Shipment essentials for new baby?

duncanmacleod · Post by **duncanmacleod** » Fri, 26 Apr 2013 8:14 pm

Morning everyone. I'll be moving to Singapore in the summer and having a baby in the new year. What things should I make sure to have in my shipment from the States? Things like a crib / stroller are obvious ones. But if you could make a mater list of things to bring to Singapore if space wasn't an issue (we have a container) what would you put in there? Thanks!

BedokAmerican · Post by **BedokAmerican** » Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:23 pm

This might sound obvious, but bring lots of clothes and a variety of sizes because baby clothes are much more pricey here. Bring extra crib sheets also.

Also, buy a lot of large boxes of your favorite diapers. Pampers swaddlers aren't available here and there's no Costco or Sam's Club here and online shopping (Amazon) isn't widely available. The largest pack of diapers I've seen is a 76-pack, but most come in packs of 30-60. The only diapers with wetness indicators I've found here are the Babies R Us brand but they're only sold in packs of 40 here for $11.95 SG.

If you plan to breastfeed, bring over your own pump and a voltage converter and plug converter and be sure and have extra pump parts and collection containers and milk storage bags. A Medela freestyle (I think) won't require a converter but the others probably will. Pumps are available here but they'll cost a fortune. Freestyle pumps cost almost $1,000SG (est $800USD). Medela Pump-in-style $750SG (est$600USD). Medela Swing $350SG (est $280USD). In the US they run about $400 freestyle, $300 PIS and $160 swing. I used a swing pump from the US for occassional pumping which worked just fine here. I didn't formula feed so I'm not too familiar with brands here, but I've seen cans of it priced as high as $100SG each.

Also, bring lots of the microwavable steamer bags (made by Munchkin, Medela, and others) because dishwashers aren't common here. The steam bags are easier than boiling baby stuff like pacifiers and pump parts and bottles. They're available in US at Walgreens, Walmart and similar places. They'll cost $5.99-9.99 per 5-pk in the states. They'll cost $25-30 here.

If you have a baby swing or a saucer or jumperoo, bring that because they cost an arm and a leg here. Even if you buy one used here, it'll still cost you more or as much as a new one in the US. Do a Craigslist Singapore search for the baby/kid list and you'll see.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:42 pm

duncanmacleod wrote:Morning everyone. I'll be moving to Singapore in the summer and having a baby in the new year.

I'm not trying to be funny, but considering the timing how do you know this?

BedokAmerican · Post by **BedokAmerican** » Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:58 am

Another thing I forgot to mention....bring a lot of prenatal vitamins. Vitamins are sold here but the selection is very limited and what they do have is really pricey. If you need any other types of vitamins, bring those also. If worst comes to worst, there is GNC here..but once again, expect to pay through the roof.

Also, you'll want to bring children's Benadryl or something similar (in case he/she gets an allergic reaction once they start solid foods) because I haven't seen it or anything similar anywhere here. I've asked at major pharmacies and they don't know what I'm talking about. Also, children's Motrin or Tylenol in case they get a fever related to teething or something else. That's not sold here either without a prescription. They do have Panadol that's over the counter but I haven't tried it (but heard from others it's not as good).

duncanmacleod · Post by **duncanmacleod** » Sun, 28 Apr 2013 9:05 pm

BedokAmerican - THANK YOU. You have some great suggestions - especially the Benadryl. We're pretty lucky knowing this is coming (BTW: a little '+' appeared) and getting to bring things from the States to Singapore beforehand. Definitely will be doing some online shopping now.

BedokAmerican · Post by **BedokAmerican** » Thu, 02 May 2013 2:30 pm

Glad to be of help, and congrats on your soon-to-be baby.

Another thing I forgot to mention is baby wipes. Like diapers, they're sold in boxes in the U.S. and in smaller quantities here. The kind that can be removed from a container with one hand are nice.

Also, lots of AA batteries because most of the Fischer Price and Leap Frog toys take that size. The same battery brands (Energizer, Duracell, etc) are sold here but they're sold in smaller quantities. We brought over a 36-pack we got at Lowe's or Home Depot. We should have brought more or got a bigger box at Costco.

Adhesives for the bathtub, although you won't have to worry about that for a while, they'll be nice to have once he/she sits well on their own and outgrows a baby tub. I've been unable to find them here (employees at several stores that sell baby stuff have no idea what I'm talking about) so we had to buy a bathmat -- which is ok, but it collects soap and is easier for my toddler to rip up. On the other hand, some people like bathmats better, I guess it's a personal preference.

janiceliu88 · Post by **janiceliu88** » Sun, 12 May 2013 12:04 am

I'd bring over a good, sturdy baby chair because the nice wooden ones are really overpriced here, and other comparable goods. Stroller, car seat, etc - everything's more expensive here, but I think the day-to-day things like diapers aren't such a big deal, honestly. A baby carrier, too, basically any major baby item's going to be cheaper practically anywhere else.

nicoleg · Post by **nicoleg** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:10 am

I would suggest a baby swing too, like the mamaroo. More infos here:
http://mamaroospot.com

katbh · Post by **katbh** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 9:23 am

My god. I have raised 5 children here and remarkably on local products. Go figure hey. What did I know. Everything mentioned above is here and cheap. Just relax, you have enough to do with the move and having the child. You can get EVERYthing you need here and guess what...it is just as good as back home. Think Singaporean.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:13 am

For once katbh and I agree on something!

We used local products entirely without problems or incidents. I also put mine through the local school system in it's entirety (from K to tertiary). They've no complaints and in fact are happy as they have found out that having Mandarin as a 2nd language is highly beneficial since they've been out of school (they are now 24 & 29).

katbh · Post by **katbh** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:50 am

sundaymorningstaple wrote:For once katbh and I agree on something!

We used local products entirely without problems or incidents. I also put mine through the local school system in it's entirety (from K to tertiary). They've no complaints and in fact are happy as they have found out that having Mandarin as a 2nd language is highly beneficial since they've been out of school (they are now 24 & 29).

YAY. Have we connected!?

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 1:29 pm

We're on a roll of 1.

katbh · Post by **katbh** » Mon, 17 Jun 2013 3:05 pm

Woo Hoo....small strides!

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Shipment essentials for new baby?

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