Though a seemingly trivial matter in this COVID-19 situation, it’s a little unfortunate that we’d have to miss out on one of the more “fun” parts of a pregnancy: the maternity tours and free gifts that you’d receive during these tours. For parents who are set on delivering their baby in a hospital, it is likely that these three factors would be at the forefront of your decision on which hospital you want to deliver at: (i) price; (ii) location; and (iii) quality of care. And yes, where your gynaecologist is based at / the hospitals that your gynaecologist would have access to would matter as well.

Given the COVID-19 situation, most hospitals have switched from physical maternity tours to online maternity tours. A bit of a bummer, but really, it’s all for the best. Here, we give you an all-in-one overview of the various maternity packages available in Singapore’s hospitals so as to ease your decision-making in any way!

*Please note that all prices are accurate as of 30 March 2020. If you require more information on the maternity wards listed below, please contact the hospital(s) directly. Please also note that the prices stated below do not include GST or service charge.

PRIVATE HOSPITALS IN SINGAPORE

➀ Mount Elizabeth Hospitals (Orchard & Novena)

Recognised by the World Health Organisation’s Baby Friendly Health Initiative (“BFHI”) as a baby-friendly hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital prides itself on being committed to teaching and helping new mothers understand practices that help with breastfeeding. For example, new mothers are given 1 hour of skin-to-skin contact immediately after giving birth, and Mount Elizabeth Hospital also practises 24-hour rooming-in of mother and baby. The hospital believes that these practices would help to make your baby feel safer and more security whilst allowing new mothers to start fostering a close bond with their baby right after birth.

In view of the current COVID-19 situation, Mount Elizabeth Hospitals (Orchard and Novena) is presently offering a virtual tour of their maternity wards.

Mount Elizabeth Hospital (Orchard)

Image Credits: Parkway Holdings Limited (Mount Elizabeth Hospital – Orchard)

For us, we intend to deliver Ruth at Mount Elizabeth Hospital (Orchard) given the close proximity of the hospital to our residence. Further, our gynaecologist Dr Claudia Chi is also based in Paragon, which is extremely near to Mount Elizabeth Hospital (Orchard). We will be doing a full review of the hospital in the time to come.

Mount Elizabeth Hospital (Novena)

Image Credits: Parkway Holdings Limited (Mount Elizabeth Hospital – Novena)

➁ Gleneagles Hospital

Also a BFHI accredited hospital, Gleneagles Hospital prides itself in providing a solid team of healthcare professionals to provide all parents with a high level of standard and care, such that they would be put at ease with the arrival of their newborn. Parents can also expect to receive breastfeeding support from Gleneagles Hospital’s lactation specialists and ParentCraft classes. Gleneagles Hospital is currently providing virtual tours for expecting parents.

Image Credits: Parkway Holdings Limited (Gleneagles Hospital)

➂ Mount Alvernia Hospital

Image Credits: Mount Alvernia Hospital

Known for its affordable maternity packages, Mount Alvernia Hospital provides expecting parents with an all-rounded service and care package. Priding themselves as a pro-life and pro-breastfeeding hospital, parents would be able to tap on Mount Alvernia Hospital’s team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists, lactation consultants (from Alvernia ParentCraft Centre) and physiotherapists, whenever they need the support. Mount Alvernia Hospital is also currently offering a virtual tour in place of physical hospital tours.

➃ Parkway East Hospital

Image Credits: Parkway Holdings Limited (Parkway East Hospital)

For those who aren’t quite keen to make a long drive down to one of the Hospitals in Central Singapore, you could consider Parkway East Hospital as one of the places to deliver your bundle of joy. Parkway East Hospital is also a BFHI-accredited hospital and they are dedicated to establishing best practice standards in helping mothers to breastfeed their infants successfully.

In light of the COVID-19 situation, Parkway East Hospital has opted to do away with their maternity ward tours and offers a virtual tour of their wards instead.

➄ Raffles Hospital

As a BFHI-accredited hospital, Raffles Hospital seeks to provide maternity packages that are specifically tailored for each mother’s individual needs. It appears that maternity tours are still available for Raffles Hospital and these are conducted three times a week on Mondays (4pm), Wednesday (11:30am) and Saturday (2:30pm). Before you take the time to head down to Raffles Hospital, do drop them a call at 6311 1697 to ensure that the maternity tours are still being conducted. Things will change as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve every day. However, if a virtual tour would suffice, do check the rooms out here instead.

Again, their priority lies in establishing a close bond between mother and child right from the outset of birth. Raffles Hospital encourages mothers to have skin-to-skin contact with their babies for at least an hour until his/her first feed. Raffles Hospital also recommends mothers to room-in together with their babies as this not only gives mother and child more opportunities to interact with each other, but also makes the process of breastfeeding a smoother one. For mothers who require more guidance with breastfeeding, Raffles Hospital also certified lactation consultants (and their teams) to assist with any breastfeeding concerns post-discharge. Parents can also tap on Raffles Hospital’s ParentCraft sessions where they’ll learn tips on general baby care such as bathing, bottle feeding, weaning and breastfeeding.

