Having a Baby in Singapore

One of the cute onesies I found for our baby!

Preparing to welcome our first child in Singapore has been quite a challenge.  When we found out that we were expecting we had so many questions that needed to be answered.  How is the medical care? Where will we deliver? Will my baby be a Singapore citizen? Who will take care of the baby while we work? Where do we buy all the things we need? The list goes on and on!  After lots of research and talking with other expats, who have gone through the same thing, we are starting to feel like we have it figured out. 

Prenatal Care:  I found a local doctor through recommendations by other expats.  She has been fantastic!  I go for a checkup every ~four weeks and get an ultrasound each time.  I know you do not get that many scans in the US so I feel lucky to see my baby so much.  As for insurance, I have US expat insurance so I pay for all my healthcare expenses out of pocket and then have to seek reimbursement from the insurance company.

Delivery:  I will deliver at Gleneagles Hospital here in Singapore.  It is a private hospital with excellent facilities and we know others who have delivered there.  My mother will be coming over two weeks before my due date and staying for at least a month so that she can hopefully be here for the joyous occasion and help me make the transition into motherhood.

Citizenship:  100% American.  Singapore only grants citizenship to babies born to citizens and permanent residents.  Derek and I are neither so our child will not be granted any status by Singapore.  We are both American citizens so our child will also be an American citizen.  Once the baby is born, we will get the certificate of birth abroad and go down to the American embassy to apply for a social security card and a passport.

Maternity Leave:  As an American expat, I follow my company's American maternity policy which means I get 6-8 weeks paid time off and then I will be returning to work.  Singaporeans get 16 weeks of paid maternity leave and I must say I am very jealous.  Two weeks before my due date I will work from home in case I go into labor early.  No one wants their water to break in the middle of the office.

Childcare:  One of the biggest benefits of having a child in Singapore is the affordability of a live-in helper.  This helper is someone who will take care of the baby while we are at work while also helping with cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and pet care.  The cost of a helper here is equivalent to the cost of daycare back in Houston.  We found our helper last weekend and look forward to her starting in January.   We want to all get accustomed to one another before the baby arrives.

Stocking the Nursery:  We are very fortunate that our company provides a shipment of goods from the US when you have a child.  As I have said before, everything is expensive in Singapore so we are going to fit as much in this small container as we can!  We will be shipping over the crib, glider, car seat, stroller, highchair, changing table, rug, bedding and more.  We are going home for Christmas and will fill our suitcases with baby clothes, blankets, towels, and other gifts.  I already brought back three full suitcases when I was in Houston last month.  Amazon recently started shipping for free to Singapore when you purchase $125+ of eligible items.  We have made full use of this and are trying not to buy anything in the US that Amazon will ship here for free.  By maximizing all of these things (yes, I made spreadsheets), we should be able to avoid buying any baby items in Singapore, besides the secondhand items I have already bought from other expats. 

Feeding and Diapers:  I have always planned on breastfeeding my children so I will be doing a considerable amount of pumping at work.  I know it won't be easy but I'm determined to follow through.  To avoid the high cost of diapers here, we have chosen to go with cloth.  Cloth diapers have come such a long way and now fit and function just like disposables. I did a lot of research on cloth and in the end decided the Gro-Via Hybrid diapers would be the best fit for us.  I'm actually really excited about some diapers!

First Trip:  With the baby expected in late March, we will be in a rush to get their passport in time for our trip to the US in early June for my little brother's wedding.  I will be taking a two to three-month-old on a 24 hour flight so prayers are needed.

Less than four months to go!  Baby will be here before we know it!

Cambodia: Angkor Wat

As soon as we found out that we would be moving to Singapore, we decided we had to make a trip to Angkor Wat.  According to Wikipedia (which means its 100% true) it is the largest religious monument in the world and certainly one of the most popular.  It truly was spectacular and a must see for anyone who visits southeast Asia.

Angkor Wat was our first stop of the day because our guide wanted us to beat the midday crowd and heat.  If we went at the off-peak time, I would hate to see what it is like during peak season and later in the day as we still felt it was pretty crowded.

Unfortunately it was a bit hazy but it burned off as the day went on.

Seeing monkeys in the wild never gets old

I have an obsession with empty hallways

We had to climb these very steep stairs to the top

Notice no pregnant ladies are allowed (3rd down on the right).  Our guide distracted the guards and I snuck by! Not that I was really obviously pregnant but she wanted to make sure they didn't stop me.

Library in Angkor

After Angkor we went to Bayon temple which is known for its 216 faces in the temple.

Gate way along the outer wall of Bayon Temple

Our final temple of the day was Ta Prohm which is known for all the trees growing in and around the temple.  This temple was also a location for filming Tomb Raider.

They are doing some restoration work so I couldn't get that perfect picture

We are so thankful that we got the chance to go see these temples and especially for being able to take my parents with us.  I can say that after all our trips this year, we are templed out!

Cambodia: Floating Villages and Beng Mealea

At the end of October, my parents finally made the long journey to Singapore for a visit.  We were excited to show them around and introduce them to Asian culture as this would be their first time here and their first time even using their passports!  They were only in Singapore for a day before we rushed them off to Siem Reap in Cambodia for a long weekend.

For our first full day, we headed out to Tonle Sap Lake to see explore the floating villages.  Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in southeast Asia and the size changes dramatically depending on the season.  We were there near the end of the rainy season so the lake was near its peak.  The villages we visited are built on stilts so that as the water rises throughout the season, they stay dry.  During the dry season, the lake empties and the houses are standing on dry ground.  At some places we could see huts or tanker trucks that were submerged in the water next to some of the houses and even some houses that weren't built high enough.

We arrived at the pretty early and were surprised to see buses and cars parked all along the road.  Our guide was confused because this was supposed to be one of the non-touristy spots on the lake.  Fortunately, it wasn't tourists but a large group of locals who were boarding several boats to take them out to a temple to make a donation.  They were all dressed in their best attire, playing music, and dancing as they rode down the river.  Such a sight to see!  In all the years our guide has been doing this, she has never witnessed one of these boat parties so we were really lucky.

A little blurry but this was the landscape on the way to the lake.  Our first time seeing water buffalo in the wild.

Our little boat with a LOUD motor 

The party boats

They had some monks with them as well 

Dancing, clapping, and having a good time! 

Into one of the village

Kids playing at the schoolhouse

Some of the local fisherman selling their fish at the edge of town

A short drive from the lake was Beng Mealea which is a 12th century Hindu temple.  This was one of our favorite temples we have ever visited because it is unrestored.  Not many tourists make the trip all the way out to see it so at times it felt like we were the only people there.

The main entrance to Beng Mealea

How could I forget to wear something orange!

Thankful that this area has been cleared of land mines.  This is an ongoing effort around the country.

 Along the roadside there were many stalls selling rice with coconut milk and red beans cooked in bamboo over a fire.  We had to stop and give it a try!

Once we returned to Siem Reap, we visited a spa so that we could all get massages.  We visited one of the more expensive places in town but it was nice and clean.  $21 for an hour massage still seems like a steal!  We had to relax and rest up for the next day which would be all about Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples.