Congratulations! If you’re reading this, you’re either (a) expecting your first child (because if this is Baby Number 2 or 3, you would not have the time to read) or (b) planning to have your first baby very soon.
Either way, you might be wondering how much money to set aside to have your first baby. Well, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll going to break down ALL the costs of pregnancy and childbirth.
Here’s a snippet of what it’s like to get married at 22, and have your first child at 24. Check out what Ben and Serena went through:
How Much Does It Cost To Have A Baby In Singapore?
- 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 harm in being too careful, not when it comes to babies. Going for a once-over with your gynaecologist before you get pregnant is a good idea, especially if you haven’t been regular with your check-ups. Consider it a tune-up before the big race.
The doctor will look at your health record and medical history for:
- General physical assessment
- Vaccinations—to check your immunity to rubella, chicken pox, hepatitis A and B
- Major illnesses or health problems
- Gynaecological problems
- Diabetes or thyroid issues
- Potential for inherited genetic diseases
- Use of substances–tobacco, alcohol, recreational drugs
- Medication taken in the past few months
Then, there are the possible tests:
- Pelvic exam—to check for infection or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
- Pap smear—to determine the health of your endocervical canal
- Blood test and Rh test—to see if you have the Rh (Rhesus) factor because, without it, there’s a strong possibility that your blood will be incompatible with your baby’s and precautions have to taken during your pregnancy
- Urine test—to check for infections
- Ultrasound–to examine your reproductive system and identify any abnormalities
There are two ways you can go about this. In most cases, you visit the gynaecologist who will then decide what tests you need. Every test you order is then added to the bill.
| Item | Price range (before GST) |
| Consultation | $50 to $200 |
| Ultrasound | $100 to $150 |
| Pap smear | $40 to $100 |
| Blood test | From $25 (at ATA Medical, Health Screening@Anson) |
The estimated prices for consultation, ultrasound, and Pap smear above are based on the prices we found in our Guide To Women’s Clinics & Gynaecologists in Singapore.
Alternatively, there are packages (usually $400–$500, but can go up to $750+) that some clinics and hospitals offer which cover a set of tests. These may be marketed as “fertility screening” packages for couples, but don’t be mistaken and think these are only for couples experiencing fertility issues. The tests included are useful as indicators of general reproductive health.
Most of the tests in a package are for the female, but males usually get a semen analysis thrown in too. For example, Thomson Fertility Centre offers a fertility screening for couples ($490.50, including GST) that includes comprehensive blood tests, a pelvic ultrasound scan for the lady, and a semen analysis for the man.
Here are prices of fertility/pre-conception packages from various clinics:
| Clinic offering fertility/preconception package | What’s included | Price (GST included) |
| Raffles Fertility Centre @ Raffles Hospital–Female Fertility Package (Basic) | – Hormone Tests: Anti-Mullerian Hormone – AMH (Egg Reserve Test), Prolactin (PRL), Estradiol (E2), Leutenising Hormone (LH), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) – Transvaginal ultrasound – Test review with fertility specialist |
$388.50 |
| Raffles Fertility Centre @ Raffles Hospital–Fertility Assessment for Couples | – Review of the results with a fertility specialist – Transvaginal ultrasound scan – Egg reserve blood test (AMH) – Pap smear – Thyroid stimulating hormone test – Prolactin hormone test – Semen analysis (for male) |
$411.78 |
| Thomson Fertility Centre–Fertility Screening for Couples | – Comprehensive Blood Tests (Female) to test for 14 components including: Full Blood Count, Blood Group & Rhesus Factor, Immune status (Hep B, Hep C, Rubella IgG), STD status (HIV, Syphilis), Hormone levels (FSH, LSH, Estrogen, Prolactin, TSH, Progesterone, AMH) – Pelvic Ultrasound Scan (Female) – Semen Analysis (Male) to examine his sperm health in terms of sperm count, motility and morphology – Review with Fertility Specialist |
$490.50 |
| Virtus Fertility Centre—Comprehensive Couple’s Fertility Health Check | – Fertility screening blood tests (female), including hormonal and thyroid profile, progesterone, and egg reserve (AMH) blood tests – Semen analysis with DNA fragmentation test (male) – Pelvic ultrasound (female) – Medical history review – Review with fertility specialist |
$599.50 |
| Sincere Healthcare Group–Couple Fertility Screening | – Comprehensive Blood Tests (Female)—12 blood tests: FSH, LH, Estrogen, Prolactin, Testosterone, Progesterone, Thyroid Function Test x 5, and AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) – Pelvic Ultrasound – Pap Smear – Semen Analysis (Male)—includes Oxidative Stress Assay (OSA), DNA Fragmentation Assay (DNA), Hyaluronan Binding Assay (HBA) – Pre & Post Consultation with Fertility Specialist |
$752.10 |
2. Prenatal check-ups for first trimester
Once you’ve tested positive on a home-pregnancy kit, you will want a professional to confirm it. This can happen as early as Week 4 of your pregnancy if you’ve been watching your body carefully (pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your last period).
Then comes the biggie: which gynaecologist to go with? You can pick based on the hospital you want to deliver at because different doctors are attached to different places. Or you can pick based on the doctor you want.
If cost is your concern, a government hospital is the way to go. Apart from generally being cheaper, government hospitals have an added cost-saving measure. They have subsidised rates for both your consultations and your hospital stay.
The downside is that you when you opt for these subsidised rates (as opposed to private rates at government hospitals), you get a different gynaecologist with every visit. Plus, you need to be referred to the hospital by your GP or polyclinic. You can’t just walk in and declare you want to be a subsidised patient.
Here’s how much you can expect to pay for your first consultation at government hospitals, GST included:
| Hospital | Price range (private) | Price (subsidised) |
| KKH | $134.07 – $166.77 | $33.90 – $87.01 |
| SGH | $137.89 – $176.69 | $30.50 – $71.17 |
| NUH | $135.16 – $175.49 | $25.50 – $63.75 |
At your first visit, your gynaecologist will estimate your due date–40 weeks from the first day of your last period. If this is not the same doctor who did your preconception screening, he may check your medical history and that of your families’ (both yours and your husband’s) to flag any possible hereditary illnesses.
Then comes the tests:
- Blood test–to determine the amount of pregnancy hormone (Human Choroid Gonadotrophin) you have. This will tell him more accurately how far along you are in your pregnancy
- Blood test–for a full blood count; and to check for infections, thyroid disease, Rh antibodies and exposure to viral diseases especially rubella (which, when contracted during pregnancy, can result in miscarriage, stillbirth and birth defects)
- Pelvic exam and Pap smear
- Vaginal ultrasound–to detect the intrauterine gestational sac with a yolk sac and your baby
Within the first 12 weeks, you will probably see your gynaecologist once or twice. While you’ll be charged for each visit, the repeat consultations after the first one generally cost less:
| Hospital | Price range (private) | Price (subsidised) |
| KKH | $97.01 – $126.44 | $33.90 – $87.01 |
| SGH | $95.27 – $129.06 | $30.50 – $71.17 |
| NUH | $104.68 – $126.44 | $23.70 – $59.25 |
You can offset the costs with Medisave. Under the Medisave Maternity Package (MMP), you can withdraw:
- Up to $900 for pre-delivery medical expenses
- From $750 and $2,600 for delivery expenses
- $550 per day for the first 2 days of admission and $400 per day from the third day onwards
3. Prenatal check-ups for second trimester onwards
From Week 13, you can sign up for a package with your gynaecologist. This would include monthly check-ups escalating to weekly ones in your final trimester.
As you can guess, costs are going to vary depending on whether you choose a government hospital or private one. Subsidised packages at government hospitals might cost you a few hundred, while private ones could be a few thousand.
KKH’s antenatal package starts from $804.42 (including GST) and includes the following:
- 6 x antenatal consultations with bedside ultrasound scan
- 6 x urine dipstick for glucose and protein
- 20-week detailed scan for fetal structural anomaly OR growth scan
- Blood tests to check for anaemia and gestational diabetes
4. Fetal abnormality tests (optional)
As early as Week 10, you can test for fetal abnormalities. This is usually recommended for older mums (aged above 35), but there’s certainly no harm if younger mums want to do it too.
