Thoughts..

Accounting for baby involves data entry and determination. Taking care of baby involves a lot more. Both daddy and mummy usually take up a lot more tasks, regardless of the role they play in this, and usually try to do as best as they can. After sometime, in the midst of juggling ones own plate of responsibility, it is easy to take for granted what the other party is doing.

Always remember to be grateful for the things the other party is doing. It can be especially lonely if not. It warms my heart when couples talk of how they appreciate what the other has done and gone thru. Listen to them, but don't have to compare. Comparing is futile, because each circumstances is different. As long as you trust your partner is doing his best, that's good enough.

Cost of Baby's 1st month - Misc (Nanny/Birth Registration)

Confinement Nanny - Was heaven sent for the 28 days she was with us. Taught us ways to take care of the baby and was leading the household chores. Not to mention she was head chef and provided much nutritious food for mummy. She had more than 10 years of experience and her assignments include both in Singapore and Australia. Contact available upon request.

Registration of Birth - This was a really easy process once we decided on baby's name. You can head down to the relevant counter in your hospital and they can register and provide you with the birth certificate on the spot. With the birth registration, you can register for free $ from the government, specifically the CDA account and baby bonus. More details of this later (still waiting for some $ to come in)...

Cost of Baby's 1st month - Infantcare

Cost of Baby's 1st Month - Toys

Cheap toys on sale by Fisher Price. Mainly for 6 months and up.

Cost of Baby's 1st mth - Milk Bags and Bottles

Breast Milk Bag: Major savings from shopping online at 'The Little Ones In My Life'(http://tlo.com.sg/shop/) and switching to Baby Joy Breast Milk Bag. Per piece cost is only $0.23 compared to $0.46 per piece for UniMom Breastmilk Storage bag from KiddyPalace.

Milk Bottle and anti-colic teat: We switched to Nuk from the 1st week and so far baby hasn't had much issues with colic (fingers crossed). Information on Nuk teats can be found here: http://www.nuk.sg/#path=products/bottles/nuk_firstchoice/productdetail&p=10.120.006&lty=m&lid=26&m=1

Baby is growing

I was away for incamp training and didnt see baby for 4 days. To my surprise, baby i see was already different from what i remembered him to be. He is heavier and meatier, response readily to chats and even his crying is a little different. He didnt look at me when i first carried him and for a moment, i wondered if he remembered me. All is well now.

Cost of bringing a baby can be quantified, but the cost of missing baby growing up can never be calculated or accounted. What you miss you miss, and what i learnt here is they grow so quickly that you will miss alot of action.

Cost of Baby's 1st mth - Babywear (socks)

Get a few newborn sized mittens and socks before baby is born. You will use at least one pair each a day. They are needed to keep them warm and prevent them from scratching themselves. Get newborn size, otherwise you have to deal with the backbreaking job of picking them up frequently.

Cost of Baby's 1st mth - Baby Hygiene

The items within Baby Hygiene have a high turnover, and it is more efficient and cheaper to stock up more once you identify the brands you like to use.

Again we bought more Pigeon Baby Wipes and Liquid Cleanser from Swanston (101 Upper Cross Street #01- 17 People's Park Centre S058357), and as mentioned previously, they are a lot cheaper. We are using more since confinement Nanny left. You can just imagine the panic when baby poo all over. You just pull out 10 pieces of baby wipes in a row :) . As we are bottle feeding baby, and feed 7-8x a day, we finish a pack of liquid cleanser per week at this moment.

Nappy rash cream/lotion is applied every time diaper is changed. GAIA is organic, which prompted us to try it. The texture is not very smooth, and might be a little difficult to apply at first. But so far it is doing it's job.

Forget about hand disinfectant, if you intent to buy it for home visitors. It gives you a peace of mind when you purchase it, but very likely, you wont use it.

Cost of Baby's 1st mth - Paediatrician

Baby needed to extend his stay in the hospital for one more day as his Bilirubin level was above 12mg/dl, meaning he had Jaundice. Mummy was heartbroken to discharge without him. Expected range would be (pls consult doctor):

 

Premature Babies

• Less than 24 hours: Below 8.0 mg/ dl (below 137 mmol/ l)
• Less than 48 hours: Below 12.0 mg/ dl (below 205 mmol/ l)
• Aged between 3 and 5 days: Below 15.0 mg/ dl (below 256 mmol/ l)
• Aged 7 days and older: Below 15.0 mg/ dl (below 256 mmol/ l)

Full Term Babies

• Less than 24 hours: Below 6.0 mg/ dl (below 103 mmol/ l)
• Less than 48 hours: Below 10.0 mg/ dl (below 170 mmol/ l)
• Aged between 3 and 5 days: Below 12.0 mg/ dl (below 205 mmol/ l)
• Aged 7 days and older: Below 10.0 mg/ dl (below 170 mmol/ l)

One night stay in the nursery(ICU) cost us slightly north of $1100 and half of the cost goes to paediatrician.

Upon his birth, baby will be injected with BCG and 1st jab of Hep B. On his 1st month, he will get 2nd dosage of Hep B. Prepare for a shocked and crying baby post injection.

Cost of Baby's 1st Year - D-Day (Delivery Day)

20th Feb couldn’t be more confusing, exciting and exhilarating. Daddies will feel that way when mummy is in labour and going through hours of contraction while giving you venomous stares everything contraction spikes. Again when baby is born and you are trying to make up what is this alien looking creature about, while the nurses and doctors are going through their motion with you very much in the way. And when the time to pay arrives, you are confused by the number of zeros in the bill, the sophisticated items(name wise) on the list but yet excited and exhilarated that this is the best payment you ever made.

So the bill for a 3 day 2 night package + one additional day of stay came up to $5504.79 (excluding gynae's fee). 20/02/2014 was a popular date and we heard there were as much as 8 c-sect happening in the morning alone. As such our first night was in a 2 bedder and we subsequently moved to a single room only on the 2nd day. We found the additional day spent in the hospital gave mummy more rest and also more practice with lactation nurses there with breastfeeding. Having gone through both a 2 bedder and a single room, the latter was crucial to give mummy more rest as you dont have another crying baby, visitors and companion.

Below is a further breakdown of the bill for reference:

Prices here exclude the roti prata we had before heading to the hospital. Mummy's idea :)

Cost of Baby 1st Year - 1st Month

Calculation here include cost of delivery. Commentaries to follow..