When we decided to move to Singapore back in 2018, Ryan and I both knew we would most likely be having our first baby as expats. The thought didn’t give me any pause since my brother and I were both born in Japan while my parents were stationed there (my dad is a retired Marine), and Ryan spent 6 years growing up in Europe with his family. We also knew Singapore’s healthcare system is top quality, and at the time, we figured our families would come visit when the baby was born to help out for a while!
Since we found out last December we were pregnant, the entire process here in Singapore has been fairly seamless preparing for this little one. Before moving, I joined a few Facebook Groups, including the ‘Singapore Expat Mums’ group, and have used them as resources for a wealth of information. I was able to get recommendations for OBGYNs to consider back in December, and the doctor we ended up going with has been absolutely wonderful. The top two recommendations I received from other moms were Dr. LC Foong and Dr. TC Chang. I ended up making an appointment with Dr. LC Foong who operates out of Gleneagles Hospital. I liked that Gleneagles is only about 15 minutes from our apartment, and after meeting him, I felt comfortable keeping him as my doctor. He explains everything you have questions about, and has a friendly, calm demeanor that I appreciate.
As far as appointments, we saw Dr. Foong every 3 weeks the entire pregnancy starting with the first one at 6 weeks. His office made it super easy to schedule the next appointment at the current one and we never had more than a 10 minute wait in the office. At every appointment with the exception of a couple in the middle of the second trimester, Dr. Foong performed an ultrasound so he could take measurements and we could see our little baby growing. I’ve been told by American friends and my sister that is different from the States, where you only get 2-3 ultrasounds over the course of your pregnancy normally. Of course, we paid for each ultrasound, but that cost was covered by our insurance, including all medications, tests, and appointments.
Unlike the US, our insurance here had us pay everything out of pocket at the appointments and then submit for reimbursement online, which hasn’t been an issue. Because of this, we know exactly every penny that was paid and for what with itemized invoices. This is very different from the US, where a lot of medical charges can be confusing or not explained to the patient, so I appreciate being able to track what all payments are for here, as well as get complete price lists from hospitals to know how much delivering a baby and staying in the hospital will be next month. This transparency helps tremendously with financial planning!
We were able to find out the sex of the baby at our 20 week appointment (a girl!), and from what I gathered, it does not seem common practice to have an early blood test to determine that beforehand. The rest of the routine tests that are performed during pregnancy matched what they do in the States with some variations in the actual testing. For the glucose test, for example, I fasted before my appointment, peed in a cup and had my blood drawn, drank the sugar drink, sat the office for 2 hours, then peed in a cup and had my blood drawn again before going home. I think this longer waiting period, and having blood drawn on either end gives much more accurate results from the first take than in the States where the initial test is not as involved, but if you have to take a second test, it’s much longer and drawn out.
I asked the doctor about 4D ultrasounds and his office does not provide that service, so we would have had to find somewhere else to get that done, and most likely pay out of pocket. I did hear later from other expats here that their doctors offered that as part of their appointments in certain cases, or referred them to a facility that performed 4D ultrasounds. It wasn’t a huge deal to us to have a 4D photo so we chose not to pursue that, but it seems like it varies by doctor.
The other essential recommendation I received from the Singapore Expat Mums Facebook group was what baby class to take for preparation! Just like doctors, two recommendations stood out in terms of praise – Beloved Bumps and Love Based Birth. After reading more, Love Based Birth sounded like a better fit for couples trying to do natural, unmedicated births, which is a category I did not fall into. I appreciated Beloved Bumps approach of equipping every couple with information on all types of births to help you decide what’s best for you, free of judgement. I signed us up for the Antenatal/Prenatal class that runs once a week over the course of 4 weeks. I love that they group registrations by the month of your due date, so everyone in the class is pretty much around the same time along in their pregnancy as you. They also provide social activities outside of the 4 classes for you to get to know other couples, including a dinner, moms’ lunch, and reunion once all the babies are born (cannot wait for that!). Their packages range from the basics to including home visits, yoga classes, first aid classes, etc. so you can choose what works for you.
We just finished our last class, and we loved it! I’ll be sure to write more about Beloved Bumps in a separate post, but it was invaluable to learn about everything from delivery to taking care of your newborn, and meeting other great couples in the process. I would highly recommend first time parents take a baby class, and if you’re in Singapore, my specific recommendation would be Beloved Bumps for sure.
Now that we are 37 weeks, our little girl is almost ready to make her debut! We feel prepared physically (thanks to a long quarantine where we took our time buying all the baby supplies) and mentally (thanks to the baby class), our hospital bags are packed (see what’s in mine in this post), and we are just waiting to see when our baby decides to show up. Even with COVID-19 affecting life here in Singapore, being pregnant here as an expat has been a great experience. At no point did I have to switch to virtual appointments (even during full lockdown), and I have always felt safe visiting the hospital and my doctor. Ryan and I both feel confident in the medical system and know we will be taken care of during my delivery at Gleneagles.
It can be scary and isolating to give birth for the first time in a foreign country, and I would suggest finding a support group to help you navigate this completely new experience, whether that’s online or in person. There are so many emotions and questions involved, and it’s great to have a group going through the same challenges and triumphs as you!
Ask me any questions you have about being pregnant in Singapore as an expat in the comments below, and stay tuned for a post on delivering here next month!
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