 And the related anxiety began when we received a bill that totaled upwards of $25,000 within the baby's first month of life. We were told on multiple occasions that it was important to concentrate on the health of the babies and set aside our financial worries. During this time, we were also anxious as we knew it was either the hospital calling to share news of an unexpected setback with the boys or it was a debt collector. This was a particularly scary time for us as new parents. I returned to work earlier than my anticipated 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave.