Iowa Is In The Top 15 Best States To Have A Baby
Becoming a parent is one of the best things you can do in your life. Getting the title of mom or dad really is the best title to receive and those lucky enough to get that title, know the feeling. If you and your significant other want to grow your family by adding a mini you or them into the world, you probably want to know how great your state is to have a baby in. A list shows the best and worst states to have a baby. The Quad-City states didn't do too bad on this list.
Before we get into this study, we want you to know that everyone has different experiences at every hospital when birthing a child. Different experiences like the birth experience itself, working with doctors and nurses, dining experience, and others. Whatever your experience was or will be (if you're expecting or planning to have a baby), every hospital and hospital staff deserves a thank you for their hard work and dedication to their patients and well-being.
Our friends at WalletHub have released their list of 2022's Best & Worst States To Have A Baby. In order to determine the best and worst states to have a baby, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across four key dimensions:
- Cost
- Health Care
- Baby-Friendliness
- Family-Friendliness
WalletHub evaluated those dimensions using 32 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for expectant parents and newborns.
Lastly, WalletHub determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics giving them each state's overall score. WalletHub used those resulting scores to rank-order each state from best to worst when it comes to having a baby.
WalletHub found that Iowa and Illinois were pretty close to each other. Iowa ended up being a better state to have a baby in than Illinois.
According to WalletHub, Iowa is the 14th Best State to have a baby. Iowa had an overall score of 57.75. Here is how Iowa ranked in those four key dimensions:
- Cost - 15th
- Health Care - 12th
- Baby-Friendliness - 36th
- Family-Friendliness - 12th
Illinois was a few pegs down and ranked as the 22nd Best State to have a baby. Illinois' overall score was 52.48, and this is how Illinois ranked in the four key dimensions:
- Cost - 35th
- Health Care - 127th
- Baby-Friendliness - 31st
- Family-Friendliness - 16th
The best state to have a baby in is Massachusetts, and Alabama was named the worst state to have a baby in.
Writing this article made me reflect on when my wife and I had our daughter back in February. We had Caelyn at Genesis East in Davenport and couldn't have been more happy with the staff, nurses, and doctors there.
When this article was published, our little girl is just over 5 months old. Caelyn came into the world 6 weeks early on February 23rd and we've been giving her so much love ever since. Don't mind me crying while looking back on these photos, but here are some pictures from when we announced that she was born.