Congratulations! If you are reading this, you’re either planning to have a baby or expecting your first child. Having a bundle of joy is a life-changing experience. It’s normal for expectant parents to be having all kinds of emotions ranging from happiness to worry and nervousness. There’s a lot of things to prepare for the arrival of your new baby – one of the main concerns being financial preparedness.
So what is there to buy during pregnancy? What are the financial considerations?
Although it is important to buy a lot of stuff for your baby, it is just as important for expectant mothers to spend on themselves as well to ensure that you and your baby will be healthy throughout the pregnancy.
Here are 4 financial considerations during pregnancy, which you need to spend on:
Prenatal Visits
Oh yes, the doctors’ visits during pregnancy!
It’s strongly advised to go for regular check-ups ASAP after a positive pregnancy test. These visits are crucial for you and your baby as it will monitor your health as well as your baby’s health during the pregnancy.
Prenatal appointments usually start from the sixth to eighth week of pregnancy and start off with almost monthly visits. The frequency of prenatal visits will increase to twice or more within each month in the last trimester. Hence, you can expect to have at least 10 or more visits throughout the entire pregnancy.
The cost of EACH prenatal visit ranges from $500 – $800 at public hospitals to $140 – $250 at private hospitals. The total consultation costs is estimated to be around $1,800 – $2,500. If you include the expenses for prescribed supplements, it will add about $500 – $700 more to the bill. Then, you must also factor in the various tests to your expenses such as health screening, ultrasound scans, blood tests and urine tests.
Check out this summary table of estimated bill sizes for your Prenatal Visits:
| Item | Price Range (There is a wide range from Fully Government Subsidized Services to Premium Private Healthcare Services) | Additional Notes |
| Pre-pregnancy Screening | $349 to $700 Per Package | Some clinics and hospitals provide packages which consist of a set of tests. Updated Jan 2023. |
| Each Consultation Costs (Average 10-12 Visits) | $100 to $147 (private)$30 to $39 (subsidised)Per Visit | With the Medisave Maternity Package (MMP), up to $900 can be withdrawn for pre-delivery medical expenses. Updated Jan 2023 |
| Each Routine Ultrasound Scan(Average 5-8 Scans) | $80 to $150 (Per Scan, During Each Visit) | Updated Jan 2023 |
| Each Pap Smear (Average 1 time) | $40 to $80 (Usually Once Only) | Updated Jan 2023 |
| Blood Tests(Average 2-3 times) | $75 to $180 (Altogether over course of normal healthy pregnancy) | Updated Jan 2023 |
| First Trimester Screening (FTS) | $300-500 (Triple Test)OR$1000-$1400 (NIPT) | Updated Jan 2023 |
| Fetal Abnormality Scan(First Detailed Ultrasound Scan) | $200-$400(Once) | Updated Jan 2023 |
| Second Detailed Ultrasound Scan | $200-$400(Once) | Updated Jan 2023 |
| Prenatal Supplements (Essentially Folic Acid, Calcium, Fish Oil and Obimin) | $100 to $450(Altogether For Normal Pregnancy) | Updated Jan 2023 |
| TOTAL Estimated Expenditure over 9 Months | $2000 to $7000 (Excluding Delivery Costs ^) | Updated Jan 2023 |
| Actual Delivery Costs ^ | $1,000 to $20,000 (Normal Vaginal Delivery or Cesarean Section) | Yes, the range is really wide due to many factors that you can check out in detail here |
| Including Delivery Costs | $3,000 to $27,000 Upwards | Updated Jan 2023 |
Read up about the doctor visits and tests during the course of your pregnancy here, to understand more about what each test(s) or item(s) mean(s)!
Prenatal Insurance
Prenatal insurance provides financial assistance in case of any complications during pregnancy, it will usually either offer hospital benefits or pay out a lump sum of money. It also includes medical reimbursement or lump sums for newborns with congenital disorders.
Depending on the insurer and coverage plan, most prenatal insurances are priced from $300 – $900. Insurers that offer bundled plans will cost at least $2,000. These amounts can be paid as one-time lump sum, varying installments, or as regular monthly premiums. The types of prenatal insurance include plain maternity protection plans, as well as insurance that covers congenital disorders and pregnancy complications, and insurance plans that automatically extend to a lifelong insurance for your newborn baby without exclusions.
