The stories are read by Glynnis Johns, which has led my 3 year old to calling her “Fraaahhhncis,” which cracks me up.
Anon says
The Scholastic Acorn series is a good “short chapter” type of book. Mine love Frog Meets Dog (and the follow ups), Bumble and Bee, A Friend for Dragon (and the follow ups), and Unicorn and Yeti (and the follow ups).
Non-Acorn book favorites include Princess in Black, Rosie Revere Engineer series, Dragons Love Tacos, and the Narwhal and Jelly series.
We read them The BFG, a chapter a night, around that age. The 4 year old loved it but the 2 year old wasn’t as into it (of course). We re-read it a year later and both were into it, and then we also did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Both were big hits, but we’d have to recap what happened before, read the chapter with several stops for questions, and then recap what just happened. I don’t think that’s a big issue but that’s why we were only able to get through a chapter a night.
anon says
Princess in Black, Kingdom of Wrenly, Dragon Masters (my 4.5 yo’s favorite), The Last Firehawk, Mia Mayhem, The Littles, Geronimo Stilton
Anon says
Zoey and Sassafras? The STEM parts will go over the 2.5yo’s head, but he’d probably like the stories.
Ifiknew says
You’ve gotten great recs here, but my three year old loves Mercy Watson and Princess in Black. Others like it are King and Kayla series and Yasmin Series and the Katie Woo books.
Ifiknew says
Also can i comment to say how I love you can read to both your kids? Mine are 24 months apart and I’m a year behind you and gives me hope that this age spacing will get more enjoyable :)
Molly says
My 4.5-year-old has liked the Itty Bitty Princess Kitty series and the Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue Series (don’t know why there is a cat theme, as she is not especially into cats). But her far-and-away favorite (and my favorite to read) has been the Dragon Masters series. We’re on book 12 and I imagine we’ll start the series over again when we’ve finished the most recent one. Highly recommend!
Picture outfits help! says
You guys are so good at picture outfits… I bought this dress for ODD and a matching top and green leggings for younger daughter:
https://ryleeandcru.com/products/enchanted-garden-sadie-dress-1?currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=394585937882&gclid=CjwKCAjwlbr8BRA0EiwAnt4MTnIWl6V9HRU6m9awiEDqvqkw1wj8cxFDz85YS2AhM8AabzaZdYBrpRoC2E8QAvD_BwE&variant=32601654689839
Ahhh long link. Help with a dress or cute top for me? I always end up wearing an off white sweater and jeans. Going to put my husband in a light brown checked shirt and jeans. Son probably in a grayish green vest and khakis, if he’ll cooperate!
Anonymous says
https://www.nordstrom.com/s/caslon-pintuck-lace-detail-long-sleeve-cotton-blouse-regular-petite/5269132?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FAll%20Results&color=pink%20bride
Anon says
no suggestions, but love the color combo!
anonamama says
Some ideas! Having a tough time gauging colors on the dress, so a variety of color options here. Also saw some beautiful jumpsuits at Boden/J.Crew if you’re comfortable in them.
https://draperjames.com/products/flounce-shift-sweaterdress?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1MbU87jD7AIVCYizCh02fgsvEAQYASABEgLd0_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/bronte-ottoman-dress-navy/sty-j0235-nav?cat=C2_S2_G4
https://www.nordstrom.com/s/eliza-j-fit-flare-sweater-dress/4753309?country=US¤cy=USD&mrkgadid=3333187835&mrkgcl=760&mrkgen=gpla&mrkgbflag=0&mrkgcat=&utm_content=110287053316&utm_term=aud-527756237976:pla-489690540460&utm_channel=low_nd_shopping_standard&sp_source=google&sp_campaign=11242742076&adpos=&creative=469354518841&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&acctid=21700000001689570&dskeywordid=92700057571922555&lid=92700057571922555&ds_s_kwgid=58700006373494904&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000007631122&dsproductgroupid=489690540460&product_id=13536620&merchid=1243147&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&locationid=9059132&targetid=aud-527756237976:pla-489690540460&campaignid=11242742076&adgroupid=110287053316&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuf3p3rnD7AIVCvCzCh2wnAs6EAQYBiABEgLrjfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.jcrew.com/p/womens_category/dressesandjumpsuits/ribbed-knit-midi-dress/AR681?color_name=dark-spruce
OP says
Thank you both! Ordered both the nordstrom ideas to try :) Really appreciate it!
govtattymom says
Ideas on what sleeping compartment to buy for soon to arrive baby # 2? Our daughter (who is now four) slept in the pack-n-play at night and napped in the rock-n-play. She slept so well in the rock-n-play, but I know that is verboten now. She never slept super well in the pack-n-play. Is there something more comfortable than the pack-n-play? Are the expensive bassinets worth the price? Thanks so much for your insight!
Anon says
do you have a crib? i have twins and we started out with them in mini pack n plays bc we were moving, and then they were in their cribs. a lot of kids sleep well in the rock-n-play bc of the elevation and/or the rocking. we had one rock-n-play (this was before they were deemed dangerous) and mostly used it to elevate one twin after feeding due to reflux, and we used a baby bjorn bouncer for the other (both borrowed from friends), but they did msot of their sleeping/napping in their mini pack n plays and then their cribs. what kind of stroller do you have? does it come with a bassinet attachment?
Anonymous says
A crib is more comfortable than a pack and play according to my not yet verbal baby who nonetheless has made his views on the pack and play extremely well known to me and anyone else in earshot.
Anonymous says
Halo bassinet, you can buy secondhand on FB marketplace. Our first didn’t sleep in the Halo but slept in the rock n play, which was fine with her ped (at the time…). Our second was a much better sleeper and did fine in the bassinet, then pack n play in our room until 4 months, then his crib in his room. We still used the rock n play for naps even though it was recalled, but I watched him on the monitor. But he’s a strangely strong baby and tried to pull up sitting at 3 months so I had to get rid of it.
Leatty says
+1 on the halo bassinet. We just used a pack n play for our first, but are using the halo with our second. Our second is a MUCH better sleeper, especially with the newborn insert. With the pnp, I couldn’t set it up next my bed because I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed. This meant that I had to get out of bed constantly when my daughter dropped her pacifier or wasn’t quite ready to fall asleep. This time, the halo is set up directly beside my bed, so I swivel it toward me when I need to nurse, soothe, etc, and swivel it away from me when I’m done so I can get out of bed. Since I can pop the pacifier back in my son’s mouth without getting out of bed, I can usually pop it back in before he fully wakes. With the PNP, I couldn’t do that.
I bought the halo bassinet from another mom for $100, and when I’m done with it, I’ll sell it to someone else for around the same price.
Anon says
My kid only napped on us or in the swing (hated the PNP, would sleep in the Halo or real crib at night, but not during day). Pretty sure swing naps are not safe either, but neither is a colicky kid who won’t sleep, so YMMV.
AwayEmily says
A number of parent friends recently have rented a Snoo and say it’s worth it. I would definitely try it out if I was having another baby.
Bbette says
+1 for Team SNOO. We are lucky enough to be borrowing one from a friend for free but having seen it in action, I would gladly pay the rental fee. We just put big felt glider pads under the legs so I can easily pull it next to my bed for middle of the night access but push it against the wall for naps/when not in use.
AnonATL says
I think there are more substantial mattresses you can order for the pack n play to make it more comfortable. We had a cheap bassinet my son slept in until he just outgrew it and now is in the crib. I ordered a mattress from Amazon that fit the bassinet to upgrade from the flimsy and thin one it came with.
anon says
YMMV but I’ve read that these after-market mattresses for pack & plays and bassinets are not the best from a safety perspective. Taking Cara Babies comes to mind as a source for this.
Anonymous says
We did use an aftermarket PNP mattress from months 2-4, but yes they are technically not considered “safe sleep”.