At Raffles Hospital, they offer two types of wards for expecting mothers: (i) the 2-bedded room; and (ii) the single room (with a difference of S$600 per room). For a normal delivery (2 nights stay), prices start from S$2,600 for a 2-bedded room and S$3,200 for a single room. Each room comes with a flat screen TV, free Wi-Fi, a safe deposit box, hairdryer, iron and ironing board (available upon request at no additional charge). Parents will also get the chance to indulge in Raffles Hospital’s in-room dining menu which carries a variety of cuisines ranging from Western, Asian and Japanese dishes.

➅ Thomson Medical Centre

Image Credits: Thomson Medical Centre

Commonly known as one of the more premium hospitals, Thomson Medical prides themselves on providing personalised services for their patients after their delivery; after all, everyone’s birth story is different and as such, the recovery plan, different. For those who require further advice on caregiving for their infant or on breastfeeding, Thomson Medical patients have exclusive access to a complimentary hotline service which will give them the advice they seek. There are also various natural and medical pain management techniques that expecting mothers can benefit from such as hypnobirthing, hydrotherapy and TCM before delivery.

During your stay at Thomson Medical, a lactation consultant will visit new mothers to guide them along the initial stages of breastfeeding. And for those who really enjoy Thomson Medical Centres’ confinement menu, you’d be pleased to know that they have a home delivery service which dishes up excellent confinement dishes packed with nutrition for mothers after childbirth. Further details on the exact cost of their maternity packages (without doctor’s fees) for natural deliveries or C-sections can be found here.

PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN SINGAPORE

➀ KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Image Credits: SingHealth Group (KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital)

Widely recognised as one of the leading children’s hospitals and largest maternity facility in Singapore, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospitals has a wide range of services and facilities to cater to the needs of new parents. The hospital has a total of 28 private delivery rooms and each room is equipped with a single bed, attached bathroom with shower facilities, couch-bed and a telephone. Rest assured that each delivery package encompasses providing expecting parents with a team of qualified doctors who will assess the mother’s labour and only the chosen gynaecologist will conduct the delivery. Medical students are not permitted to be involved in the labour and delivery.

Given the present COVID-19 situation, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital is offering a virtual tour of their Ward Type A1 and Ward Type B1 for expecting parents.

➁ National University Hospital

As one of the medical teaching facilities attached to the National University of Singapore, new parents can find comfort in the fact that National University specialises in high-risk obstetrics, hence giving them the assurance that their newborns are in good hands.

After you pop, rest assured that you’ll be in good hands. The medical and nursing staff at National University Hospital will teach you how to care for yourself during the postnatal period, guide you along breastfeeding or bottle-feeding your baby, bathe and care for your baby and amongst other duties. They are also equipped and prepared to give you further insight into neonatal jaundice, postnatal ‘blues’, postnatal visits, vaccinations for your baby and family planning.

Unfortunately, it does not appear that the National University Hospital website offers potential patients a virtual tour of their wards. In the event that this becomes available, please do let us know so that we may update this article accordingly! Do also note that the rates stated below are obtained from their “General Ward” guidelines, and prices stated below may differ from actual charge-out rates. If you happen to have the exact fee for their various. maternity wards, do let us know so that we can update this guide accordingly.

➂ Singapore General Hospital

Image Credits: SingHealth Group (Singapore General Hospital)

Other than taking a look around their various wards via the virtual tour, Singapore General Hospital is widely considered an affordable and cost-effective place for normal deliveries amongst Singaporeans. Singapore General Hospital is also a BFHI-accredited centre and they strive to encourage a strong bond between mother and child by facilitating skin-to-skin contact for an hour immediately following delivery which would give the baby time to initiate his/her first latch, and by transferring both mother and baby to the postnatal ward together.

After delivering your baby, you would also be visited by lactation consultants and nurses who would help you with latching and any other breastfeeding issues. The nurses will also bathe your baby by your bedside and Singapore General Hospital’s team of capable neonatal nurses will also guide you in giving your infant his/her first bath. In terms of your recovery following delivery, you will also get to benefit from the hospital’s physiotherapists who will demonstrate and advise you on useful postnatal exercises which would aid the recovery of your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles.

Do also note that the rates stated below are obtained from their “Standard Ward” guidelines, and prices stated below may differ from actual charge-out rates. Again, if you happen to have the rates for these maternity wards for 2020, please share them with us and we shall update this article accordingly.

If you have any other thoughts on the maternity packages / wards offered in Singapore, feel free to leave us a comment here. We’ll love to hear from you about your experiences with these hospitals!