Congratulations! For those who’re studying this, you’re both (a) anticipating your first youngster (as a result of if that is Child Quantity 2 or 3, you’ll not have the time to learn) or (b) planning to have your first child very quickly.
Both means, you may be questioning how a lot cash to put aside to have your first child. Properly, you’ve come to the proper place. We’ll going to interrupt down ALL the prices of being pregnant and childbirth.
Right here’s a snippet of what it’s prefer to get married at 22, and have your first youngster at 24. Try what Ben and Serena went via:
Contents
- Pre-pregnancy screenings
- Prenatal check-ups for first trimester
- Prenatal check-ups for second trimester onwards
- Fetal abnormality tests
- Maternity clothes
- Baby clothes and baby products
- Maternity insurance premium
- Prenatal classes
- Baby delivery and hospital stay
- Postnatal care
1. Pre-pregnancy screenings
There’s no hurt in being too cautious, not in relation to infants. Going for a once-over along with your gynaecologist earlier than you get pregnant is a good suggestion, particularly in case you haven’t been common along with your check-ups. Take into account it a tune-up earlier than the massive race.
The physician will have a look at your well being document and medical historical past for:
- basic bodily evaluation
- vaccinations – to test your immunity to rubella, rooster pox, hepatitis A and B
- main sicknesses or well being issues
- gynaecological issues
- diabetes or thyroid points
- potential for inherited genetic illnesses
- use of gear – tobacco, alcohol, leisure medicine
- remedy taken prior to now few months
Then, there are the doable checks:
- pelvic examination – to test for an infection or sexually transmitted illnesses (STDs)
- Pap smear – to find out the well being of your endocervical canal
- blood take a look at and Rh take a look at – to see in case you have the Rh (Rhesus) issue as a result of, with out it, there’s a powerful risk that your blood shall be incompatible along with your child’s and precautions need to taken throughout your being pregnant
- urine take a look at – to test for infections
- ultrasound
There are two methods you possibly can go about this. Typically, you go to the gynaecologist who will then determine what checks you want. Each take a look at you order is then added to the invoice.
| Merchandise | Worth vary |
| Session | $50 to $200 |
| Ultrasound | $80 to $150 |
| Pap smear | $40 to $80 |
| Blood take a look at | $75 to $180 |
Alternatively, there are packages that some clinics and hospitals provide which cowl a set of checks. Mount Elizabeth, for instance, affords preconception health screening.
| Merchandise | Worth vary |
| Pre-pregnancy screening package deal | $349 to $700 |
2. Prenatal check-ups for first trimester
When you’ve examined optimistic on a home-pregnancy equipment, you will have an expert to substantiate it. This may occur as early as Week 4 of your being pregnant in case you’ve been watching your physique rigorously (being pregnant is calculated from the primary day of your final interval).
Then comes the biggie: which gynaecologist to go together with? You may choose primarily based on the hospital you need to ship at as a result of completely different docs are hooked up to completely different locations. Or you possibly can choose primarily based on the physician you need.
If price is your concern, a authorities hospital is the way in which to go. Other than usually being cheaper, authorities hospitals have an added cost-saving measure. They’ve subsidised charges for each your consultations and your hospital keep.
The draw back is that you just whenever you go for these subsidised charges (versus non-public charges at authorities hospitals), you get a special gynaecologist with each go to. Plus, it’s good to be referred to the hospital by your GP or polyclinic. You may’t simply stroll in and declare you need to be a subsidised affected person.
Right here’s how a lot you possibly can count on to pay to your first session at authorities hospitals:
| Hospital | Worth vary (non-public) | Worth (subsidised) |
| KKH | $114.49 to $143.38 | $29.40 |
| SGH | $114.49 to $146.59 | $39 |
| NUH | $109.14 to $145.52 | $38 to $56 |
At your first go to, your gynaecologist will estimate your due date – 40 weeks from the primary day of your final interval. If this isn’t the identical physician who did your preconception screening, he might test your medical historical past and that of your households’ (each yours and your husband’s) to flag any doable hereditary sicknesses.
Then comes the checks:
- blood take a look at – to find out the quantity of being pregnant hormone (Human Choroid Gonadotrophin) you’ve gotten. This can inform him extra precisely how far alongside you might be in your being pregnant
- blood take a look at – for a full blood rely; and to test for infections, thyroid illness, Rh antibodies and publicity to viral illnesses particularly rubella (which, when contracted throughout being pregnant, can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and start defects)
- pelvic examination and Pap smear
- vaginal ultrasound – to detect the intrauterine gestational sac with a yolk sac and your child
Throughout the first 12 weeks, you’ll most likely see your gynaecologist a couple of times. Assuming you probably did NOT go for subsidised charges at a authorities hospital, right here’s how a lot you possibly can count on to pay per go to.
| Merchandise | Worth vary (non-public) |
| Session & checks | $120 to $350 |
| Prenatal dietary supplements | $100 to $450 |
You may offset the prices with Medisave. Below the Medisave Maternity Package (MMP), you possibly can withdraw as much as $900 for pre-delivery medical bills.
