Every birth story is unique and they’ll never be forgotten even after years bygone. I still remember the birth of my first and second baby, and both of them were born in Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC).

My latest addition was born in Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (Bangsar) under the care of the most wonderful Dr Idora. I never thought I would be able to find a good obgyn as good as Dr Delaila who previously helped delivered both my boys. I delivered my second baby with her just a few months before her snatch theft case, which got her seriously injured 🙁

When I found out I was pregnant with number three, I went scouting around for a new obgyn since Dr Delaila no longer operates her clinic in SS19. On top of that, we have also moved to our new house. Would you believe it, I visited three obgyns before I decided to deliver in Pantai Bangsar with Dr Idora. The second obgyn was my worst experience ever, having to pay RM430+ and I was already out of her room within 5 minutes! I didn’t even get to see my baby much from the ultrasound scan. Yep! 5 minutes! It was a very beautiful hospital but the obgyn turned me off completely and I just had to let go of the idea of delivering there. Anyway, the first obgyn I saw in that hospital was a very pleasant experience but it was a male obgyn and I very much preferred a female obgyn, hence why I arranged for an appointment with the second obgyn from the same hospital.

My next appointment was set with Dr Idora from Pantai Bangsar. I love it the moment I stepped into the new finished building (obviously I love new and pretty things lol!). There’s also a children play area with lots of toys at her clinic, which is good as it helped keep children occupied while mummies are waiting for their turn to see the doctor.

It was a pleasant experience meeting Dr Idora for the first time. She was nice and zen, and she’s never stingy with her time. I don’t feel like I’m hurried and I get to see my baby for a much longer time than any other obgyns I went to. She explained everything in detail and will ask if I have anything else that I want to ask her. I came out with a 4D ultrasound scan picture of my baby girl and the decision to deliver in Pantai Bangsar with the obgyn of my choice, Dr Idora. I’ve non stop recommended her to all my friends who are pregnant, of which one had a successful VBAC birth.

Just a day after I celebrated my birthday, my baby girl decided to celebrate hers too. I’ve had a few fake labours the prior week, no thanks to having spicy food (please avoid spicy food nearing your due date, else you’ll get confused and excited like me haha!). I took my time to have a nice long shower because I know I’ll never get to enjoy my shower as much as before having a newborn. Lucky me, I just packed my hospital bag a few days before. My husband got himself and the two boys ready as well. Then off we go! It was a bit jam nearing the hospital and my husband got a bit worried. Being third time pregnant, I was so confident and knew just how long more before I’ll get into labour and assured him, “Don’t worry, we still have an hour.”

When we reached the hospital, I went straight to the labour room to check for dilation and also got strapped up to monitor the contractions/surges (in Hypnobirthing they’re called surges). I was already 4cm dilated. The nurse monitored my contractions for 30 minutes and called Dr Idora to report her findings. I have to be checked in as my baby will be coming soon, hooray!

My husband went down to do the admission for me while I changed into the hospital robe. My first delivery I was given enema, second delivery I didn’t need enema as it happened too fast I almost delivered in the car (another story for another time), I thought I would be given enema as well this round and I asked the nurse about it. The nurse said that Dr Idora doesn’t practise giving enema pre labour, which is great because I’m all for natural! My love for my obgyn was rising then 😛

My mother-in-law had also arrived to help us take care of the two boys so that my husband can be with me in the labour room. Dr Idora arrived 15 minutes later and I told her I’m feeling more frequent strong painful contractions. She checked my dilation and I was already 8cm dilated. Usually when nurses and midwives check for dilation, it could be uncomfortable and painful, as my girlfriend would say – digging pocket for coins! LOL! However when Dr Idora checked mine, I didn’t feel much pain, it’s kinda amazeball actually… That’s how gentle Dr Idora is!

All through to 9cm I was calmly talking to Dr Idora (yes, she made me feel so calm all throughout the delivery that I can still chat with her despite having very painful contractions) while breathing in some gas to reduce the contractions pain but I stopped it anyway because it’s easier to know when I’m ready to push. Yes, pain is good! Because it means the baby is going to get out soon to release me from all the discomfort and pain (pelvic bone pain, symphysis diastasis) that I’ve been feeling for so long and I just can’t wait to push the baby out!

When I had my first and second delivery, Dr Delaila helped me to break my water (amniotic sac) just before I started pushing. I have not experienced water breaking by itself before labour starts. I still wonder how it feels now, having water trickling down unexpectedly. I guess I’m quite lucky to never get to experience wetting my pants while I’m eating my dinner? So before I pushed, I asked Dr Idora if she’s going to break my water first as my water didn’t break yet. She said it’s ok and to let it break itself as I deliver the baby (told you she’s an au naturel doctor, didn’t I?). I successfully delivered my baby girl after the second push. Delivered like a pro huh? Maklumlah already number three hahaha…

The best line that came during the delivery was when the baby’s head was out and the first thing my husband uttered to me was, “Got hair!”. Riteeeee… Because our first two baby boys came out without much hair so it’s amazing when this baby came out with a head full of hair!

The baby was put onto my chest while I delivered the placenta, cleaned and stitched. I can’t remember when they asked if I want to breastfeed my baby as I was already so tired and over the moon looking at my tiny baby girl (and looked at how much hair she’s got bahahaha!). I think I breastfed her then. They then weighed her, she was 2.56kg, the smallest baby of them all.

I was later wheeled into my ward, a single room, with my cleaned up baby. Nothing much about the room but it has got a better flat TV than what I got in SJMC, which isn’t flat. Both me and baby got tagged and also strapped with a device on my hand and the baby’s leg. The device is a security device to make sure your baby don’t get wrongly exchanged with someone else’s baby. The device will play a lullaby when both baby and mum meets. If it’s the wrong baby, it will sound an alarm. I didn’t have this sort of thing in SJMC so I’m really loving it.

A while later, the nurse came to get my baby and asked which paediatrician I want my baby girl to see. I said Dr Yong Sin Chuen (as usual my decisions on a doctor came after thorough research and feel of the doctor). I had a good short rest before I get to see my family again. They went for dinner and I haven’t had dinner too so my husband bought me some food to eat. The baby came back into my room and the boys got to see their baby sister for a short while before heading home as it was already late. Oh the joys and love on their faces! There’s just so much love going on. No doubt the husband can’t take his eyes off her… My position in his heart now has probably just got lowered one level lol!

The night went as expected, breastfeeding baby every few hours and my blood pressure get checked every now and then.

The next morning my breakfast arrived and gulped down. Dr Yong came in at 9am to let me know everything is fine with the baby. He’s a very cheery and detailed doctor and I knew my decision to get him as my baby girl’s paediatrician was right.

My only grouses about this hospital was that during the day, the nurses were so noisy outside my room, also partly because my room was near the ward entrance but nevertheless I had a room near ward entrance too when I gave birth in SJMC but the nurses were very quiet. It’s a bit annoying when it’s noisy (they were chatting just right outside my room… Yeah, I peeked from my door) because I’m really trying to rest and sleep here, hello!?

Dr Idora came to see me around 2pm after I had my lunch and asked me to rest for another night before I get discharged the next day. About food, I like this hospital’s food. They have a special confinement menu and I took them. Food tastes good, better than SJMC. But obviously they don’t know confinement food very well too because they served cabbage in my dish.

Every new mums who went through a normal birth usually need to do a salt water bath for their stitches to heal faster. It is a basin of salt water and you then sit and dip your bottom in it for a good 10 minutes. That was practised in SJMC but in Pantai Bangsar (I heard different obgyn practise differently too), I was given a box of irrigation solution to clean instead of salt water. I prefer this way better than having to do a salt water dip.

Our parents came to visit in the evening and fast forward to the next morning, I was given the green light to discharge but I had to wait for the baby’s jaundice report at 11am. I got myself and the baby ready, all packed to go home. We just had to wait for the bill to be processed. Here came my second grouse. I waited for hours… Since 11am and I was only discharged after 3pm. In SJMC all these were done within an hour.

All in all, it was still great as I had two amazing doctors and I would recommend them both and the hospital if anyone is planning to give birth in Pantai Bangsar.

My total bill including the baby’s bill was only RM4970, much to the surprise of everyone I know. For more information regarding cost of delivery in KL, Selangor and Putrajaya, you can refer to an article I wrote previously on Easyliving.my or just refer below.

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Note: Figures shown below are the total amount including mum and baby.

