Budgeting for Baby

With the additional financial commitment that having a baby brings, you’ll need to budget for expenses such as pre-natal checkups, hospital charges as well as buying maternity and baby necessities. Here’s an estimate to guide you along:

Before the Birth

1. Medical and Prenatal Check-ups

Ultrasound scans, blood and urine tests in a polyclinic/government hospital can cost between $100-$500 in total. However, a private ob/gyn will cost more, approximately $800-$1,200 for a prenatal care package.

2. Antenatal Classes

Antenatal classes range between $200-$800 for six classes, depending on where you go.

3. Hospital Fees

There is a wide range of fees, depending on which hospital you choose to deliver at, and the class of ward. A two-nights’ stay at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, inclusive of doctors’ fees for normal delivery, would cost between $2,138 - $5,220 for Ward A for a normal vaginal delivery, while the same at Thomson Medical Centre would cost between $6,000-$8,000 for a single room. 

After the Birth

1. Medical and Postnatal Checkups

You would need to bring your baby for regular growth monitoring and developmental progress checks within his first year. It is also compulsory for your baby to be immunised under Singapore’s National Childhood Immunisation Programme (NCIP). All the compulsory immunisations are free, but if you want to have some add-ons, your cheapest option is to go to a polyclinic. Otherwise, be prepared to fork out close to $1,000 at private clinics and hospitals.

2. Confinement Nanny

Some mothers hire a confinement nanny for the first month after childbirth. Expect to pay $2,000-$3,000 for their service.

3. Baby Supplies

Breast pumps cost anything from $50 for a hand pump to over a $1,000 for a hospital-grade one.