3. Prenatal check-ups for second trimester onwards
From Week 13, you possibly can join a package deal along with your gynaecologist. This would come with month-to-month check-ups escalating to weekly ones in your remaining trimester.
Authorities hospital packages can begin as little as $400 for subsidised sufferers or $650 in case you choose for a similar physician for every go to. Non-public packages go as excessive as $2,000.
| Being pregnant screening package deal | Estimated value |
| KKH Antentatal Bundle A1 | $399 to $738 |
| Authorities hospitals (subsidised) | ~$600 |
| Authorities hospitals (similar physician for every go to) | ~$800 |
| Non-public hospitals | $2,000 |
4. Fetal abnormality checks (elective)
As early as Week 9, you possibly can take a look at for fetal abnormalities. That is normally really useful for older mums (aged above 35). Listed below are some checks to think about:
| Check | Description | Worth vary |
| First Trimester Screening Panel | Blood checks and a scan Nuchal Translucency (NT) of the foetus which might detect chromosome problems and genetic illnesses | $200 to $400 |
| Panorama Screening (from Week 9) or Concord Check (from Week 10) | Non-invasive prenatal screening checks which take a look at the newborn’s DNA from blood drawn from the mom. They display for Down syndrome, Edward’s syndrome and Patau syndrome | $1,000 to $1,500 |
| OSCAR (One-Cease Clinic for Evaluation of Threat for fetal anomalies) (Week 11 to 14) | Assessments for abnormalities and allows you to determine if you wish to go for extra invasive checks corresponding to CVS or Amniocentesis. | $300 to $400 |
| Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) (Week 11 to 12) | Placental tissue is withdrawn by way of a biopsy to check for chromosomal or genetic problems | $1,500 to $4,000 |
| Triple Serum Check (Week 15 to twenty) | Check for Down syndrome | $200 to $400 |
| Amniocentesis (Week 16 to twenty) | Amniotic fluid will be drawn for checks | $1,300 to $4,000 |
| Oral Glucose Tolerance Check (Screening for Gestational Diabetes) (Week 26 to twenty-eight) | This checks for gestational diabetes. (Mums who develop gestational diabetes are at increased threat of creating Kind 2 diabetes.) After fasting in a single day, a blood pattern is taken. Mum then drinks a 75 gram glucose drink and takes one other blood take a look at two hours later. | $20 to $50 |
5. Maternity garments
Do you want a brand new wardrobe? It actually will depend on your private relationship with trend.
If that is your first being pregnant, my recommendation, from private expertise, is to spend money on timeless items that may final via your different pregnancies (assuming you need multiple). That $100 maternity shirt might appear to be a waste. Divide it by three and, immediately, it’s a steal.
You can additionally hire. It saves cash and closet house.
| Merchandise | Description | Worth vary |
| Maternity bra (must-have) | Good help is important throughout your being pregnant. This isn’t one thing you need to be stingy with. | $10 to $50 every |
| Bra extenders (various) | These are bands with additional eye hooks that mean you can prolong your regular bra to suit your rising girth. They’re an inexpensive choice to a brand new set of bras. | Below $10 |
| Nursing bra (must-have) | Even in case you get by with bra extenders, you would possibly finally want nursing bras (bras with a flap that allow you to nurse your child simply). So, you might save a little bit by skipping the maternity bra altogether and going straight to nursing bras. |
$10 to $50 every |
| Maternity underwear (good to have) | You may reside via these 9 months along with your present inventory of lingerie, particularly in case you’ve survived on bikini bottoms and G-strings. | As much as $29.90 (for a pack of three) |
| Garments (purchase) | $100 to $1,000 (or extra in case you’re a fashionista) | |
| Garments (rental) | Each bit will be rented for as much as 4 weeks. | From $59 a month |
| Maternity / stomach bands (good to have) | These elastic bands have two-fold functions. They supply help to your increasing stomach and allow you to put on your common pants unbuttoned and even unzipped. The band holds up the pants whereas protecting up the truth that you’ve come undone. | $25 to $50 |
| Good help sneakers (will need to have) | As your weight will increase and your centre of gravity shifts, you want good sneakers to help you and supply traction to keep away from falls. | $50 onwards |
| Physique butter (will need to have) | That is technically not a trend merchandise however, from one mum to a different, that is one thing you need to have. Rub your child bump (and every other increasing elements) with physique butter. Do that day-after-day. Your pores and skin will recognize the moisturise and also you stand a greater likelihood of avoiding stretch marks. |
$12 to $190 |
6. Child garments and child merchandise
With child comes child stuff. A lot of child stuff. Like maternity put on, you possibly can lay our a fortune or not a cent, relying on how a lot you possibly can borrow or are given.
