Cost of PreNatal

Drum Roll......

 

 

 

Figures does not include income received i.e. Insurance claims, vouchers etc

Cost of 3rd Trimester - Gynae

We had a scare during the 32nd week of labour. Mother had severe contraction and we self admit to Gleneagles after she can no longer stand the pain. The doctor's diagnosis was 'Threatened labour' and she had to be placed on drips to prevent her from conceiving there and then. Given how premature it was, baby was likely to be in ICU for a period of time if delivered, not to mention potential complications. She was there for 3D/2N.

I learnt after this ordeal it is not uncommon for mothers to be, to have severe contractions way before the full term mark. Some stay in hospital for up to 3months. Taking a simple average of $2870/3days, its around $1000/day. 3 months is equivalent to a cool $90k and 'Threatened labour' is not covered by any Insurance I know. Both of us agree that if it ever happens again, it would be public hospital for sure.

The bill is itemized below. If you have any knowledge on medical expense, do share it around. Its hard to have any comparable, and we usually just pay blindly.

 Maternity(Accomodation-2bed $600, Surgical supplies $19.19, Labour Ward Procedures $85.80, Daily Treatment $278.5) / Lab( Lab-Clinical $248.55) / Labour Ward(Surgical supplies $121.54, Medical Supplies $17, Labour Ward Procedures $226.16) / Pharmacy $442.2, Pharmacy Infusion $43.67 / Doctor Fee $642

Cost of 3rd Trimester - TCM

One teaspoon a day, take the doctor/Pediatrician away...

Cost of 3rd Trimester - Healthcare (CordLife)

Even before baby is born, parents have many decisions to make. In our modern age, there are many options easily available, and more options equates to even more decisions (or headaches). One recent trend in many parts of Asia, including Singapore, is the decision to preserve your baby's stem cells. How are stem cells used? Based on information from Cordlife, stem cells:
- Rescue reconstitutes a patient's blood and immune system
- This is carried out after chemotherapy and radiotherapy which destroy blood cells. The stem cells are infused intravenously into patient's blood stream.
- Once in the blood stream, they migrate to the bone marrow and differentiate iinto 3 blood cell types: red, white and platelets
- This differentiation initiates the regeneration of the patient's blood and immune system.
- Diseases treatable with stem cells include blood related cancers i.e. Leukaemia, blood disorders i.e. Thalassaemia and immunodeficiencies.

We went one step further and enrolled in their umbilical cord stem cell program. It usage is still under clinical trial but according to Cordlife, Umbilical cord contains Epithelial and Mesenchymal stem cells, and they have the potential to repair tissue i.e. replace lining of Cornea/Liver/Skin or Bone/Muscle/Cartilage cells.

My wife properly noted that buying into such plan is akin to buying an Insurance - there is no tangible value until the point you need it, and hopefully for this case, it will be useful should we require it. Much of this is also buying into a potential and promise, especially for the case of Stem Cell plan, where its only at clinical trial stage. Paying more than $7000 seems a big leap of faith, but for our circumstances (both of us are only child, crawling towards the mid 30s mark and its not certain we are having number 2) taking this option is a form of safety net for our 1st child. The health of our baby is still our priority.

The fees paid are not for indefinite periods - we signed for 10yrs plan for cord blood and 5yrs plan for Stem Cell, and any extension beyond those times are chargable on an annual basis. You can use CDA (Child Development Accoount) to pay for this item. There are referral programs which will benefit both referrals and the end user. Both my friend and i got $100 and $200 Capitaland vouchers respectively.

For more information, you can refer to CordLife Website

Item Usage - Baby Hygiene and Baby Equipment(food)

A quick summary of item usage over the last 2 weeks:

Babywipes - Used 2 packs(82pc each) of Babywipes in 13 days. On average, approx. 12.6pc per day. Usage depends on the number of poos, and its ferocity (argghhh!!)

Diapers - Used more than half a pack of Merries (41 out of 60) and One full pack of Huggies (24pc). On average, approx. 4.6pc per day. A note, Huggies newborn diapers are much smaller and suitable for babies who are not Michelin mascot size. A bit tight for my 3.5kg boy now. Merries newborn is larger and generally suitable for above 3.5kg.

Milk Storage Bag - Used 3 packs of Milk Storage, containing a total of 75 milk bags, in 12 days. On average, approx. 6.25 bags a day. Usage is largely dependent on the number of times mummy express (6-8 times a day at this point) and whether supply is more than demand. We are trying to save some milk bags by storing in bottles, ready for baby's next feed.