Here are some tests to consider, with rough price estimates:
| Test | Description | Price range |
| First Trimester Screening Panel | Blood tests and a scan Nuchal Translucency (NT) of the foetus which can detect chromosome disorders and genetic diseases | $200 to $400 |
| Panorama Screening (from Week 9) or Harmony Test (from Week 10) | Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), which tests the baby’s DNA from blood drawn from the mother. They screen for Down syndrome, Edward’s syndrome and Patau syndrome | $1,100 to $2,500 |
| OSCAR (One-Stop Clinic for Assessment of Risk for fetal anomalies) (Week 11 to 14) | Tests for abnormalities and lets you decide if you want to go for more invasive tests such as CVS or Amniocentesis. | $300 to $400 |
| Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) (Week 11 to 12) | Placental tissue is withdrawn via a biopsy to test for chromosomal or genetic disorders | $1,500 to $4,000 |
| Triple Serum Test (Week 15 to 20) | Test for Down syndrome | $200 to $400 |
| Amniocentesis (Week 16 to 20) | Amniotic fluid can be drawn for tests | $1,300 to $4,000 |
| Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (Screening for Gestational Diabetes) (Week 26 to 28) | This tests for gestational diabetes. (Mums who develop gestational diabetes are at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.) After fasting overnight, a blood sample is taken. Mum then drinks a 75 gram glucose drink and takes another blood test two hours later. | $20 to $50 |
5. Maternity clothes
Do you need a new wardrobe? It really depends on your personal relationship with fashion.
If this is your first pregnancy, my advice, from personal experience, is to invest in timeless pieces that can last through your other pregnancies (assuming you want more than one). That $100 maternity blouse may seem like a waste. Divide it by three and, suddenly, it’s a steal.
You could also rent. It saves money and closet space.
| Item | Description | Price range |
| Maternity bra (must-have) | Good support is vital during your pregnancy. This is not something you want to be stingy with. | $10 to $50 each |
| Bra extenders (alternative) | These are bands with extra eye hooks that allow you to extend your normal bra to fit your growing girth. They’re a cheap option to a new set of bras. | Under $10 |
| Nursing bra (must-have) | Even if you get by with bra extenders, you might eventually need nursing bras (bras with a flap that let you nurse your baby easily). So, you could save a little by skipping the maternity bra altogether and going straight to nursing bras. |
$10 to $50 each |
| Maternity underwear (nice to have) | You can live through those nine months with your current stock of undies, especially if you’ve survived on bikini bottoms and G-strings. | Up to $30 (for a pack of 3) |
| Clothes (buy) | Sooo many options to accommodate that growing belly. Go fuss-free or fabulous, you decide. | $100 to $1,000 (or more if you’re a fashionista) |
| Clothes (rental) | Each piece can be rented for up to 4 weeks. | From $59 a month |
| Maternity / belly bands (nice to have) | These elastic bands have two-fold purposes. They provide support for your expanding belly and let you wear your regular pants unbuttoned and even unzipped. The band holds up the pants while covering up the fact that you’ve come undone. | $25 to $50 |
| Good support shoes (must have) | As your weight increases and your centre of gravity shifts, you need good shoes to support you and provide traction to avoid falls. | $50 onwards |
| Body butter (must have) | This is technically not a fashion item but, from one mum to another, this is something you want to have. Rub your baby bump (and any other expanding parts) with body butter. Do this every day. Your skin will appreciate the moisturise and you stand a better chance of avoiding stretch marks. |
$12 to $190 |
6. Baby clothes and baby products
With baby comes baby stuff. Lots of baby stuff. Like maternity wear, you can spend a fortune or not a cent, depending on how much you can borrow or are given.
Here is a list of baby essentials as well as frills you might like to consider.
| Item | Description | Price range |
Clothes
|
In the first few months of life, your baby will need a diaper change about six to eight times a day, up to 10 or 12 if he is breastfed. The odds of his clothes getting dirty are pretty high. So, you will need more in your store so baby will always have something to wear. But you don’t want to over-stock because babies grow. Fast. |
From $100 If you’re feeling generous, you can always splurge on designer wear that go up to a few hundred dollars for a romper. |
Footwear
|
Time to get those adorable little booties! | From $10 Like clothes, designer shoes can cost an eye-watering three figures. |
Headwear
|
…and those adorable little hats! | From $10 |
| Receiving blankets (half a dozen) | These are to swaddle baby in his first few weeks of life. When he outgrows the need to be tightly bundled, you can use them as blankets. | From $11.40 for 4 |
Diaper change
|
Your poo and pee fighting arsenal! Expect your baby to go through 10 to 12 a day in the first weeks. Get a secure bin with a tight lid to keep the odour in. | From $50. From $20 for 60 newborn diapers and $10–20 for a tube of diaper cream. Baby wipes can range from $5–12 for 200 wipes, while talcum powder goes for about $3–6 per bottle. |
Bath items
|
According to Mount Alvernia, you should bathe your baby about 2-3 times a week. Get these supplies to help you! | From $50. Baby tubs are the biggest ticket item in this category—they can go from $15 to $40. Baby soap and shampoo should set you back by $10–20 each. |
Bedding
To avoid suffocation, doctors advise against pillows.
