Are you and your spouse planning to have a baby? Aside from preparing yourself for some sleepless nights, you should also start financially preparing yourself, as having a baby can be a costly investment these days! Find out what are the financial expenses to expect when having a baby in Malaysia.
Monthly Pre-natal Check-up
Going for monthly check up is important so you can ensure the baby’s development is normal and spot any abnormalities early on. Depending whether you go to a government hospital or private hospital the cost of monthly check ups will vary. A pre-natal monthly check up at a government clinic is free while private hospitals will usually charge about RM200 for each appointment. This means if you opt to have monthly check ups (and once every two weeks beginning the 36th week onwards) at a private hospital, the total cost will be approximately RM2,500.
Ward and Delivery
The cost will definitely vary accordingly between government and private hospitals when it comes to childbirth! Obviously, it will cost less for you at a government hospital compared to a private hospital; however there are more procedures that expectant parents will have to go through if they choose to deliver their baby at a government hospital. Unless you or your spouse is a civil servant, the charges to have a baby at a government hospital is as below:
There are also other additional charges to take note of such as:
• Induced labour charges if the expectant mother needs it.
• Painkillers requested during childbirth such as Pethidine or Epidural (An epidural costs about RM1,000 at private hospitals).
• If the baby needs to be put in the incubator (for jaundice)
• If parents choose to have the baby circumcised.
All of the said procedures will require additional charges which are not included in the delivery charges of both government and private hospitals. The cost will vary between government and private hospitals, though as you already know, it will cost your less at a government hospital. For the epidural, it will cost about an additional RM1,000 at private hospitals or about RM250 at government hospitals.
Confinement and Childcare
After welcoming your bundle of joy, expectant parents should also take note of the confinement cost. Malaysians generally practice confinement for at least 1 month or 44 days where a confinement lady will provide confinement food, provide post-delivery massages and bathe your baby during the confinement period. The cost will be between RM3,000- RM4,000 a month for a Chinese confinement lady while traditional Malay charges are about RM100 – RM150 per day or about RM1,050 per week. However, some women do not enlist the services of a confinement lady for the entire confinement period so the cost depends on what is practiced by the individual.
Necessities
Aside from the cost of delivering a baby, there will also be additional expenses parents will need to take into account for their baby’s necessities. Below are the other necessities of a baby and the approximate cost:
• New born clothes RM200
• Diapers RM150 a month
• Formula RM200 a month
• Crib RM500
• Stroller and car seat RM1,500
• Baby food
What Else You Should Know
If you would like to deliver your baby at a government hospital, you will need to register early on during the pregnancy as there are many forms and procedures to follow. Firstly, you need to get the red book from a government clinic and fill that up. You will also need to go for pre-natal monthly checkups at government clinics if you want to deliver your baby at a government hospital.
Take note that there will be long queues at the government clinic so you will have to allocate about 2-3 hours every time you go for your monthly checkup. For less hassle, you can choose to go for pre-natal checkups and deliver your baby at a private hospital. However, you will be paying more for the time you save plus the convenience and extra comfort.
At the end of the day, deciding where to deliver your baby depends on the preference and financial standing of both you and your spouse. As you can see, having a baby can indeed be costly affair, so don’t leave anything to chances and start saving now.
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