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Having a baby in Texas

Medicaid and WIC income limits, paid leave, doula and lactation coverage, breast pumps and childcare prices in Texas, with the agency and link to apply for each.

Checked October 2026 · 24 sources

Short answer

Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women covers pregnancy for incomes up to 207% of the poverty level, about $44,795 a year for you and one baby, and for 12 months after birth. WIC takes households of two earning up to $40,034. Texas has no state paid family leave program. Full-time infant care at a center runs about $9,620 a year (2022 prices).

What you can get in Texas

The short answer for each benefit, with its source. Tap Details for income limits, how to apply and the fine print.

Yes

Can Medicaid cover your pregnancy in Texas?

In Texas, Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 203% of the federal poverty level and CHIP up to 207% (about $44,795 a year for a household of two); Medicaid postpartum coverage lasts 12 months.

Source: KFF State Health Facts, income limits as of January 2026Details
Yes

Can you get WIC in Texas?

Yes, if your household's income is at or below $40,034 a year for two people (you and your baby). If you get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, you may already qualify. You can start online.

Source: Texas Health and Human Services, October 2026Details
Voluntary

Does Texas have paid family leave?

Texas has no state paid family leave program. A 2023 law lets insurers sell paid family leave policies to employers, so you're covered only if your employer buys one.

Source: Texas Legislature, October 2026Details
No

Does Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women pay for a doula?

Texas Medicaid doesn't cover doula care.

Source: National Health Law Program (NHeLP), October 2026Details
Check

Does Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women cover a lactation consultant?

We couldn't confirm Texas's Medicaid lactation coverage from an official source. Check with your Medicaid plan.

Source: Texas Legislature, October 2026Details
Yes

Does Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women cover a breast pump?

In Texas, Medicaid covers a manual or electric breast pump within 12 months of birth with no prior authorization.

Source: Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) for Texas Health and Human Services Commission, October 2026Details

Medicaid for pregnancy in Texas

Yes

207%

of the federal poverty level is the upper income limit

KFF, January 2026

12 mo

of Medicaid coverage after birth

KFF, July 2026

Program
Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women
Agency
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Medicaid limit
203% of the poverty level
CHIP unborn-child option
Up to 207%
12-month postpartum coverage since
March 1, 2024
Presumptive eligibility
Yes. A qualified clinic or hospital can enroll you right away.

Above 203%, coverage comes only through CHIP's From Conception to End of Pregnancy option. It covers the pregnancy regardless of the parent's immigration status, but benefits and postpartum coverage can be narrower than full Medicaid.

Apply for Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women Check your income
Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women income limit by household size207% of 2026 guidelines (48 states and DC)
HouseholdPer yearPer month
2you + 1 baby$44,795$3,733
3$56,552$4,713
4$68,310$5,693
5$80,068$6,672
6$91,825$7,652
7$103,583$8,632

Count yourself plus each baby you're expecting. Gross household income; Texas rounds and updates on its own schedule, so treat these as approximate. Compare every state

Sources: KFF State Health Facts; KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families; KFF; Texas Health and Human Services Commission; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Data as of October 2026.

WIC in Texas

Yes

Texas WIC gives pregnant and new parents, babies and children under 5 healthy food, nutrition help and breastfeeding support. You qualify on income at or below 185% of the poverty guidelines, and you may already qualify if you get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF.

Program
Texas WIC
Agency
Texas Health and Human Services
Phone
(800) 942-3678
Apply online
Start the online form
Notes
The online form starts your application; your local WIC office contacts you to set up the first appointment.

  1. Start online or call

    Contact a WIC agency where you live to start, by phone or online. The agency schedules an in-person or virtual appointment to finish the application and nutrition check.

  2. Go to your appointment

    In person or virtual. Staff finish your application and do a free health and nutrition check.
Texas WIC WIC limits for every state
WIC income limits, 48 states and DCJuly 2026 to June 2027
HouseholdPer yearPer month
1$29,526$2,461
2$40,034$3,337
3$50,542$4,212
4$61,050$5,088
5$71,558$5,964
6$82,066$6,839

Gross household income. Count each unborn baby as a household member.

Sources: Texas Health and Human Services; USDA Food and Nutrition Administration; USDA Food and Nutrition Service (Federal Register). Data as of October 2026.

Doula coverage in Texas

No

Texas Medicaid doesn't cover doula care.

Payment
No Medicaid doula benefit. Moms on Medicaid pay a doula out of pocket or use a free or sliding-scale community program.
Notes
No Medicaid doula benefit. HB 1575 (2023) lets certified doulas provide Medicaid case management for nonmedical needs, which is not a doula benefit. Several 2025 coverage bills were introduced; none had passed as of September 2026. The National Health Law Program reports Dell Children's Health Plan (Austin) offers doula support to Medicaid members and BCBS of Texas offers doulas to some members; check with your plan.

714

doulas listed in Texas

CMS NPPES and state doula lists

Doulas in TexasDoula coverage in every state

Sources: National Health Law Program (NHeLP); National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP). Data as of October 2026.

Lactation support in Texas

Check

We couldn't confirm Texas's Medicaid lactation coverage from an official source. Check with your Medicaid plan.

We couldn't confirm this from an official source. Check with Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women before you count on it.

Notes
Texas HB 136 (effective September 1, 2025) requires Medicaid to pay certified lactation consultants under a new, separate provider type, but the benefit did not appear to be billable as of October 9, 2026: the October 2026 TMPPM breastfeeding support section covers breast pumps only, HHSC proposed implementing rules in mid 2026 (per Texans Care for Children comments dated July 27, 2026), and HHSC listed Lactation Consultants (HB136) as a rate topic for its November 2026 rate hearing. Status should be rechecked after the rules are adopted and TMHP posts a start date.