Here’s a listing of child necessities in addition to frills you would possibly like to think about.
| Merchandise | Description | Worth vary |
Garments
|
Within the first few months of life, your child will want a diaper change about six to eight instances a day, as much as 10 or 12 if he’s breastfed. The chances of his garments getting soiled are fairly excessive. So, you have to extra in your retailer so child will all the time have one thing to put on. However you don’t need to over-stock as a result of infants develop. Quick. |
From $100 For those who’re feeling beneficiant, you possibly can all the time splurge on designer put on that go up to a couple hundred {dollars} for a romper. |
Footwear
|
From $10 Like garments, designer sneakers can price an eye-watering three figures. |
|
Headwear
|
From $10 | |
| Receiving blankets (half a dozen) | These are to swaddle child in his first few weeks of life. When he outgrows the have to be tightly bundled, you should utilize them as blankets. | From $11.40 for 4 |
Diaper change
|
From $50 | |
Bathtub gadgets
|
From $50 | |
Bedding
To keep away from suffocation, docs advise towards pillows.
|
From $70 | |
Furnishings
|
Some dad and mom have been recognized to do with out a crib as a result of child will solely keep in there for a yr or two earlier than graduating to a mattress or mattress. | From $160 Excessive-end cribs will be massive ticket gadgets costing as a lot as $1,600. |
| Altering desk (elective) | Infants outgrow altering tables actually shortly. You may change them in your mattress or of their cribs simply as successfully. | From $59 |
| Child detergent | From $6.95 a litre | |
Sitting round
|
From $265 | |
Feeding gadgets
|
From $170 The massive ticket merchandise right here is the steriliser which might price as much as $640.90. Subsequent comes the components milk (in case you’re supplementing or not nursing). The most affordable tin prices about $29 (for 900 grams) and lasts a new child 5 to 7 days. So, you do the mathematics. |
|
Journey gadgets
|
From $375 At their costliest, strollers can price as much as $1,000 and Moses baskets can go as much as almost $800. |
|
| Breast pump | $200 to $1,000 (electrical)$50 onwards (handbook) | |
Well being
|
It’s fairly tough to overlook a child’s cries, even when he’s a room or two away. However simply in case your child is a delicate soul, you may want a child monitor. | From $40 |
Reminiscences
|
You should use any pocket book or purchase journals specifically designed so that you can document milestones in your being pregnant and your child’s first yr. | From $20 every |
7. Maternity insurance coverage premium
Being pregnant can have its issues. That’s why shopping for maternity insurance coverage may give you a measure of safety, if not consolation. Protecting prenatal care, supply prices, issues and child’s congenital sicknesses, there are a selection of plans. Some start even earlier than being pregnant. Others mean you can switch the coverage to your child after he’s born.
| Merchandise | Estimated value |
| Maternity insurance coverage | $371 to $869 a month |
8. Prenatal courses – to arrange you for supply
Most hospitals provide prenatal courses that educate the whole lot from what to anticipate throughout labour to child care, lactation abilities and correct diet. Don’t simply examine it, get hands-on suggestions from the specialists to get a head begin on parenthood.
| Merchandise | Estimated value |
| Prenatal courses (course) | $160.50 to $895 per couple |
9. Child supply and hospital keep
For those who’re not already cross-eyed from all that’s wanted, the supply choices will definitely get you there. You may select:
- regular or Caesarean (though typically, when issues come up, you haven’t any selection however to ship by Caesarean)
- assisted start (by way of vacuum or forceps), epidural or pure
- non-public room or multi-bedder (selection of Wards)
Naturally (no pun meant), the easier your choices, the much less dear your invoice. Fortunately, the Ministry of Well being (MOH) has made clear the costs of the completely different hospitals for the varied choices. To make issues simpler for you (as a result of, as you possibly can see, you should have a lot to handle), listed below are the invoice sizes throughout one ward sort. For the remaining, you possibly can take a look at the Ministry’s web site and search for “Childbirth”.