KL

Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (Bangsar)

Normal Delivery
No drugs, 1.5 Days (Single Room) — RM5,000
Epidural, 3D2N (Single Room) — RM7,500
Epidural, 4D3N (Double Room) — RM9,000

Cesarean Delivery
3D2N (Single Room) — RM14,300
With Bilateral Tubal Ligation, 3D2N (Single Room) — RM11,600

Emergency Cesarean Delivery
Gas & Epidural, 5D4N (Single Room), Baby in Photo Therapy for 3 Days — RM17,000

Prince Court Medical Centre

Normal Delivery
No drugs, 3D2N (Single Room) — RM9,000
No drugs, 2D1N (Single Room) — RM7,000
Epidural, Circumcision for Baby, Baby in Photo Therapy, 5D4N — RM18,000

Cesarean Delivery
4D3N (Single Room) — RM12,000
4D3N — RM12,900

Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur

Normal Delivery
No drugs, 2D1N (Executive Suite) — RM6,500

Emergency Cesarean Delivery
Epidural, 3D2N (Single Room) — RM16,000

KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital

Normal Delivery
3D2N (Single Room) — RM4,000
Cytotec Induce Labor, Pethidine, Vacuum delivery, 3D2N (Single Room) — RM6,000

Columbia Asia (Setapak)

Normal Delivery
Pitocin (induce), Pethidine, 3D2N — RM3,000+

Hospital Pakar Al-Islam

Cesarean Delivery
Epidural, 3D2N (Single Room) — RM6,500
(refer website)

Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL)

Normal Delivery
No drugs, 2D1N — RM60+
(refer website)

UKM Medical Centre

(formerly known as Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM))
Normal Delivery — RM240
(refer website)

Cesarean Delivery
4D3N — RM1,800

Emergency Cesarean Delivery (Private Wing)
Pitocin (induce), Epidural, Gas, General Anaesthesia (GA), With forceps, 3D2N (Single Junior Suite Room) — RM8,200

Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)

Normal Delivery
Entonox, 2D1N (4-Bedded Room) — RM500+

Hospital Ampang

Emergency Cesarean Delivery
5D4N (3rd Class Ward), Baby in NICU for 2 Days — RM190

Selangor

Sunway Medical Centre

Normal Delivery
No drugs, 1D (Single Room) — RM5700
No drugs, 2D1N (Single Room) — RM6,900

Cesarean Delivery
4D3N (Single Deluxe Room) — RM13,000

Emergency Cesarean Delivery
3D2N (Single Room) — RM12,000

Subang Jaya Medical Centre

Normal Delivery
Epidural, Circumcision for Baby, 3D2N (Single Room) — RM7,000
Epidural, 3D2N (Single Executive Room) — RM7,900
No drugs, 2D1N (Single Room) — RM7,500 (Weekend Delivery)
Author’s note: Delivering on a weekend/Public Holiday is always more expensive than weekdays.

Cesarean Delivery — RM11,000

Tropicana Medical Centre

Normal Delivery
No drugs, 2D1N (Single Room) — RM3,900
Pitocin (induce), Epidural, 2D1N (Single Room) — RM8,000

KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital

Normal Delivery
Epidural, 3D2N (Double Room) — RM6,000

Columbia Asia (Puchong)

Normal Delivery
No drugs, 1N (Double Room) — RM3,000

Emergency Cesarean Delivery
3D2N (Single Room) — RM9,500

Columbia Asia (Bukit Rimau)

Normal Delivery
No drugs, 2D1N (Double Room) — RM3,500

Columbia Asia (Balakong)

Normal Delivery
No drugs, 2D1N (Double Room) — RM4,000

Cesarean Delivery
3D2N (Single Room) — RM8,000

Assunta Hospital

Normal Delivery
No drugs, 3D2N (Single Room) — RM5,800

Darul Ehsan Medical Centre (DEMC Shah Alam)

Normal Delivery
Epidural & Vacuum, 2D1N — RM8,000

Hospital Selayang

Normal Delivery
3D2N — RM250+
Delivery Charges
Full Paying Patient (FPP) Delivery Charges

Hospital Sungai Buloh

Cesarean Delivery
4D3N (3rd Class Ward) — RM126

Putrajaya

Hospital Putrajaya

Cesarean Delivery
4D3N — RM1,200

Emergency Cesarean Delivery
With Bilateral Tubal Ligation, Baby in NICU for 10 Days, Total Hospital Stay 24 Days — RM3,800

Normal Delivery (FPP)
With vacuum, 4D3N — RM1,300
Full Paying Patient (FPP) Delivery Charges

The cost to deliver a baby in KL, Selangor and Putrajaya has gone up due to inflation and are exorbitant if you’re delivering in a private hospital. Whether to deliver your baby in a private or government hospital is entirely you and your spouse’s decision. At the end of the day, what matters most is mums and bubs are both safe and healthy.