|
Baby bed linen is softer and gentler, perfect for sensitive newborn skin. It’ll also be sized to fit your cot. | From $70 |
Furniture
|
Some parents have been known to do without a crib because baby will only stay in there for a year or two before graduating to a bed or mattress. | From $160 High-end cribs can be big ticket items costing as much as $1,600. |
| Changing table (optional) | Babies outgrow changing tables really quickly. You can change them on your bed or in their cribs just as effectively. | From $59 |
| Baby detergent | Gentle detergent to wash your baby’s baby bottles, accessories and more. | From $10 a litre |
Sitting around
|
Baby chairs and bouncers let your baby sit up instead of lying in the crib all day long, with bouncers providing a gentle rocking motion. Play pens/mats/gyms let your baby explore and play, while baby walkers let your baby practice walking with support. | From $250 These items can cost $50-$400 each. If you opt for budget options, that’s still at least $250. I wouldn’t recommend skimping on quality on something your baby is going to spend many hours in though, so expect to pay more. |
Feeding items
|
Your newborn is going to need milk every 2-3 hours, so it’s worthwhile to buy good quality milk bottles and accessories. When buying milk bottles, make sure you get a bottle steriliser of the same brand or at least check the dimensions to be sure the bottle will fit into the steriliser. |
From $300 The big ticket item here is the steriliser which can cost $100 or up to $600. Next comes the formula milk (if you’re supplementing or not nursing). The cheapest tin costs about $30 (for 900 grams) and lasts a newborn 5 to 7 days. That’s at least $120 every month. |
Travel items
|
When it’s time for your baby’s first adventure outside the house, you’re going to want to be prepared. | From $375 At their most expensive, strollers can cost up to $1,000 and Moses baskets can go up to nearly $800. |
| Breast pump | To express milk that you can use to feed your baby with later. | $200 to $1,000 (electric) $50 onwards (manual) |
Health
|
It’s pretty difficult to miss a baby’s cries, even if he’s a room or two away. But just in case your baby is a gentle soul, you might want a baby monitor. | From $40 |
Memories
|
You can use any notebook or buy journals specially designed for you to record milestones in your pregnancy and your baby’s first year. | From $20 each |
7. Maternity insurance premium
Pregnancy can have its complications. That’s why buying maternity insurance can give you a measure of security, if not comfort. Covering prenatal care, delivery costs, complications and baby’s congenital illnesses, there are a variety of plans. Some begin even before pregnancy. Others allow you to transfer the policy to your baby after he is born.
| Item | Estimated price |
| Maternity insurance | $391 to $869 a month |
8. Prenatal classes – to prepare you for delivery
Most hospitals offer prenatal classes that teach everything from what to expect during labour to baby care, lactation skills and proper nutrition. These classes aren’t compulsory, but are useful for parents-to-be to hear hands-on tips from the experts and get a head start on parenthood.
KKH offers a comprehensive antenatal programme for expecting parents, which comes in the form of a 1-day intensive course or 4-week course (the latter is more affordable). Classes are booked 2-3 months ahead of time, so as of Apr 2024, registration for the May and Jun 2024 intake is already closed.
Here are their fees:
| KKH Antenatal Programme | Price |
| 1-Day Intensive Course | KKH Patient: $306 Non-KKH Patient: $326 |
| 4-Week Course | KKH Patient: $240 Non-KKH Patient: $296 |
9. Baby delivery and hospital stay
If you’re not already cross-eyed from all that’s needed, the delivery options will certainly get you there. You can choose:
- normal or Caesarean (although sometimes, when complications arise, you have no choice but to deliver by Caesarean)
- assisted birth (via vacuum or forceps), epidural or natural
- private room or multi-bedder (choice of Wards)
Naturally (no pun intended), the less complicated your options, the less pricey your bill. Thankfully, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has made clear the prices of the different hospitals for the various options. To make things easier for you (because, as you can see, you will have much to manage), here are the bill sizes across one ward type. For the rest, you can check out the Ministry of Health’s website and look up “birth”.
