Having a baby is definitively a laborious affair. It is also an expensive one. In fact, it comes with financial obligations that start before the baby is born.
But how much does it cost to give birth in Singapore?
To help you manage your finances during the pregnancy, here’s a guide helping you to know what to expect when you’re expecting!
Prenatal Genetic Tests & Costs
You can never be too careful when it comes to having a baby.
When you’re pregnant it’s a good idea to screen for genetic defects and conditions. The average total cost of 9 months of prenatal care is $6,393 before including Medisave limits.
Fertility tests and Ultrasounds are common during this period, the average cost of all checkups you’ll need can range from $650 to over $1,500, this depends on the number of tests as well as if you have them at a private specialist clinic or at a government hospital.
At last, the decision is up to you. But do consult your gynecologist on whether these tests are suitable or necessary for you.
Gynecologist Visits & Costs
Finding a good gynecologist to follow through with your pregnancy is a costly affair. On average, each visit to OBGYN could range between $150 to $400.
Throughout the gestation period, you’re looking at monthly visits to a gynecologist. The visits will increase up to two by the time you reach the third trimester. You’re looking at up to $4,000 for the visits, and this does not include the birthing cost.
Medisave can be used for delivery expenses through the Medisave Maternity Package (MMP). Singaporeans can also use it for pre-delivery medical expenses such as consultations and ultrasound. Parents can withdraw $900 for pre-delivery medical expenses under the MMP.
For couples who are unable to get any financial assistance, they can consider a personal loan to cover the expenses.
Do take note that personal loans are cheaper in the long run as compared to credit cards.
Pre-natal Classes & Costs
To help soon-to-be parents learn about what to do when the contractions come, as well as help with posture, lactations, and nutritious eating, most hospitals offer parental classes.
Classes can cost an average of $91 per class.
Depending on the courses the cost can vary, it can be cheaper if you’re attending a group session but can cost high for the private sessions.
Cost Of Delivery & Costs
The largest proportion of your pregnancy cost will come from actual birth. For a natural birth, the average cost of delivery at a public hospital in a subsidized ward is $1,728. This can go all the way up to $13,000 at a private hospital.
A normal vaginal birth without any complications will cost the least. The bill can be significantly higher if medical assistance or intervention is required.
Cesarean births, while common, are still considered a vital surgical procedure. Due to their complexity compared to natural births, C-section deliveries are between 50%-90% more expensive than natural births.
Be mindful that if you did not opt for a C-section procedure and your gynecologist orders one due to safety or health reasons, it will be considered an emergency procedure. This costs more than if you’ve opted in for the procedure before your delivery date.
There are additional limits available under Medisave to help cover the increased cost of C-sections.
Vaginal delivery
- C Ward: $1,204
- B2 Ward: $1,404
- B1 Ward: $3,730
- A Ward: $5,016
- Private hospital: $8,456
Assisted vaginal delivery (more than one baby)
- C Ward: $1,593
- B2 Ward: $2,177
- B1 Ward: $4,524
- A Ward: $6,101
- Private hospital: $10,613
C-section
- C Ward: $2,261
- B2 Ward: $2,536
- B1 Ward: $7,201
- A Ward: $8,413
- Private hospital: $12,782
C-section with multiple births
- C Ward: $1,987
- B2 Ward: $2,987
- B1 Ward: $8,235
- A Ward: $9,252
- Private hospital: $13,353
Vitamins & Supplements
A pregnant woman needs to maintain a healthy diet, there are several vitamins and supplements recommended for pregnant mums, and these are commonly dispensed during a routine pregnancy check-up.
Vitamins and supplements can cost between $100- $300 a month, depending on the brands you purchase and how often you take them. You can follow your doctor’s prescription or get your own from regular pharmacies. But be sure not to exceed any stated dosages.
Baby Essentials & Costs
Think baby room, baby toys and his/her food.
After childbirth comes the challenge of rearing your baby. And there are several things to buy just to get ready for a new baby.
A baby cot, diapers, clothing, infant formula, and a pram – these are the bare minimum purchases you have to be prepared for.
Depending on your choices, these can set you back from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
While the prices of limited-time-use items like cots and prams can be surprisingly high, it is the everyday essentials like diapers and infant formula that will get you.
Total Real Cost Of Pregnancy In Singapore (Compilation)
For an estimate of the real cost of pregnancy in Singapore, let’s see the figures we discussed so far.
- Prenatal Genetic Tests: $650 – $1,500
- Gynecologist Visits: $4,000
- Pre-natal Classes: $91/class
- Hospital Birth: $1,723
- Vitamins and Supplements: $100 -$300/ month
- Baby Essentials: $600
How To Save On Pregnancy In Singapore
While having a baby in Singapore is expensive, there are ways to lower the costs.
Book a maternity package
Since you will be spending the money one way or another, you might as well try to get the biggest bang for your buck.
Look for the maternity package that offers check-ups, tests, and other essential services.
Boost your Medishield limits
If you are worried about incurring heavy out-of-pocket costs, try boosting the limits of your Medishield claim. You can do so by signing on for Integrated Plan or switching to one with greater maternity benefits.
Medisave Maternity Package (MMP)
You can use the Medisave funds for a variety of pregnancy-related costs.
Medisave package has delivery limits between $1,650 to $4,650. Medisave also offers coverage of $900 for parental care like ultrasounds and vitamins.
Expats are not eligible for Medisave and must shoulder the cost on their own. In this case, certain hospitals may offer a parental care package, where the cost of testing, ultrasound, and vitamins is marginally cheaper.
Maternity Insurance
Pregnancy can have its fair share of complications. That is why buying maternity insurance can give you a measure of security, if not comfort. Covering parental care, delivery costs, complications, and the baby’s congenital illness, there are a variety of plans. Some begin even before pregnancy. Others allow you to transfer the policy after he/she is born.
How Did We Calculate These Costs?
Note that these costs are purely estimations based on the average charges that can be found currently in Singapore hospitals. Your total cost can easily differ from the estimates we have given here.
Some couples also have additional costs to take care of such as genetic testing, fitness classes, fertility testing, IVF charges, and so on. All in all, you can expect the overall cost of a pregnancy to be upwards of $1,000 for the most basic delivery and up to 5 times that much when it comes to costlier treatments and additional expenses.
Having a child is one of the most beautiful things in the world.
Childbirth and pregnancy are important prerequisites for that. But it makes sense to not just be emotionally, but also to be financially ready and completely prepared.
It helps to set aside a considerable sum of money as medical savings from early on.
Sometimes in life, there are urgent situations where you need to take a loan to resolve the issue. To get low personal loan quotes, click here.