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Kate Middleton’s hospital suite is about $10,000 per day, here’s what Canada offers commoners

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge show off their newborn son outside of the Lindo Wing in July, 2013. (Getty Images)
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge show off their newborn son outside of the Lindo Wing in July, 2013. (Getty Images)

Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you a bloody nice hospital suite.

While the Duchess of Cambridge is reportedly eligible for the standard 10 per cent loyalty discount for giving birth to her second child in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in London, it will still cost a pretty penny. More than 10 royal babies have been delivered in the historic Lindo Wing over the years, including Kate Middleton’s husband Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge.

These days the first 24 hours of a “normal delivery in a standard room” costs £5,215 (CDN $9,535) and an additional night costs £945 (CDN $1,735). A deluxe room starts at £5,425 (CDN $9, 921). Blimey, that’s a lot of British pounds! The next step up is a suite and prices for that are upon application (so, let your imagination run wild). The perks include: satellite TV, a radio, bedside phone and fridge and a choice of a daily newspaper. No bad hospital food for the royals here -- the “extensive and nutritious menu caters for special dietary, cultural and religious requirements (including vegetarian, kosher and halal meals).” This being England the “popular afternoon tea service” is among the optional extras.

While England does have a public health care system, the Lindo Wing is private.

If your baby’s father doesn’t happen to be second in line to the throne of England you can still give birth and recover in private comfort here in Canada… for a price.

Unlike in other parts of the world, pregnant Canadian women have free access to a wealth of health services under our public federal and provincial health insurance plans. Generally, Canadian women can choose a family doctor, midwife or OB-GYN to assist in the birth and their services will usually be covered, Dr. Yolanda Kirkham said in a phone interview with Yahoo Canada.

“Obviously, there’s a private room for actually giving birth,” said Dr. Kirkham, an OB-GYN who does deliveries at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. “A private room after birth might be covered if you have extended health care coverage.”

While St. Joseph’s does not list the fees on its website, a semi-private or private room is extra. And as is standard at most Canadian hospitals, renting a television is extra and even using the phone may cost you. St. Joseph’s has two hydrotherapy tub rooms available at no extra cost and offers fresh food such as sandwiches, fresh fruit and yogurt after hours to moms and birth partners, thanks to the Sprott Foundation.

Our public health insurance generally covers standard ward accommodations, which consist of four beds per room and two shared bathrooms for four patients. A semi-private room (two beds per room and a shared bathroom for two patients) costs $280 per day, while a private room costs $395 per day at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Fees for private rooms and extras vary from province-to-province. If you have private insurance, your plan may cover some or all of those extra costs, so check up on what’s covered before you check-in to give birth.

Dr. Kirkham has worked in Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta and says the public services offered are similar across the country. She currently splits her time between St. Joseph’s and Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, which no longer does deliveries. Across town the Women and Babies program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre opened its new $198-million maternity facility in 2010 to much acclaim. The facility has 20 private rooms featuring Wi-Fi and ensuite bathrooms (many with whirlpools), according to Toronto Life. Prices for private rooms do not seem to be listed on Sunnybrook’s website.

If you want the comforts of home you can always opt to give birth at home, and get your family or friends to give you the royal treatment by serving you high tea afterwards. You should consult your doctor to determine the right birth plan for you, advises Dr. Kirkham. If you do opt for a home birth the cost of a midwife will generally be covered.

An increasingly popular option is a birthing centre, which is seen by many as a middle ground between a home birth and a hospital birth. Again, you can expect to pay extra for the extras. The Lucina Birth Centre in Edmonton features spacious birth rooms with ensuite bathrooms, a birthing pool and a queen-size bed, according to its website. There is variable lighting and unlimited hot water. The gourmet kitchen serves up a breakfast made from scratch after you deliver your little one and you can store celebratory cake and champagne in the walk-in fridge. Women giving birth at the natural birthing centre must be under the care of a midwife. The cost is $525, including GST, according to its website. That’s about $9,000 cheaper than a one-day stay at the prestigious Lindo Wing in England.

The best things in life (like beautiful babies) are free. But, a suite fit for you and your little prince or princess? Well, that will cost you (or your insurer) extra.

Have you given birth in Canada? What was your experience like, and did you end up having to pay out of pocket for extras like a private room? Tell us below in the comments section.