Anonymous says
We started using one from about 18 months or 2 years on for travel with the pack and play. The one we had (Amazon, recommended by a family member, and seemed fairly popular from the Amazon ratings) definitely was not as hard as I’d want a fulltime mattress for a newborn to be. If you go this route, I’d investigate how soft they are.
AnonATL says
Agreed. I only purchased one that could be returned in the event that it was too soft, didn’t fit quite right, etc.
We had good luck with it, but definitely be careful when ordering one.
Anonymous says
Snoo then small ikea crib in our room. Main crib in baby’s room for naps and when baby was ready for their own room.
Anon says
Question about health insurance for pregnancy/labor and delivery– We are currently in the open enrollment period for my husband’s insurance and are trying to evaluate whether it is more cost-effective for me to get on his insurance or stay on mine. However, I’m having a really hard time figuring out what type of costs I need to be anticipating for labor/delivery or the rest of pregnancy that I need to actually compare between plans. Any thoughts on how to find out this information or what types of things I should be looking at? Currently just entered the second trimester, so all major costs will (hopefully) be in 2021.
Also– some background on why this is difficult– my firm pays for my insurance and fully funds my HSA. It is a high-deductible plan with an out of pocket max that is about $7K. So, assuming I hit the out of pocket max, I would have to pay about $3500 myself next year. So far, I have been pleasantly surprised that most everything has been covered by my plan, but I’m sure I will easily hit the max with delivery costs. If I go off the firm plan, they will not fund my HSA or give me a stipend for insurance. DH has access to a lot of different choices of plans through his company, but so far, we have not been able to find one that is obviously more cost-effective.
Anon says
For us it was easy because in the open enrollment materials, one of their “examples” for comparing the costs of plans was a “standard” L&D. We are on an open access HMO (i.e., no referrals, but must stay in network (very large, no issues), and I think on our plan it was something like a $300 L&D fee plus $100 hospital admission and deductible. I had already hit our ($500 individual, $2500 family) deductible due to a hospital stay earlier in the year, so the insurance came through on what I think was something like $60K for a c-section. Much cheaper than our other preferred choice (PPO), which would have been something like 20% co-insurance up to the out-of-pocket max.
Anon says
Your doctor should be able to give you estimates of the costs of different kinds of deliveries. I think my V delivery with epidural was around $11k, but you don’t pay the full cost of that, you just pay the deductible and then 20% co-insurance after that, I didn’t reach the out of pocket max. I had a February baby and I hit my deductible in both the pregnancy year (I had to pay the full costs of all my prenatal testing and ultrasounds before the deductible was met) and the delivery year, but never hit my OOP max.
avocado says
Every year I make a spreadsheet that compares the total cost of premiums + out-of-pocket expenses (factoring in tax savings from before-tax premiums and HSA/FSA) for every possible combination of health plan options and a variety of scenarios–nothing other than preventive care, all the way up to the highest out-of-pocket max. You can search “average cost to deliver a baby” or similar to get an idea of the average charges for a v-delivery or c-section, then calculate your OOP cost for each. It is going to be several thousand dollars no matter what. Also keep in mind that babies, especially those in out-of-home child care situations, get sick all the time. Until I had a baby, I didn’t realize that people with health insurance actually went to the emergency room unless they were in a catastrophic car accident or something. I think the pediatrician sent us there twice within the first year.
I’ve noticed is that the combination of OOP max and premium is the biggest factor in my decision every year, and that the high-deductible plan usually ends up being the cheapest at any level of health care expenditures. If the firm pays your premium and funds your HSA, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which forgoing those benefits to get on your husband’s plan would be cheaper. It’s also important to find out whether his company charges a penalty for an employed spouse’s being on the plan (my husband’s employer does this).
Of course YMMV based on your plan choices, so you really have to do the math.
Anon says
Yeah you just have to do the math. I have the cheapest employer plan which has an insanely high deductible ($10k if you have a kid on your plan) but the lowest deductible I could get through my employer is still $5k, and the premiums on that plan are >$5k/year more than on my plan. I did the math for various expected healthcare costs and there’s no scenario under which the plan with the higher premiums and lower deductible is worth it.
