Life in Singapore

This week, everything is so much better. Hubby has taken few days off from work and he is trying to spend quality time with me. It is really heartening to see hubby trying his best to care for me.

Yesterday was tiring because as usual, we ran around to settle renovation issues. Reno is a big spending so we want to spend wisely. Furthermore, we need to be more prudent with spending as baby is arriving soon. More expenses to come!

Seriously, with the high standard of living and the cost of giving birth to and rising a child in Singapore, I cannot imagine surviving if there is more than one or two kids in the family. Rising one child is already very expensive and time consuming for working parents. There are lots of liabilities for working adults. Our flat is one big liability and the flat is not my asset, and neither does it totally belongs to me. HDB leased it to me for 99 years. So it puzzles me why they send me a bill for "Property tax" for a property that does not belong to me. That's not all, SP services (monopoly provider for water and gas) has started collecting money even before we move into the flat!

Today, I went to Tampines to buy dinner at peak hours and the crowd scares me. They don't seem to have eyes totally focused on where they are walking, and some people are always in danger of bumping into me so that I have to walk extra carefully and be very mindful of those people whose souls are lost somewhere while they are walking. Don't want baby to be hurt in anyway! Hubby's friend said that she had left Singapore for one year to live overseas, and comparing Singapore this year and last year, she is shocked to see the sharp increase of people taking public transport this year. Public transport and stations are much more crowded than last year. The large number of people, together with the unpleasant rushing, squeezing and zombie-like faces added stress to daily life. To us, we may not have noticed the difference but to a person who has left and came with a year's gap in between, the difference may be so extreme that its hard to ignore.

Cost of having baby in private hospital

We chose Mt Alvernia instead of Thomson Medical although both are good choices. It happens that the nice obstetrician we decided to stick with is from Mt Alvernia and his clinic is located there.

Cost is alarming. Here's a breakdown since our visit in April:

9/4/11 - consultation + supplements = S$282.50

12/4/11 - Oscar scan = S$318.85

18/4/11 - Lab prenatal profile (blood test) + consultation + medication for rashes = S$346.72

5/5/11 - consultation + supplements + cough medicine = $231.23

Total already spent S$1179.30.

Subsequently, we are also going to take up a S$900 Antenatal package with our obstetrician which includes consultation fees, urine tests, weight measurements and routine scans.

Supplements and medicine are extra costs. Detailed ultrasound scans, hospital visits and postnatal consultation are also not included.

We have to pay $1300 (of which $600 is Medisave claimable) for delivery fee, assuming everything is normal, no need for forceps or caesarean.

Hospital staying charges will then be a separate cost:

$1270 for 4-bedded, and $1390 for double bedded, assuming normal delivery. I'm considering between these 2. These should be all Medisave claimable. Definitely won't be going for the single room ($2070) as I find it too expensive. Hope everything goes smoothly on that day, baby don't make me suffer from contraction pains for too long, and we can go home happily after a night's stay.