5 Must Do's For Your Newborn
Ready to welcome your newborn? Here are 5 important must do's to help you prepare for your newborn!
1. Child Development Account
What is a Child Development Account (CDA)?
The Child Development Account (CDA) is part of the baby bonus scheme designed to help parents with the cost of raising children. These include a cash gift from the government and the CDA. The CDA is special savings account where money in the account can be used to pay for educational and healthcare expenses at approved institutions.
CDA benefits come in two components:
CDA First Step
Announced in the 2016 Budget, all Singaporean children born from 24 March 2016 onwards will receive an initial $3,000 in their CDA.
Dollar-For-Dollar Matching
For the first and second child, the government will do a dollar-for-dollar matching whenever parents top up their child’s CDA, up to $3,000.
This amount increases to $9,000 for the third and fourth child, and $15,000 for the fifth and subsequent child.
How To Sign Up?
Step 1: Go to the baby bonus website to check your eligibility
Step 2: Sign up using your singpass
You need to complete a simple online form that would take about 5 to 10 minutes. You can do this during your hospital stay, or even as early as 8 weeks before your child is born. You will need to login using your SingPass.
Step 3: Complete the form
Step 4: Select a bank for the CDA
The CDA is a savings account so you will need to choose a bank that you prefer for the CDA to be opened at. This will be done online, so you do not have to physically head down to any banks. You can select from OCBC, UOB and POSB.
Step 5: Wait for the money to come in
The CDA will be opened by the bank you select in a few days with an initial balance of $3,000. You will receive notification once this has been done. A NETS card will be issued under your child’s name and sent to your home address. You can then use it to pay for eligible products and services at CDA approved institutions.
2. Nanny
In Singapore, it is not uncommon to have both mum and dad work full time to support the household. Thus, working parents would need to prepare for their little one’s full-time care arrangement after mum’s maternity leave ends.
PROS of Hiring a Nanny
1. Flexible Schedules
A nanny or babysitter can usually accommodate irregularities in the parent's schedule and this will make it convenient for a parent to accommodate to their busy and hectic schedule.
You can create your nanny’s schedule based around your schedule, and most nannies are used to week-to-week schedule changes therefore they can be very adaptable if and when you need to adjust their working hours.
2. Experienced Caregivers
Nannies have had years of experience in childcare and often have other educational and professional experiences that enhance their abilities as your child’s caregiver.
3. Available for long-term commitments.
Many nannies are ready to commit to you and your newborn for at least two years, and sometimes even longer. This can provide you and your children with desirable continuity and lead to a more comfortable childcare arrangement than one in which turnover and transition are more likely to occur.
4. Help with Housework
This includes basic clean up related to the children’s activities, preparation of meals, the general maintenance of their rooms and play areas, and additional chores as needed.
While the primary role of a nanny is a caregiver for your children, rather than housekeeper, nannies expect to do a little bit of both, especially in situations where the children are at school or sleeping.
3. Insurance
It is important to get your baby to be insured as early as possible to ensure insurability. Assuming your baby is delivered without any complication or congenital disorder, this would mean they have a clean bill of health. As such, your baby will be able to enjoy full coverage from any health insurance policies that you buy for them, without any exclusions or any loading fee being added to the premiums.
In the unfortunate event that an illness occurs at a later age, the insurer will be obliged to continue providing the coverage for as long as the policy is in effect.
What type of insurance to buy?
1. Private Integrated Shield Plan
All Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) are covered under MediShield Life from birth. This is regardless of any pre-existing conditions that they may have.
However, you may want to consider buying a private integrated shield plan for your newborn as soon as you can. This not only provides them with coverage at higher-class wards in public and private hospitals, but also covers the bulk of the cost arising from medical treatments that is required in the hospital.
At a young age, newborns are particularly vulnerable to falling sick as they have yet to build up their immunity system. At the same time, their young age would also mean that doctors may err on the side of caution when treating a baby, and may recommend for an overnight stay or two in the hospital for observation.
A private integrated shield plan will cover a large part of the cost that you may incur should the need to be admitted to the hospital arises.
2. Personal Accident Plan
This is crucial for your baby as it covers them against potential accidents, sickness and injuries.
Personal accident plans are a type of general insurance policies that provide policyholders with coverage in the event of an accident occurring. Payout could be in the form of a reimbursement basis based on medical expenses incurred, or a lump-sum payout, depending on the kind of injury sustained. This can be used to offset medical expenses, paediatrician fees or even the cost of alternative accommodations that you may incur when your child is ill.
Personal accident plans can be seen as a useful complement to the other existing health insurance policies that a person may already have. Coverage tends to be lower though more extensive. Premiums are typically very affordable as well.
More specifically for young children, you may also want to buy coverage that protects them against highly infectious illnesses such as Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (HFMD), which is a common viral infection among young children.
3. Education Savings Policy
Education fees in Singapore can be quite hefty, even at a local university. An estimated $100,000 is required to fund a child through his entire education journey. So that’s why it’s important to put aside money for your child’s education and to do it as soon as possible. If you have more than one child, the need increases.
4. Confinement Lady
Naturally, as first-time parents, we were generally anxious and pretty much clueless on what we should do. Hiring a confinement lady can help reduce our anxiety and make out life easier!
Benefits of having a confinement lady:
Take care of your newborn, including bathing and changing them
Taking care of the mother during her confinement
Preparing herbal baths and red dates tea
Cook nourishing meals for the mother
Do simple household chores such as laundry and cleaning
Ensure that the mother gets ample rest during her confinement
Help guide the mother and the family through confinement
Guide you on breastfeeding and latching techniques
Help to teach the parents on how to handle the baby
5. Essentials must-have for your newborn baby
1. Baby clothes
6-8 Short-sleeved one-piece / front-tie / button outfits
2-3 Sleeveless one-piece outfits (good for really hot afternoons in Singapore)
6-8 Hand mittens6-8 Booties / socks
2 Beanie hats
6-8 Bibs
4 Pajama sets (long-sleeved if baby sleeps in an air-conditioned room)
4 Swaddle blankets
A nice outfit for the first month celebration
Baby-friendly clothes cleaner / detergent
2. Diapering Essentials
Wet wipes
Cotton squares or cotton balls for cleaning
Gauze to clean baby’s mouth
Disposable or cloth diapers
Diaper cream
Waterproof mat
3. Cleaning Essentials
3-4 Towels
6 Washcloths / Hankies
Baby shampoo & body wash
Moisturiser or aloe vera gel
Toiletries kit (includes soft brush and comb, nail clipper, ear thermometer and nasal aspirator)
Ru yi oil
Bathtub
4. Feeding the Baby
Breast pump
Milk storage containers / bags
Newborn bottles and teats
Bibs or hankies
SteriliserBottle cleaning brush to wash bottles and pump parts
Dishwashing liquid safe for babies
5. For the mummy
Nursing bras
Breast pads
Nursing tops / dresses
Nipple cream
Mother’s milk tea
Binder (for post c-sect recovery)Maternity pads
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