My Hospital Delivery Bag @ Thomson Medical Centre

"I see you at the hospital at 11pm." said my gynecologist.

Gulp. It was 6pm when I had my medical appointment. Another 5 hours to prepare for the delivery of my first child.

I was glad that my hospital bag was packed when I was about 34-week pregnant, so after the appointment, we had our last dinner as a family of two (at a fast food restaurant) without having to turn the whole house upside down to pack that hospital bag.

When I was carrying my second child, I prepared the bag even earlier. You know, with an elder child around, it was better to prepare things in advance.

I delivered my two children at Thomson Medical Centre, they provide a baby bag, baby vest, disposable diapers, basic toiletries (travel pack of shower gel, shampoo), a wrapping blanket and a pair of mittens. Baby wipes, disposable diapers, diaper cream, sterile cotton balls and hand sanitizer are also provided but are chargeable by the hospital. So basically, there is nothing much to bring for your newborn.

I remember bringing a set of baby clothes, mittens, socks and wrapping blanket for my first baby, but they were brought home untouched! So when I packed my hospital bag for my second childbirth, my bag was lighter! 

My hospital delivery bag checklist:

• Identification cards - my own and my husband's, for registration

• Birth plan - I didn't really have a written plan, it is a reminder for myself - listen to the advice and instructions by the doctors!

• Receipts from pre-delivery medical expenses such as consultations and ultrasound scans - submit these during registration for claiming Medisave. You may find the amount claimable from Ministry of Health website

• Camcorder / camera - must capture the precious moments of the opening ceremony... I mean the first photo and video of my baby

• Music player - to play soothing music for the poor-mummy-in-pain and the nervous daddy

• Sweaters - my own and my husband's. It can be quite cold in the delivery ward

• Cord blood kit - remember to remind the obstetrician about storing the cord blood

• Toiletries - though Thomson Medical Centre provides a travel pack of shower gel and shampoo, I prefer to use mine 

• Sanitary pads - I couldn't figure out how to use the maternity loops provided, so I brought the long and thick sanitary pads.

• Clothes - two sets for staying in the hospital - loose fitting top with front buttons so that it is easier to breastfeed the baby. One set for going home, unless you don't mind going home in your pyjamas 

• Bras (unwired) - don't tell me you are stepping out of the hospital without wearing one!

• Disposable panties - during this period of heavy blood flow, disposables ones would avoid the hassle of washing

• Bedroom slippers - for walking around in the ward.

• Inflatable float - I'm not kidding. Of course, it is not meant for swimming immediately after delivery. It is really painful to sit on a surface after natural delivery, so the float helps a lot!

• Mobile phone and charger - to notify the whole world about the arrival of the king / queen 

• Contact number of confinement lady - "Hello Auntie xxx, you need to start work after two days, thanks!"

• Plastic bags - to contain the dirty clothes

• Snacks - mainly for the husband. I was not allowed to eat after administering epidural

• A soft toy for my second childbirth - not for myself to squeeze during the labour process. It was the present from my newborn to his elder sister!

What else would / did you pack in your hospital delivery bag?

p.s. Oh, you ask about the bill size and experience about my "staycations" at Thomson Medical Centre? Find out more in this post.

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Bill Size & Experience @Thomson Medical Centre

Some friends asked me about the bill size and my experience about the hospital that I have delivered my two children - Thomson Medical Centre.

Please take a deep breath to read on the bill size if you have no idea about the estimated bill for delivery at all. I took deep breath when I first saw the bill, and am taking another deep breath when I look at the bills again now.

Our bill in 2009:

Part 1: Bill for newborn
Baby package 2 days = $338
Medical supplies (Alcohol swabs, cotton balls, identification band, baby admission package) = $41
Medical laboratory fee (Bilirubin) = $39
Procedure (Hearing test) = $75
Drugs / Medicine (Microshield handrub) = $15.10
Doctor charge = $100 (Medisave) + 130 (Non-Medisave)
Grand total (less FBI discount and plus GST) = $741.56
Paying by Medisave = $598.18
Paying by Cash = $143.40

Part 2: Bill for delivery
Hospital charge for Assisted Delivery with Epidural 4 Bedded 2 days = $1320
Use of labour ward = $77
Drugs / Medicine = $185.90
Medical supplies = $51.30
Use of equipment (Foetal monitoring) = $49
Facility ($15 per day use of ward) = $45
Accomodation (1 night) = $195
Doctor charge (Anaesthetist) = $350 (Non-Medisave)
Doctor charge (Gynae) = $1227.53 (Medisave) + 463.07 (Non-Medisave)
Grand total (less FBI discount and plus GST) = $4079.17
Paying by Medisave = $3049.94
Paying by Cash = $1029.15

In summary, total bill came up to be $4820.73 in 2009!!! It increased by 20% as compared to 2008, when the total bill was $3998.33! Not to worry about where you spent your $$ on, as the bill is very detailed with all the breakdowns and is a few pages thick.

Take note that the delivery package starts on the date that you deliver. As I was admitted in the afternoon, but delivered on the next day, we had to pay for one day accommodation.

Just in case your baby has high level of jaundice and needs photo-therapy like what had happened to Pei Pei (touch wood), the bill is about $900 for 2 days.

One right move that we have done was to apply Thomson Medical Centre's First Born Incentive (FBI) which is a 2-year membership at $148, because I gave birth two times within the two years! This gave us some discounts on the hospital bills, and also the consultation fee for the children's paediatrician.

As my gynae is under Thomson Medical Group, I got to stay in 2 bedded ward while paying price for 4 bedded ward. To me, I am fine with staying in two bedded instead of single bedded, since my babies cry louder than the other one in the same ward. But of course, considering privacy and peace of mind, I would not like to stay in 4 bedded ward, simply can't imagine 4 babies crying together in the same ward when you need a good rest after delivery.

Speaking of experience at Thomson Medical Centre, I would say that their confinement soup is very nice! Not to forget some of the friendly nurses who encouraged me to visit the washroom as soon as possible after delivery, and also some hardworking staffs who kept asking me which menu I wanted to order for each meal.

There were unpleasant experience though. For my first delivery, I had to transfer from a normal ward to another ward for mummies, and the air-con of the other ward was not working properly, I was literally staying in a freezer. And on the day we discharged, we had to wait very long for the nurses to check whether vaccination was given to my baby. For my second delivery, in the morning after I delivered, I thought I heard my gynae talking to the mummy in the same ward, but he did not come to check on me. Then I found that the nurses forgot to put my file on the counter, so my gynae did not know I was in that ward. 

There is one frequently-asked-question: who paid the bill? Of course my husband did! 我出力, 他出錢!

Read about my hospital bag checklist and my confinement story!


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5 Tips on Choosing That Right Gynaecologist & Obstetrician

Recently a few friends are pregnant and they ask me to recommend a Gynaecologist & Obstetrician. The main reason why I chose to see my gynae is... his clinic is just a few minutes walk from our house! Without any knowledge of where to source for a good gynae when I first saw two blue lines on the pregnancy test kit, I thought that checking out the nearest clinic would be the best solution.

5 tips on choosing that right gynaecologist & obstetrician:

1. Comfort level with the gynae
First question to ask yourself - are you comfortable with male or female gynae? Take note that there may be a need for the gynae to check for dilation before childbirth and to perform Pap smear after delivery. And most importantly, after the first appointment with the gynae, do you feel comfortable with him / her? If he / she seems to be very $$-minded / hostile / does not match with your frequency at all, then make an appointment with another gynae.

2. Proximity
It would be convenient if the clinic is near your place. Even with just a minor cold, you can get your medicine that is suitable for pregnancy right away. During the third trimester, the frequency of visiting gynae increases, and so as the size of your tummy, it saves a lot of energy from travelling and time if the clinic is near your place. Save the energy for life after childbirth, and save the time for your own "ME-time" or with your other children.

3. Consultation fee
Some gynae offer package as early as you make the first appointment, while some charge per visit. I signed up package on the second appointment for my first pregnancy, and signed up immediately on the first appointment for my second pregnancy. It really saves us quite a sum of $$.

4. Recommendations
Ask friends or relatives for recommendation. Online forums also share opinions on gynae.

5. Choice of hospital
The gynae only deliver in particilar hospitals. So check out the hospital that you wish to deliver. Again, one consideration is the hospitalisation cost. To me, I am not too particular on which hospital offers the best room, meal, etc. It is just a 3D2N stay anyway. My gynae is under Thomson Medical Group, so I had the privilege to stay in 2-bedded ward in Thomson Medical Centre while paying the price for 4-bedded ward. Read about our bill size and experience at Thomson Medical Centre!

Though the waiting time can be quite long and he speaks quite fast, both my husband and myself are comfortable with my gynae, as he is straight to the point and assuring.

Come to think about this... we forgot to take photo with him after delivery... for two times :p


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Breaking Rules of Confinement

Confinement (坐月), literally means "sit for one month (at home)" to me when I first heard of this term.

To Chinese, it is a period (28-40 days) for a new mother to recover after delivery. There are many "do" and "don't" during confinement, for example, do not drink plain water, do not bath with / touch tap water, do not wash hair, have to eat ginger, etc etc.

For my first delivery, my mother-in-law looked after me and baby, while for my secondary delivery, we hired a confinement lady to help, as my mother-in-law helped to look after our elder child. Both my mother-in-law and the confinement lady believe in confinement rules, but I was a rule-breaker, doing opposite things secretly. As you know, the consequence for not obeying mother-in-law's instruction will be terrible. Shhhhh....

They told me not to drink plain water, should drink longan and red date tea or milo instead. They said that drinking too much plain water may cause water retention. As a water pail (水桶), I like to drink a lot of water since young. I would still drink the beverages they prepared for me, but secretly I filled my water bottle every day and drank plain water from my bottle. A second thought, the main component of longan and red date tea or milo is also water, so why wouldn't these cause water retention as well?? As I was breastfeeding totally (no milk powder at all), I needed to have plenty of fluid to produce milk for my baby.

They told me not to bath using tap water, should bath with rice wine (according to mother-in-law) or herb (according to confinement lady). They also told me not to wash my hair. Because they believe that bathing with tap water and washing hair may cause rheumatism. But again, since I was breastfeeding, I found it uncomfortable to smell like rice wine or herb, or carry stink of oily hair and perspiration when I nursed my baby. I think I would go crazy if I do not bath and wash my hair for more than 24 hours! I believe that a warm bath is essential for hygienic purpose, especially for breastfeeding mums, and also to distress myself from the "baby blues". I could still remember that when my mother-in-law went to market every morning, I would use this opportunity to bath and wash hair, and quickly dried my hair using hair dryer. A clean job was done by the time she reached home. When she bought the rice wine, I just 意思意思 poured a bit on my arms and poured away the rest, so that I would carry some frangance / smell of rice wine and she would be pleased that I followed her instruction!

They told me to eat ginger to get rid of the "wind" and drink some DOM to increase blood circulation. I did not like ginger at all, and again because of breastfeeding, alcohol is a big no-no since it would be transmitted to my milk and causes harm to my baby. I told them that I could not eat ginger and drink alcohol, of course, did not go on the lecture about the harm brought by alcohol.

They also advised me not to touch cold tap water too frequently. But I started to bath my baby 10 days after delivery, as I needed to practise before my mother-in-law and confinement lady left at the end of confinement period. I also love to use this opportunity to bond with my baby. On top of latching my baby, I also used breastpump to express my breastmilk in order to boost my supply, and inevitably, I had to touch tap water when I washed the bottles and pump accessories. Although they offered to help to wash, I would prefer to wash the pump accessories by myself.

Breaking rules is not to challenge the elders' advice, but to do what is right for myself and baby.

If the elders are not pleased that we break the rules, the best way to explain is "Doctor told me so!"


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小B's Arrival

4 pm:
We arrived at Thomson Medical Centre. After the registration, the staff brought us to the observation room.

5 pm:
The midwife put the devices for detecting baby's heartbeat and level of contraction on my tummy, and gave me the induction pill. Contraction started shortly after that, but still bearable.

630 pm:
The nurse sent me to the ward to have dinner and rest. The contraction became more frequent and intense.

830 pm:
The nurse sent me back to the observation room, then the midwife gave me medicine to clear bowel, and I had a shower. I was then put on drip. The contraction became stronger. I didn't expect the pain would start so early and become so painful in such a short time, because my first delivery took 14 hours, and it wasn't so painful. Think it is true that second delivery is much faster!

930 pm:
Doc arrived. He had 7 patients including me! He broke my water bag and I asked for epidural. The contraction came very frequent and became super painful.

10 pm+:
The midwife told the anaesthetist that the dilation was 2-3 cm. The anaethetist asked me to curl my legs up. While she was injecting epidural, the pain from contraction was tearing me apart, but the anaesthetist told me not to move. I couldn't help but to moan and felt like crying, guess it was the worst pain I have experienced in my whole life! Then I started to shiver as the effect of epidural kicked in. Felt so terrible! At the same time, I could feel a great pressure down there, as if 小B wanted to come out immediately! I kept shivering and the midwife gave me oxygen mask and told me to take deep breathes.

11 pm:
The dilation became 8cm, and I was transferred to the delivery room. Though it was not so painful as before, I still kept shivering and felt 小B's head pushing down.

1130 pm:
The midwife said the dilation was full, but baby's heartbeat seemed to be dropping. She asked me to try pushing once, but nothing happened.

Next day 12+am:
Doc came and the midwives asked me to push. They pressed my tummy and with one push, I heard 小B crying! They put him on my chest and Dear cut the cord.. A midwife put a tube into 小B's mouth to draw the phlegm, so poor thing. Thought I was so good at pushing, actually Doc used forceps to take baby out.

Anyway, glad that both 小B and me were okie. He had his first meal - Mami' milk - after the measurements were taken.

BB's Arrival

This is my labour story:

1040 pm:
My parents-in-law fetched us to Thomson Medical Centre. Went into the observation room, where the monitoring devices for my contraction and BB's heartbeat were put on my tummy. BB's heartbeat sounds like horse-racing. Dear did the registration for me while I was in the observation room.

11+pm:
Doc arrived, and inserted the induction pill for me. Rested in the observation room for 1 hour. Felt fine then.

Next day 12+am:
Transfered to the ward to sleep, but Dear was not allowed to stay with me.

2 - 6am:
Tummy started to cramp, but still bearable. I couldn't sleep well, think maybe because of the cramp and also very nervous.

6+am:
As breakfast officially started at 7am and I gotta go back to the observation room, I was given only 2 pieces of bread and a cup of milo 

7am:
The nurse gave me medicine to do "big biz", I also showered. Doc came and burst my water bag. He said the dilation was 2 cm, and estimated that I could give birth at around 1-3 pm. Then was transferred to the delivery room.

8+am:
Contraction was getting stronger and stronger, though the duration was about 5-10 seconds and still bearable, I thought that if later it got more frequent and the duration became longer, thinking that my pain threshold is very low, I sure couldn't take it, and I should conserve my energy for the labour. So when the nurse asked me what if I needed painkiller, I requested epidural. The nurse arranged an anesthetist and asked me to sign the consent form.

9am:
The anesthetist came, asked me to curl my legs up, injected a jab of local anethetic, put the epidural needle. All were done within 5-10 min. It was not as painful as I thought! The effect kicked in shortly, and made me shiver for 10 - 15 min. The first time I was "hooked" up by so many things - drip on left hand, blood pressure band on right arm, epidural tube at the back and urinary catheter.

9am - 1pm:
Didn't feel pain, but a little discomfort with the numbness in my legs. Couldn't really sleep as felt more and more nervous.

1pm: The nurse checked that the dilation was about 8 - 9 cm!

2pm:
Doc came, checked that the dilation was 10 cm, said I could start to give birth! Suddenly I started to shiver again!! Very funny that Doc left after he said this. The nurse "transformed" the bed into delivery chair, and together with Dear, they helped me to lift up my legs, which couldn't move due to numbness. She monitored the contraction index and asked me to breath in and push when the peak came. Though the dosage of epidural was reduced, I still couldn't feel where to push!!! Pushed until my face was like twisted and turned red, but the progress was slow. Finally Doc came back, I continued to push for many times until Doc said BB's heartbeat was dropping! I was very worried and tried to push harder. Suddenly Doc did something and BB was out at 220pm, Dear cut the umbilical cord and BB was put on my chest! Doc actually used vacuum cup to take out BB. Dear was tearing with joy but I was a bit "stunned". BB's crying was strong and loud!!! Doc did the stitching for me while the nurse cleaned up BB and measured her vital statistics.

After more than 20 min then I suddenly burst out in tears, I was very touched that BB has arrived!!!