Fortunately except for when I was pregnant and delivering, we’ve never come close to hitting our deductible (we have, or at least had pre-Covid, a fair number of sick kid office visits but at $100 each they aren’t a big cost), and between the really low premiums and the fact my employer gives me $3500 in HSA, we’ve come out ahead so far every year excluding the pregnancy and delivery years.
Anonymous says
When we had to make this decision for the same reason, we called the insurance providers to ask. They were able to tell us typical costs for each and then we could do the math.
layered bob says
Same as everyone else, I make a spreadsheet and do the math, but the out of pocket max is usually the determining factor so we always do the high-deductible plan + HSA. If your employer pays your premiums and funds your HSA… probably do that. My first birth (which I was hoping to be a low-intervention midwife scenario), ended up costing $100,000 before insurance but we hit our out of pocket max so that was that. Never was I so glad for insurance.
Anon says
This. My first delivery had complications (and I had PPH after) and ended up close to $75K for pregnancy/ delivery before insurance. My second had complications during the pregnancy and then several interventions during the delivery to reduce PPH risk, so was around the same cost. The second time, we hit our family OOP so then scheduled a vasectomy for my DH the last week of December to essentially get it for “free”.
Anon says
Ugh health insurance and medical bills. The worst. So expensive. Do the math you can to see what makes sense, but then realize not everything is predictable and you might wish you had done something differently, and that’s just life.
anne-on says
You may also want to check the fine print on your husband’s plan – my husband’s employer has an ‘additional fee’ (monthly penalty basically) added onto the cost of the plan if any of the dependents are able to be covered under another plan. His insurance is better BUT when we added in the additional fee they would charge me it was cheaper for me to stay with my own employer’s insurance. The joys of US health insurance.
Coach Laura says
I would choose the HSA if at all possible. Wish I’d used the HSA five years before I started. Even without employer contributions, it’s a good deal. I always fund the IRS maximum myself and then pay co-pays and such out of regular income, leaving the HSA money to save for a rainy day fund to cover surgeries and such. It is also helpful for things like a dental crown, when dental insurance never covers it. And then I always dread the catastrophe (lymphoma in my case) where I’m going to have to pay the deductible every year from here on out.
It is also similar to a 401K in that you can let it accumulate and use at any time in the future for medical costs tax-free and then when you retire use it for almost anything, I believe, tax-advantaged like the 401K. So if you are maxing out 401K donations, the HSA is an alternate tax-free savings account.
MNF says
One piece of advice on doing the math — I had the same concerns and ended up choosing a high deductible plan because the low premiums + out of pocket max was the cheapest option. However, I did not calculate the costs related to the baby being born (baby’s own costs) in my math. Why is there a cost for baby to be born? And how is that different than the cost for me delivering her? Not exactly sure, but we ended up paying more to the hospital than I had planned.
anon says
Check on how the baby’s care would be covered and what deductible and OOP max would apply. Compare individual and family OOP maxes under all plans. It may be more economical for all 3 of you to be under one plan if, for example, the family deductible/OOP max is twice the individual, rather than 3 times. Also, run the numbers as if Baby is healthy and has no issues in 2021, and as if Baby needs a lengthy NICU stay.
OP says
Thanks for these last two comments– this is kind of what I was looking for. I would not have thought of either of these.
Anonymous says
Has anyone found waterproof mittens for toddlers? We need something for playing in snow and everything I’ve seen is way too big. Thanks!
Anon says
Gap has some that are called “cold control” mittens. I don’t know how waterproof they are, but my kiddo definitely played in the snow with them and her hands were fine at 1.
Anonymous says
L.L. Bean.
Redux says
Snow Stoppers are my favorite mittens for toddlers. Waterproof and warm and those long sleeves mean they don’t fall off and no snow gets in under them. They are the best!
EB0220 says
I love Outdoor Research Adrenaline Toddler mittens with all of my being. They consistently stay on and are warm.
Anonymous says
Koobi. (although the smallest size is more appropriate for 2.5 + )