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introduction | choosing your doctor and hospital | obstetricians & gynaecologists | fertility specialists | paediatricians Having a Baby in SingaporeIntroductionSingapore is a great place to give birth with a wide range of excellent and professional services and facilities, but you will need to prepare well in advance. You need to choose your doctor, hospital and housing, as well as gather the necessary documents for your new baby’s birth record, passport and visa. Depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for a social visit visa before relocating to Singapore to give birth. For instance, American citizens no longer need a social visit visa to give birth in Singapore; instead, American mothers-to-be will be granted a 90-day visa upon entry into Singapore. The requirements for visas may change so it is important for you to verify what you need by checking with your embassy in Jakarta and/or Singapore for the latest information. Choosing your Doctor and HospitalAsk for recommendations from other expat women who have had a baby in Singapore. If possible, you should make at least one trip over to Singapore to meet the doctor in advance to see if you are a good fit. Good opportunities for check-ups in Singapore are roughly around 12 weeks, 16 weeks and 20 weeks, which coincide with certain prenatal tests. This also gives you a chance to take a tour of the maternity ward of the hospital where you would deliver. Choosing your hospital is more dependent on your doctor, as your doctor will likely have priviledges at only one hospital. Both Mount Elizabeth and Glen Eagles hospitals offer maternity ward tours once a week; contact them directly to find out what day and time. Time your doctor’s appointment for the same day as the tour. The earlier you make your initial trip to Singapore, the earlier you can change doctors/hospitals if you aren’t sure that you’ve got a good match. East Shore Hospital Gleneagles Hospital KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital Mount Elizabeth Hospital Thomson Medical Centre Obstetricians & GynaecologistsDr. Sim Sai Lan, Patricia Dr. Chia Yee Tien Dr. Yeoh Swee Choo Dr. Paul Tseng Dr. Chin Yeu Kim Lisa Dr. Tan Wee Khin Dr. Tan Kee Lin Dr. Chan Weng Buen (Cathryn) Dr. Ann Tan Fertility SpecialistsProf. PC Wong Dr. Anne Hagerty PaediatriciansDr. Belinda Murugasu Dr. Lee Bee Wah Dr. Yip Yeng Yoong Dr. Ang Ai Tin Dr. S Sivasankaran Dr. V K Pradeepkumar Choosing Where to StayYou can, of course, just stay in one of the many beautiful hotels, but since you will likely be in Singapore for quite some time, a serviced apartment is a great choice, especially if you have older children traveling with you or if you need the extra bedroom for your nanny from Indonesia. Some women have found Singapore so convenient that you do not need to bring your nanny with you, thanks to all the prepared food, delivery of groceries to your apartment and on-site playgrounds. However, you do need a back-up person to watch your older children should you go into labour early, so do prepare for this eventuality by having a friend you can rely on or a family member. Please see our Travel section for more information on individual poperties. The PaperworkMedical letter to fly Singapore Airlines will let you fly up to your 35th week of pregnancy, but you need a letter from your Indonesian doctor referring you on to your Singaporean doctor. If you call Singapore Airlines yourself and ask them what they require for pregnant passengers, they will refer you to the Damiyanti clinic in Menteng. You need to make your appointment no more than 2 weeks before you travel (preferably one week before you travel). If you bring your current medical record to the doctor there, he/she will review your record, do a cursory exam and complete Singapore Airlines special form for patients flying with medical conditions. Although I was told the fee would be Rp.150,000, I was charged only Rp.70,000. You can also ask the doctor to make a housecall, but that costs Rp.350,000. The clinic will fax the form to Singapore Airlines here and give you a copy to take with you. With this letter in hand, you should not encounter any difficulty boarding your flight for Singapore, and you will be given additional help in Singapore with your bags, if the doctor requests it on the form. This is especially useful if you are flying without anyone husband or help from Indonesia. Damiyanti Clinic Menteng Note: A letter alone from your Indonesian doctor (embassy doctors are not recognized) is all that is necessary, but there is at least one pregnant expat woman that attempted to fly with just a letter just from her doctor (and within the 35 week limit) and was prevented from getting on the plane in Jakarta until she submitted to a medical examination from a doctor at the airport in Jakarta. Not surprisingly, she had to pay a substantial fee for this last minute examination. Social Visit Pass The process for a visa to have your baby in Singapore (the Social Visit Pass) is as follows, you may need a visa to visit beforehand if you are taking medical check-ups in Singapore after six months. Visa application forms are available from the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta: Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav X-4 No 2, Kuningan • 8:30-12.30 & 13:30-17:00 Mon-Fri The completed forms must be returned to the Embassy, together with all supporting documents (including the details and signature of your Singaporean sponsor). The Embassy will take up to four weeks to process the form and issue the Social Visit Pass. This process can be completed in a shorter time by applying directly through an agent in Singapore (all documents would need to be couriered to Singapore) or by requesting special treatment at the Embassy. This is stressful and not recommended. Other supporting documents required with the application are as follows:- A doctor’s letter stating your due date. A letter from your Embassy stating that your baby will be issued with a passport as a citizen of that country. This is usually available within two to three days. Your marriage certificate. Details and signature of a Singaporean sponsor. The sponsor may be an individual or a company. They are required to pay a S$1500 deposit to the authorities within one month of the Social Visit Pass being issued. The deposit is returned to the sponsor provided you leave Singapore with your baby before your visa expires. The Social Visit Pass is valid for one month only, therefore, you will need to extend it for a 3 month pass at: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority You will need to attend in person to the ICA building. This is a very large, busy government office. You queue to be allocated a number for your application and must then wait for your turn. This application can usually be completed later the same day if you arrive early the next day. You must also register at the hospital beforehand though your Singapore-based doctor should be able to help you. Registering your BabyAfter the birth, you will get a birth certificate, stating your child is NOT a citizen of Singapore, from the Registry of Births & Deaths (RBD) Citizen Services Centre Fee: S$18.00 This service is also available at hospitals with birth registration centres. Take the birth certificate, your passports, 2 photos of your baby with a white background and with his/her eyes OPEN and passport application forms to your relevant Embassy. This should take around 5 working days to process. Once the passport has been received you must return with it to the ICA building for your final exit form to be stamped and completed. Available on the same day. Apply from the Indonesian Embassy for an Indonesian visa that’s issued on the same day. 7 Chatsworth Road, Singapore 1024 Support in the labour Room (and after)Many women giving birth in Singapore, ask their mother or sister to come help them in the labour room and/or after the birth. If your family is not able to come help you, you might want to consider hiring a doula (labour assistant). You might especially want to consider this if this is your first time having a baby OR if your husband might not be able to make it to your delivery. A doula understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of women in labour and will stay by your side throughout the entire labour, providing emotional support and physical comfort measures. A doula does not act as a midwife or execute any clinical skills. You can ask your doctor for a recommendation (to be sure of a good match). Doula services include pre-natal visits to get to know you and to help you write your birth plan, as well as post-natal visits where they can help you with any breastfeeding problems, show you the best way to bathe a baby and even cook you a meal and do a load of laundry! Ginny Phang Four Trimesters Pte Ltd You may have many questions, concerns or problems with your new baby, so be sure to reach out and ask for help from qualified professionals. The hospital may have a free drop-in session with their lactation consultant once a week, but if you need help immediately, just go ahead and make the call to these specialists. Antenatal (Prenatal) and Postnatal ClassesBirth and Beyond Tanglin Shopping Centre Parentlink #57B Kim Lin Mansion, Block F, Jl. Arnap Four Trimesters AssociationsExpatriate associations offer a great support network as well as useful information. Here is a selection of those available: American Women’s Association of Singapore The American Club, 10 Claymore Hill, Singapore 229573 ANZA – Australian and New Zealand Association 19 Tanglin Road, Tanglin Shopping Centre #06-27, Singapore 247909 British Association of Singapore 9 Penang Road, #10-17 Park Mall, Singapore 238459 The Canadian Association of Singapore (CAS) The American Club, 10 Claymore Hill, Singapore 229573 Indian Women’s Association PO BOX 472, Orchard Post Office, Singapore 912316 German Association – German House 61A Toh Tuck Road, Singapore 596300 The Belgian and Luxembourg Association of Singapore Tel: (+65) 6468 1759 Hollandse Club (Dutch Club) 22 Camden Park off Adam Road, Singapore 299814 The Japanese Association 120 Adams Road Korean Association 74 Lim ah woo Road Support GroupsThe Mother & Child Centre 163 Tanglin Road 03 No11, Tanglin Mall Counseling ServicesBirth, particularly away from home and family, can take an emotional toll on a new mom. If you feel that you can’t cope anymore or you are barely functioning, do consider seeking care from a psychologist or psychiatrist. You could also ask your doctor for a recommendation too. The Centre for Wellbeing 146A Neil Road, Singapore 088875 Osteopathy19 Tanglin Road, No. 05-19 Tanglin Shopping Centre, Singapore 247909 See here for more information. WebsiteA local website offering lots of information about having a baby in Singapore. |
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