Texas Medicaid member information

630

lactation consultants listed in Texas

CMS NPPES

Lactation consultants in TexasLactation coverage in every state

Sources: Texas Legislature; Texas Legislative Budget Board; Texas Secretary of State (Texas Register); Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) for Texas Health and Human Services Commission; Texans Care for Children. Data as of October 2026.

Breast pumps through Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women

Yes

In Texas, Medicaid covers a manual or electric breast pump within 12 months of birth with no prior authorization.

Pump types
manual; personal electric; hospital-grade rental
Prior authorization
Not required
Prescription
Required
When you can get one
Manual or electric personal-use pump purchase within 12 months from the date of birth without prior authorization; hospital-grade rental for an initial 60 days, then up to three prior-authorized 90-day rentals within 12 months following birth
Notes
Texas Medicaid (fee-for-service and managed care) covers manual (E0602) and personal-use electric (E0603) pumps for purchase and hospital-grade pumps (E0604) for rental through DME suppliers, ordered by a provider familiar with the mother or infant. The handbook lists medical necessity reasons such as returning to work or school 10 or more hours per week; if a pump is not obtained under the mother's Medicaid number it can be billed under the infant's.

Texas Medicaid member information

Sources: Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) for Texas Health and Human Services Commission; KFF. Data as of October 2026.

Childcare costs in Texas

$9,620

a year ($185 a week), the median for infant care at a center

DOL state estimate, 2022

$8,528

a year ($164 a week) in a family childcare home

DOL state estimate, 2022

Full-time provider prices before any subsidy, in 2022 dollars. The national median for center infant care was $12,647 a year.

Center infant care, lowest and highest county2022 prices
CountyPer year
Travis Countyhighest$11,908
Coke Countylowest$5,876

254 of 254 counties have a center infant price.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Data as of October 2026.

Questions about having a baby in Texas

What is the income limit for pregnancy Medicaid in Texas?

Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women covers pregnancy for household incomes up to 207% of the federal poverty level (203% for Medicaid itself; CHIP covers the rest). At the 2026 poverty guidelines that's about $44,795 a year for a household of two, $56,552 for three and $68,310 for four. Count yourself plus each baby you're expecting.

How long does Medicaid cover you after birth in Texas?

Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women covers you for 12 months after the pregnancy ends, a rule in place since March 2024.

What is the WIC income limit in Texas?

From July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, Texas WIC uses USDA's limits: $40,034 a year for a household of two, $50,542 for three and $61,050 for four. If you get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, you may already meet the income rule. Call 1-800-942-3678 to apply.

Does Texas have paid family leave?

Texas has no state paid family leave program. A 2023 law lets insurers sell paid family leave policies to employers, so you're covered only if your employer buys one.

Does Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women pay for a doula?

Texas Medicaid doesn't cover doula care.

How much does infant daycare cost in Texas?

The median price for full-time infant care at a center in Texas was $185 a week, about $9,620 a year, in 2022 (U.S. Department of Labor). Prices have risen since, so treat it as a floor and look up your county.

Sources

  1. 1.Medicaid and CHIP Income Eligibility Limits for Pregnant Women as a Percent of the Federal Poverty Level (as of January 2026) KFF State Health Facts. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  2. 2.Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal Policies as States Prepare for Major Medicaid Policy Changes (Table 2, January 2026) KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  3. 3.Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension Tracker (as of July 15, 2026) KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  4. 4.Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal Policies as States Resume Routine Operations Following the Unwinding (Table 7: Presumptive Eligibility, January 2025) KFF and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  5. 5.Texas Medicaid for Pregnant Women: how to apply Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 6.CMS approval of Texas State Plan Amendment TX-23-0028 (12-month postpartum coverage), effective 2024-03-01 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 7.Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines (91 FR 1797, Jan. 15, 2026) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Federal Register). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 8.Texas WIC (state WIC page) Texas Health and Human Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  9. 9.Texas WIC: state agency contact USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  10. 10.Texas WIC: online application or interest form Texas Health and Human Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  11. 11.WIC: 2026/2027 Income Eligibility Guidelines (91 FR 23050, Apr. 29, 2026) USDA Food and Nutrition Service (Federal Register). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  12. 12.Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1255. Group Family Leave Insurance Texas Legislature. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  13. 13.State paid family and medical leave contributions and benefits (Feb. 6, 2026) Mercer Law & Policy Group. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  14. 14.Doula Medicaid Project: state-by-state chart of doula Medicaid efforts (last updated Sep. 2026) National Health Law Program (NHeLP). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  15. 15.State Trends in Medicaid Coverage of Doula Services (published April 1, 2026; data as of March 2026) National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP). Accessed October 9, 2026.
Show all 24 sources
  1. 16.H.B. No. 136 (89th Legislature, Regular Session), Enrolled: relating to Medicaid coverage and reimbursement for lactation consultation services Texas Legislature. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  2. 17.Fiscal Note, 89th Legislative Regular Session, H.B. 136 Texas Legislative Budget Board. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  3. 18.Texas Register Vol. 51 No. 37 (September 11, 2026): HHSC Notice of Provider Engagement Meetings for Medicaid Payment Rates Texas Secretary of State (Texas Register). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  4. 19.Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual: Gynecological, Obstetrics, and Family Planning Title XIX Services Handbook (October 2026) Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) for Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  5. 20.Comments on Proposed Rules for Medicaid Lactation Consultation Services (secondary source) Texans Care for Children. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 21.Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy-Related Services: Findings from a 2021 State Survey KFF. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 22.National Database of Childcare Prices: 2008-2022 (Data File) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 23.National Database of Childcare Prices Technical Report (September 2024) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  9. 24.National Database of Childcare Prices: State-Level Estimates and Affordability Rankings 2022 U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.

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