Normal Delivery–Government hospitals, Ward A
| Hospital | Average Length Of Stay (days) | Bill Size Low | Bill Size High |
| KKH | 1.9 | $5,124 | $6,190 |
| NUH | 1.0 | $5,500 | $7,430 |
| SGH | 2.2 | $4,243 | $5,663 |
Normal Delivery–Private hospitals, 2-Bed Ward
| Hospital | Average Length of Stay | Bill Size (Low) | Bill Size (High) |
| Gleneagles | 2.1 | $9,728 | $10,972 |
| Mount Alvernia | 2.0 | $7,113 | $9,368 |
| Mount Elizabeth | 2.2 | $7,723 | $9,308 |
| Parkway East | 2.0 | $6,486 | $8,130 |
| Thomson Medical | 2.2 | $7,338 | $9,656 |
Caesarean Delivery–Government hospitals, Ward A
| Hospital | Average Length Of Stay (days) | Bill Size Low | Bill Size High ($) |
| KKH | 3.1 | $7,750 | $10,608 |
| NUH | 3.0 | $7,364 | $9,854 |
| SGH | 3.3 | $7,786 | $10,567 |
Caesarean Delivery–Private hospitals, 2-Bed Ward
| Hospital | Average Length of Stay | Bill Size (Low) | Bill Size (High) |
| Gleneagles | 3.0 | $14,049 | $16,272 |
| Mount Alvernia | 3.0 | $11,722 | $14,779 |
| Mount Elizabeth | 3.2 | $12,414 | $17,356 |
| Parkway East | 2.9 | $12,338 | $14,519 |
| Thomson Medical | 2.8 | $10,651 | $14,012 |
The good news is that if you’re a Singapore Citizen or a Permanent Resident, you can use your Medisave Maternity Package (MMP) to defray the costs. Let’s say your bill comes up to $6,000 for a normal delivery at KKH. You stayed two days. You can withdraw up to $550 for each day of your hospital stay along with an extra $750 for the delivery. This means you pay $1,850 less or just $4,150 of the bill.
| Type of aid | Description | Amount |
| Medisave MMP | For hospital stay | $550 per day (for first 2 days), $400 per day after |
| Medisave MMP | For childbirth-related surgical procedures | $750 to $2,600 depending on type of delivery |
P.S. If you do intend to have your baby at KKH, they have this nifty bill estimator to help you estimate your costs, with Medisave subsidies included.
Apart from delivery costs and hospitalisation fees, there are the professional fees you need to add to your bill for both the gynaecologist as well as the paediatrician who comes to check on your baby after the birth. But, heave a sigh of relief because there’s more help.
Baby Bonus Scheme
Under this scheme, you get
- Cash ($11,000 to $13,000, given out in 6 instalments until your child turns 6.5 years old)
- CDA First Step grant ($5,000)
- Government dollar-for-dollar matching contribution for each dollar you save for the child ($4,000 for first child, stepped up till $15,000 for 5th child onwards)
The amount increases with the number of children you have and the money can go towards maternity and newborn expenses.
Read more about the Baby Bonus Scheme in Singapore.
Medisave Grant for Newborns
If your baby is a Singapore citizen, he will have $4,000 deposited into his Medisave. You can use this to defray your child’s healthcare expenses including Medishield Life premiums, childhood vaccinations, hospitalisation and approved outpatient treatments.
10. Postnatal care
Confinement nanny
Take it from a seasoned mum, don’t do without a confinement nanny. These live-in help are especially necessary if it’s your first child and you don’t have a maid.
Think about it–a whole month (technically, it’s 28 days) of being waited on hand and foot, special meals expertly prepared, doing nothing but healing and feeding baby, and (this is the most precious of all to a new mum) sleeping through the night while someone else tends to your infant. Some confinement nannies even do a little dusting and cleaning.
Book yours early in your pregnancy because the best ones get snapped up fast.
| Item | Expected cost |
| Confinement nanny (1 month) | $2,800 to $3,900 |
| Greeting red packet (when nanny arrives) | From $50 |
| Farewell red packet (when nanny leaves) | $150 to $250 |
Postnatal massages
Postnatal massages are a particularly nice practice in Asia. Who doesn’t enjoy a little spa treatment after hard labour? They are recommended because they’re supposed to help blood circulation, aid weight loss, relief tensed muscles and promote overall recovery.
| Item | Price range |
| Postnatal massage (5-day treatment) | $300 to $500 |
Yes, having a baby is expensive in Singapore (as it is almost everywhere else). But let’s be honest now, can you really put a price tag on life itself—especially one so cute and cuddly? Just be sure you’re financially prepared for the costs when things get real.
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