I did an operation at NUH many years ago and was warded at the maternity ward. There, I received dedicated care and made a decision to deliver my baby there. It's fully equipped and has its own Children's A&E. The only other hospital which has a Children's A&E is KKH. 

Why NUH?
I first found out I was pregnant through a blood test so I was referred to Clinic G and I just followed through the appointments instead of going the standard route of looking for a gynae first. It never bothered me much that I didn't have a fixed gynaecologist as my scans turned out well and I didn't have any complications (no gestational diabetes or placenta previa etc). My pregnancy was smooth so it didn't particularly require special attention.

Near the end, we thought she was on the smaller side at 19th percentile and I got a bit worried but when she came out, she weighed a hefty 3.2kg! 

If you want to follow the subsidised route, you'll have to get a referral letter from a clinic to the hospital. At Clinic G, the waiting time was about 1.5 hours but there were times where I saw the doctor within 5 minutes of arrival. Sometimes, I would get rotated to the same gynae. 

There was a male gynae (Dr Ng Ying Woo, who has since left NUH) who was frank, humorous and not condescending. When I went for my first post-natal check-up, he swooned over Elise, carried her around and showed her off to his colleagues like a proud uncle "She's so beautiful! So cute! Look!". 

You can obviously tell if the staff are happy at their job or just going through the daily grind. The ward nurses were really friendly and welcomed Elise back when she went back for a checkup at 4 months, taking turns to carry and play with her. 

Fees
The fees were extremely affordable as they were subsidised, so I paid about $17 per consultation and $80 whenever I needed a scan. NUH offers a maternity package which I didn't choose as they offer only 4 major ultrasound scans regardless of whether you're a private or subsidised patient. I was rather envious of other moms who got to see their baby almost every visit but it wasn't worth the extra money. 

As a first timer, I had my fair share of concerns which I would clarify with the doctor each visit - 

Should I have a water birth? 
Answer: NUH provides water birth services but you'll have to be a private patient and there is a chance that you will end up delivering on a bed. If so, you'll have to pay twice. You'll also need to hire a doula and get a gynae who is able to do water birth. 

Can I do delayed cord clamping?
Answer: This depends on the gynae's beliefs. Most gynaes do not clamp the cord immediately, nor do they clamp only after the cord stops beating. There is no major difference for full term babies but it may have a benefit for premature babies

Can I squat/stand during delivery?
Answer: When you are still in labour, yes. You can even dance before you are made to lie down on the bed. The midwives have been through so many deliveries, they know what to do. 

What about a birth plan?
Answer: There is no plan if you're intending to go the subsidised route. Sure, you can mention it to your gynae during your visits, but it depends on the MO or gynae who will be the one delivering your baby. 

For my case, I wanted to avoid an episiotomy as much as possible, so I just said "don't cut" when he was already holding up the scissors. Luckily, he listened and I wasn't cut. I had a first degree tear which was very minor. The stitches took about 2 weeks to heal. 

Maternity Ward
The Class C ward was listed as an 8 bedder, non-air conditioned ward, but the ward turned out to be fully air conditioned. 

Nurses came by very regularly to check on me and baby. They helped baby to latch and the lactation consultants came by each morning. The consultants were patient in addressing my concerns and helped me to express 3ml of colostrum. She also showed me the various ways of latching a newborn and how to check for correct latch. I would say they played a big part in helping me fully breastfeed Elise until now (12 months and counting).

I was pleased with the service overall as the nurses were professional and attentive. They are a pro-breastfeeding hospital (they called a few weeks before I delivered asking me to leave my bottles and pacifier at home) and they promote skin-to-skin contact and rooming-in. 

If you're extremely tired, you can get the nurses to wheel the babies back to the nursery. Otherwise, the baby is with its mother all day except for tests, injections and when they make poonamis which are impossible to clean with just wet wipes.

Overall, it was a positive experience and I would want to deliver my other babies there.