Regular Supply – Authorities hospitals, Ward A
| Hospital | Common Size Of Keep (days) | Invoice Measurement Low | Invoice Measurement Excessive |
| KKH | 2.0 | $4,629 | $5,633 |
| NUH | 2.3 | $4,197 | $5,444 |
| SGH | 2.5 | $4,306 | $5,947 |
Regular Supply – Non-public hospitals, 2-Mattress Ward
| Hospital | Common Size of Keep | Invoice Measurement (Low) | Invoice Measurement (Excessive) |
| Gleneagles | 2.3 | $7,453 | $9,506 |
| Mount Alvernia | 2.1 | $5,626 | $7,962 |
| Mount Elizabeth | 3.6 | $6,917 | $9,289 |
| Parkway East | 2.0 | $5,235 | $6,699 |
| Thomson Medical | 2.2 | $5,834 | $7,815 |
Caesarean Supply – Authorities hospitals, Ward A
| Hospital | Common Size Of Keep (days) | Invoice Measurement Low | Invoice Measurement Excessive ($) |
| KKH | 3.0 | $7,443 | $10,077 |
| NUH | 3.0 | $6,296 | $7,987 |
| SGH | 4.0 | $8,636 | $10,719 |
Caesarean Supply – Non-public hospitals, 2-Mattress Ward
| Hospital | Common Size of Keep | Invoice Measurement (Low) | Invoice Measurement (Excessive) |
| Gleneagles | 3.0 | $11,944 | $14,262 |
| Mount Alvernia | 3.0 | $9,212 | $11,534 |
| Mount Elizabeth | 3.0 | $11,035 | $14,194 |
| Parkway East | 3.0 | $9,622 | $11,472 |
| Thomson Medical | 3.0 | $9,942 | $12,154 |
The excellent news is that in case you’re a Singapore Citizen or a Everlasting Resident, you should utilize your Medisave Maternity Bundle (MMP) to defray the prices. Let’s say your invoice comes as much as $4,336 for a standard supply at KKH. You stayed two days. You may withdraw as much as $550 for every day of your hospital keep together with an additional $750 for the supply. This implies you pay $1,850 much less or simply $2,486 of the invoice.
| Kind of support | Description | Quantity |
| Medisave MMP | For hospital keep | $550 per day (for first 2 days), $400 per day after |
| Medisave MMP | For childbirth-related surgical procedures | $750 to $2,600 relying on sort of supply |
Other than supply prices and hospitalisation charges, there are the skilled charges it’s good to add to your invoice for each the gynaecologist in addition to the paediatrician who involves test in your child after the start.
| Skilled charges | Estimated price |
| Gynaecologist | $1,600 to $3,000 |
| Paediatrician | $300 to $400 |
However, heave a sigh of aid as a result of there’s extra assist.
Child Bonus
Below this scheme, you get
- money (given out in 5 instalments over 18 months)
- a CDA First Step grant
- a authorities dollar-for-dollar matching contribution for every greenback you save for the kid
The quantity will increase with the variety of youngsters you’ve gotten and the cash can go in the direction of maternity and new child bills.
| Beginning order | Money Present + CDA First Step | CDA dollar-for-dollar matching |
| 1st & 2nd | $8,000 + $3,000 | As much as $3,000 & $6,000 |
| third & 4th | $8,000 + $3,000 | As much as $9,000 & $9,000 |
| fifth & past | $10,000 + $3,000 | As much as $15,000 |
Medisave Grant for Newborns
In case your child is a Singapore citizen, he could have $4,000 deposited into his Medisave. You should use this to defray your youngster’s healthcare bills together with Medishield Life premiums, childhood vaccinations, hospitalisation and accredited outpatient therapies.
10. Postnatal care
Confinement nanny
Take it from a seasoned mum, don’t do with out a confinement nanny. These live-in assist are particularly mandatory if it’s your first youngster and also you don’t have a maid.
Give it some thought – a complete month (technically, it’s 28 days) of being waited readily available and foot, particular meals expertly ready, doing nothing however therapeutic and feeding child, and (that is essentially the most treasured of all to a brand new mum) sleeping via the night time whereas another person tends to your toddler. Some confinement nannies even perform a little dusting and cleansing.
E-book yours early in your being pregnant as a result of the perfect ones get snapped up quick.
| Merchandise | Anticipated price |
| Confinement nanny (1 month) | $2,800 to $3,900 |
| Greeting crimson packet (when nanny arrives) | From $50 |
| Farewell crimson packet (when nanny leaves) | $150 to $250 |
Postnatal massages
Postnatal massages are a very good follow in Asia. Who doesn’t take pleasure in a little bit spa remedy after onerous labour? They’re really useful as a result of they’re supposed to assist blood circulation, support weight reduction, aid tensed muscle mass and promote general restoration.
| Merchandise | Worth vary |
| Postnatal therapeutic massage (5-day remedy) | $300 to $500 |
Sure, having a child is pricey in Singapore (as it’s nearly in every single place else). However let’s be sincere now, can you actually put a price ticket on life itself – particularly one so cute and cuddly? Simply ensure you’re financially ready for the prices when issues get actual.
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