Cost of 3rd Trimester - About Parentcraft and Memberships

Parentcraft: This was a lesson + practical session that will teach parents to be on the in and out of caring for an infant. We went for the Thomson Parentcraft, under Fonnie Lo, and the lessons were broken down to essentials like Exercises for expectant mums, Feeding, Bathing, Changing diapers and finished off with a doctor talk seminar. I will be honest and say after 3mths, i am struggling to remember what was taught. Mummy would point to the fact that i wasn't diligent in taking notes (there was this super onz guy who was furiously taking down notes, but really when the baby is crying at the top of his lungs, will those be useful?). What i do remember is the fun time we had as a couple going through a process we needed to learn eventually. That's good enough for me. I would recommend this course for some bonding time between couples, having a structured course (if you have good memory to remember what you gone through when baby is out. I don't) and an expert to answer any questions that you may have.

On Memberships, these will come in really useful with the amout the stuff you will get eventually. Both Mothercare and KiddyPalace membership will give you 10% off purchases. You pay $10 for an annual KiddyPalace Member while spending >$300 will get you one for Mothercare. Highly recommended!

Cost of 3rd trimester - Toys/Babywear

Some parents have heaps of toys and educational stuff before baby is born. We have about 2. Ok, slightly more than that. Anyone catch the hint?

Cost of 3rd trimester - Baby Hygiene

There is a gem, nested at the heart of Chinatown, where you can get toiletries for wholesale prices. The range of baby products is not extensive at this point, but if you drop by and they happen to have it, you probably wont get a cheaper price anywhere in Singapore. You can do your monthly household grocery shopping here, together with baby stuff and you should save something most of the time. A friend of ours bought a carton of baby detergent after we mentioned this to him!

We are in the process of trying out the products and will update with reviews of those in a month or 2.

Cost of 3rd trimester - Baby Equipment transport

Someone once told me that when shopping for baby stuff, Dads only have veto power over this particular product: Stroller. I didn’t exactly had mine, eventually. Not that I am looking for a SUV type of stroller or something that screams high tech. I was into something that feels sturdy (slightly heavy), is flexible (allow baby to face me or out) and something with a little bit of style (just to cover up the, usual lack of style, bermudas and slipper me). Bugaboo was my choice.

However, it was a difficult to convince ourselves to spend more than $1000 on a stroller and Mummy didn't like that it was quite heavy (at around 8kg). In the end we got Babyzen Yoyo, which was lighter (around 6kg), cheaper (way below $1000) and very compact. Its selling point is the ability of the stroller to foldup and fit an airplane overhead cabin. We paid $779 for the version that allows baby to face us from 0-6mths and face outwards from 6mths onwards.

See below a link that explains its functionality, as well as a Youtube video.

http://babyzen.com/collection-yoyo.php

Cost of 3rd trimester - Baby Furniture

Ikea is truly a one stop shop for value for money furniture, and baby's room is renovated with Ikea stuff.
The cost of babycot includes Frame, Mattress and delivery/assembly. The Raskog Kitchen trolley is used to contain baby necessities like diapers, cotton wool, lotions and other items that need to be easy to reach. Pictures of the items below.

http://www.ikea.com/sg/en/catalog/products/50248517/
http://www.ikea.com/sg/en/catalog/products/30227974/

Cost of 3rd Trimester - baby Equipment - Safety/Hygenie

Clevasleep positioner - This is meant to reduce the chances of cot death and its design will also aid in the sle ep posture and less pressure on baby's head. So far baby have been happy sleeping in it and from my observation, less vomiting of milk.

Stokke Flexi Bath and Foldable bathtub in use. Will comment at a later date.

Cost of 3rd Trimester - About Baby Equipment Food

Breast Pump is something that is essential if you want to breastfeed your baby, and choosing a reliable and efficient pump is crucial. The frugal me was once an advocate for 2nd hand pump but mummy was vehemently objecting to the idea. She was right. We use the pump every 3-4hrs, for expressing milk as well as stimulating latching on, and having a working set that can undergo the tortures we put it through is important. Cannot imagine if it breaks down. So to all Dads out there - You can save on anything EXCEPT this! By the way, we are using an imported Medala set and hence it is cheaper compared to retail price (approx $699)

For Breast Milk Storage, this brand is one of the cheapest we found at 35.7cts per pcs. You need this to keep your reserve in the fridge. Milk will stay fresh for up to 6mths in freezer, and a couple of days in normal fridge temperature. Reserves will be important when mummy starts going to work and if you still intend for breast milk to be a source of nutrition for baby.

Baby Ethan

And Baby Ethan is born on the 20th of Feb 2014. Hello world!