Be sure not to overlook the importance of insurance that will not only guarantee protection for you and your baby but also ease your worries when the unexpected happens.
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Baby Essentials
Welcoming a new life will need a lot of things. Babies may need multiple clothes changes every day when changing diapers or after feeding. At least $200 will be needed to get clothes for the baby’s first few months. Babies also grow fast so it’s important to purchase new clothes every few months.
Hygiene and grooming essentials for diaper changes and bathing will cost at least $200. Nursery furniture, bedding and baby proofing items can cost at least $500 together.
The cost of feeding items such as baby bottles and milk powder starts from $200. Travel gear such as strollers, car seats and baby carriers have a wide range of costs but on average, it will start from $400. Although the cost of baby essentials mostly depends on the brand and functionality, the total costs starts from $1,350 onwards.
Check out this nice table summary of the breakdown of minimum costs of what to spend on baby essentials before and after pregnancy:
| Category and Items | Price Range (Updated Jan 2023) |
| Clothes Rompers Pyjamas Clothes for going out Mittens and booties | From $100 |
| Footwear Socks Shoes | From $10 |
| Headwear Hats / caps | From $10 |
| Blankets (To bundle the baby during the first few weeks) | From $15 |
| Diaper change Diapers Diaper cream Wet wipes Powder Basin | From $50 |
| Bath Items Tub Baby soap/shampoo Towel Wash cloth | From $20 |
| Bedding Mattresses Mattress Protectors and Covers Babyproofing Items | From $70 |
| Furniture Crib Drawers Shelves Baby chair Play pen Play mat Baby walker* (Optional) More Babyproofing Items | From $400 |
| Feeding Bib Baby bottles and teats Bottle cleaner brush Milk powder Milk powder container Steriliser Baby utensils | From $200 |
| Items for On-The-Go Diaper bag Changing mat Carrier Stroller Car seat | From $375 |
| Breast pump(s) and Components | From $50 (manual)From $200 to $1,000 (electric) |
| TOTAL | Minimum S$1350 and Upwards! (If you go for higher quality or branded stuff you can hit 5 figures!) |
Now that you have got an idea of how much to spend for the pregnancy and newborn, let’s print out this checklist (from A to Z), prepare the money (or cards), and go shopping!
Maternity Wear
It is normal for your body to change throughout the pregnancy. Even though maternity clothes may cost a pretty penny, it is more important that you will feel comfortable when adjusting to your body changes.
Maternity bras provide good support to growing breasts and cost $10 – $50. Shoes with great support cost at least $50 but it will help you to avoid falling, ease the pain of walking and swelling. For articles of clothing, the cost depends on how many you’re buying but it’s best to put aside at least $400 as you may need clothes ranging in different sizes. If this is your first pregnancy and you plan to have more than one child, it will be best to invest more in good quality maternity wear so that it can last through your other pregnancies in the future.
Check out this financial summary of the breakdown of minimum costs of what to spend on maternity wear during your pregnancy:
| Category and Items | Estimated Price Ranges (Updated Jan 2023) |
| Clothes Maternity Wear (to fit your changing body shape and size) | $10 to $500 |
| Undergarments Maternity Bras / Pads Nursing Bras / Pads Compression Stockings | $20 to $300 |
| Footwear Shoes with Increased Cushion and Support | $80 to $500 |
| Cushions and Linens Body Pillows Cushions | $50 to $300 |
| Pharmaceuticals Morning Sickness Remedies Moisturizers Stretch Mark Lotion and ointments Body Butter Sunscreen Gentle Toothbrushes | $100 to $500 |
| Miscellaneous / Extra Add Ons Books Yoga Ball Manicure / Pedicures Massages and Spas Home Cleaning Services Photo Frames / Books Photoshoots | $300 to $500 |
| TOTAL | $560 to $2,600 |
All in all
We hope these 4 crucial spending components help in your financial budgeting during your pregnancy.
Don’t rest on your laurels though! The costs of pregnancy and welcoming a baby is definitely more than just these 4. For instance, neither the costs of having a confinement nanny or babysitter, nor the costs of post-delivery visits for baby vaccinations have been factored in! These are more focused on when you are planning for finances AFTER pregnancy and raising a child.
All in all, the financial considerations DURING pregnancy have a relatively high cost but welcoming a new life into the family is priceless, especially one that will be so adorable!
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