Singapore is probably one of the safest places to give birth to a baby, thanks to its efficient healthcare systems and world-class maternity services. The choice of the hospital should happen well before your baby is born.

Budget concerns aside, it can be a daunting experience having to narrow down just one hospital from the wide range of great private and public hospitals available on the island. For instance, what are the support classes like? Will your OB-GYN be allowed at the hospital of your choice? What is the admission procedure like? So many questions!

When I got pregnant in late 2023, I didn't have the slightest clue which hospital to choose. I explored both private and public options, eventually opting to enrol as a private patient at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) because in the event of an emergency, a private hospital would send me to KKH anyway if they weren't equipped to deal with it.

That doesn't mean everyone should go to KKH, though. As you think about what's important to you in your birthing experience, consider the following factors are you explore different hospitals:

Which hospital is your OB-GYN linked to?

The hospital choice is usually made when you choose your OB-GYN, because it would make sense that the person who's seeing you through your entire pregnancy will also be there when you actually give birth.

Most OB-GYNs are linked to one hospital in particular, although may be allowed to practice in other hospitals for specific cases, so find out which hospital your doctor can deliver your baby at, and if that hospital is an option for you.

Ensure your hospital of choice specialises in maternity care

All hospitals can deliver a baby, but not all hospitals specialise in maternity care. While the private hospitals in the city do have emergency rooms, the smaller ones might not necessarily have an emergency team in place to deal with severe medical emergencies.

If you happen to choose a hospital that is not able to handle such an emergency delivery, you will most likely be sent to the nearest public hospital that is capable of delivering care. Singapore's public hospitals that do offer maternity care are the best place to be in case of an emergency during delivery, as you won't have to go anywhere else.

Public vs Private

One of the most important deciding factors is cost and it's no secret that public hospitals are the more affordable option, since costs are usually subsidised by the government (and you pay even less if you are a Singaporean citizen).

But there is a time trade-off with cost, so expect to have much longer waiting times at public hospitals than at private hospitals. If budget is not an issue, then private hospitals might be your answer, as they have shorter waiting times and more luxury touches.

The MOH Bill Estimator can help you work out the estimated cost of a hospital stay for both options. Do remember that this is only an estimate, and that the final bill can still vary significantly, depending on the treatment required, the doctor's fee (if there is one), and the length of stay in hospital.

You should also consider the waiting times for your routine visits, since you'll be going at least once a month until you give birth. I needed to queue at least half an hour at the pharmacy whenever I visited KKH, as opposed to waiting five minutes when I was still seeing an OB-GYN at a private hospital.

On the upside, my anti-nausea medication was significantly less expensive at KKH, so you win some, you lose some.

Practical factors to consider

Distance: I've read enough stories about women giving birth in cabs to know that I wanted to choose a hospital that was a less than 15-minute drive away from my place. I also felt assured knowing that if anything urgent were to happen during my pregnancy that I could get to the hospital without getting stuck in a traffic jam.

Visitor policy: Public hospitals only allow for two visitors at a time and do not permit children under 12 to visit inpatient wards. (Also, at least at KKH, the husband counts as a visitor, so if grandparents are visiting, they need to go up one at a time.) If those restrictions are a problem for you, then consider a private hospital instead.

Preparedness for an emergency: Did you know that not all hospitals have a blood bank? Nor do all hospitals have neonatal specialists on standby. The size of the NICU also varies among hospitals. While KKH didn't offer some of the perks that other hospitals did, my husband and I decided to prioritise preparedness over pampering.

Alignment with your personal values and birth plan

As you research different birthing methods, you'll also find that not all hospitals offer your preferred accommodations. (For instance, KKH doesn't allow for water births.) As you go through your visits, consider asking the OB-GYN the following questions about the hospital that they work at:

To what extent does the hospital encourage infants to room in with mothers? Some hospitals are pretty gung-ho about rooming in so mummy and baby can bond, while others whisk baby away to the nursery for the first night so mummy can rest.

Will the hospital allow a doula/midwife to accompany me in the delivery suite?

What birthing positions does the hospital allow? Will I be allowed to bring in equipment, e.g. a yoga ball, to help facilitate labour?

If you plan to breastfeed: will my baby and I be allowed "golden hour"? (That is, skin-to-skin bonding and breastfeeding during the first hour after delivery.)

If your pregnancy has special needs, e.g. if you're giving birth to multiples, or if your pregnancy is considered high-risk due to factors like growth restrictions or preeclampsia, then you should also consider how equipped the hospital is to handle that.

Popular choices

When it comes to public institutions, you'll want to focus on these three:

• KK Women's and Children's Hospital is the only public hospital in Singapore that specialises in caring for women and children. They hold the record of the hospital with the largest number of delivery cases in Singapore per year, delivering 30-35 babies a day. KKH also offers post-natal advice, such as lactation consultants to help with breastfeeding issues. With a dedicated perinatal team always on standby, there's no waiting around for an emergency c-section if needed.
• NUH (National University Hospital) specialises in high-risk obstetrics and is hands down the place you want to be in the event of a complicated pregnancy and delivery. This hospital provides the most comprehensive care for at-risk infants with their cardiology, ICU, neonatal care and pediatric surgery departments all under one roof. NUH is also the hospital for those who are looking for natural birth, and is the first hospital in Singapore to offer water birth and aromatherapy for a natural experience.
• SGH (Singapore General Hospital) is known to be a highly dependable and the most cost-effective hospital for normal deliveries, with an extensive post-natal support programme in place too. In addition to having a confinement menu crafted by dieticians for new moms, the hospital is also very progressive when it comes to skin-to-skin, breastfeeding and after-care support.

While there are many private hospitals to choose from, here are three I considered:

• Mount Alvernia Hospital: The newness of their St Anne Mother and Child Centre, which opened in September 2023, was a major selling point for me. With over 60 private rooms (compared to 33 in KKH), you're more likely to get one without having to wait.
• Mount Elizabeth Novena: With its luxury toiletries, limousine service, and spacious rooms, this place legit feels like a hotel. But plushiness aside, I've heard great things about how much they promote skin-to-skin straight after you give birth instead of rushing baby away to get cleaned up.
• Thomson Medical Centre: Another popular choice due to its network of specialist clinics (plus, they're the only hospital in Singapore that currently allows for water births!), but ultimately, we decided this because of the high delivery fees and the congested car park.

Book a hospital visit

You can read all you want about what maternity facilities a hospital offers, but there is no substitute for physically visiting the maternity ward and seeing how that feels.

What are the rooms like? Does the environment feel supportive and relaxed or rushed and harried? Even if they don't do in-person tours, most hospitals allow a virtual viewing appointment to give you a rough idea of what to expect.

Ask friends and family for their recommendations

Who better to ask for advice than someone you trust that has recently given birth too. Ask them why they chose the hospital that they did, how did their experience rank and would they recommend the hospital?

This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.