What are the best things about being a mother in Singapore? Anything you’re not so keen on?

The safety of Singapore has provided the kind of comfort and reassurance for both myself and my kids than we didn’t have at home; there is a level of fear and unrest for Americans at this time, and that anxiety was affecting our children. Here, they are venturing out with friends to the mall, travelling solo by Grab, and getting on their bus to school without fear – just overall becoming independent because I don’t feel the need to be with them at all times. That, I would say, is the biggest thing about being a mother in Singapore. I’ve also enjoyed the amount of travelling we’ve been able to do. We’re going on adventures that most people, much less children, will never have the opportunity to do. We’re exploring food and cultures and making memories that we’ll have as a family forever.

Another great thing is the education here – not only at the children’s school, but interacting with all the cultural aspects Singapore has to offer; it makes them much more understanding, appreciative and worldly.

There are a few things you have to get used to with any move, especially internationally. For us, conversions to the metric system and finding food that my kids are familiar with has created some tension – and, as we all know, it’s expensive here. But the weather has probably been the most difficult thing for us to get used to. Being from Texas, we’re used to hot, hot summers and humidity, but feeling that same heat while decorating for Christmas has been hard to adjust to – it just doesn’t feel like home yet.

The best thing is that we were able to quickly develop a group of friends with children the same age as our kids. We’re still close friends to this day and see each other all the time. As an expat, one thing you really miss is family, especially for holiday celebrations. It’s great to have friends here who can be our surrogate family. We also love the safety of Singapore, and how exploring so many different cultures is very accessible.

The thing we’re not as wild about is the hot weather and mostly urban environment, which means it’s difficult to experience sports and nature as much as both my husband and I did when we were growing up.

While Singapore is technically in the northern hemisphere – which means winter goes from December to February – the close proximity to the equator (just 130km), means we don’t get a sense of the four distinct seasons here. Instead, the weather is dictated by monsoon systems that come and go across the year. Having said that, December and January are (coincidentally) slightly cooler in Singapore, with an average monthly temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, compared to 27.8 in May and June. Singapore’s coldest recorded day was 14 February 1989 – with a minimum of 19 degrees. The coldest maximum occurred on 6 January 1934, when the mercury never climbed above 21.2 degrees.

“Cold” weather in Singapore generally comes with very thick cloud cover that acts like a sunshade, reducing the sunlight available to heat the earth’s surface, combined with winds being cooled by evaporating rain droplets.

Every woman has different preferences for childbirth, so do plenty of research and visit a number of obstetricians if possible. It’s important that you feel comfortable, because you’ll be sharing intimate and personal details with them. Here are some useful questions to get answered to inform your decision. #1 “Which hospitals do you attend?”

#2 “Are you available around my estimated due date? If you’re unexpectedly not around at the time I give birth, who would be your backup doctor?” “How involved can I be in the decision-making process during pregnancy and labour?”

“What are your thoughts on pain relief in labour? Do you support and encourage natural pain relief methods?”

“What are your rates for induction, caesarean section and episiotomy? In what situations do you consider or recommend these?”

“What do you think about time limits for labouring, and how often do you use forceps or vacuum extraction to deliver a baby?”

“Will I be able to have skin-to-skin contact with my baby and start breastfeeding shortly after the birth?”

“Are you willing to let me have a vaginal birth for my second baby even though I had my first via caesarean?”

“How do you feel about vaginal breech birth? If you support it, what conditions do you have?” “How do you manage the third stage of labour, the birth of the placenta? Do you allow it to happen naturally, or do you intervene?”