For couples, finding out about a pregnancy is usually a joyous occasion. One of the first things to do, after getting a positive result on a home pregnancy test kit, is to book an appointment with a gynecologist.
Typically, your gynecologist will do an ultrasound from week 8 – measuring your baby – to determine the Estimated Due Date (EDD) of your child. According to HealthHub, the EDD is at 40 weeks, roughly 9 months, after the mother’s last menstrual period – and that babies may come any time after 37 weeks, which is considered full term.
The EDD gives couples the estimated number of weeks of your pregnancy, allowing you to excitedly count down the weeks before welcoming your baby into the world. At the same time, knowing your EDD can also have actual work-related and financial implications.
Read Also: Complete Guide to Baby Grants in Singapore – Baby Bonus; CDA; MediSave & Tax Relief
#1 Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave & Shared Parental Leave
In Singapore, mothers are entitled to 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave. By default, mothers have to take the 16 weeks continuously started from 4 weeks before the delivery. This date will take reference to the EDD.
Starting from 1 April 2025, Government-Paid Paternity Leave will increase to a mandatory 4 weeks, compared to a mandatory 2 weeks and voluntary 4 weeks before.
At the same time, the new Shared Parental Leave will also take effect from 1 April 2025 – giving new parents a further 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave that they can share. Note that the Shared Parental Leave will start at 6 weeks from April 2025, and will rise to the maximum 10 weeks from April 2026.
Parents with a child that has an EDD that falls on 1 April 2025, but born earlier, will be entitled to both the enhanced Paternity Leave and the new 6 weeks of Shared Parental Leave.
#2 Determining If Your Child Is Born Premature
According to Mount Alvernia, if your labour starts at 37 weeks or earlier (i.e. more than 3 weeks before the estimated due date), it is considered a premature or preterm labour.
Babies born prematurely may have a higher chance of health complications – which may affect their insurance considerations.
#3 Insurance Coverage
Typically, many insurance policies, such as Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) and whole life insurance, only allows you to start buying once your child is at least two weeks’ to one month old. A logical deduction is that babies tend to be hospitalised or diagnosed with medical conditions during this time.
Fortunately, Singapore’s basic health insurance scheme, MediShield Life, starts at birth – and provides lifelong coverage for all Singaporean babies regardless of their medical conditions.
However, you can start buying certain bundled maternity plans even before your child is born, from as early as 13 weeks of pregnancy.
This can provide medical coverage against pregnancy complications for mothers and congenital conditions that a child may have from birth. Such coverage can potentially bridge the Integrated Shield Plan (IPs) coverage gap in the first weeks after a baby is born.
There are also maternity insurance plans that are bundled with a whole life plan or investment-linked plan. These can offer an option to transfer the plan to your baby after they are born – providing an assurance that your child can enjoy lifelong coverage even if they are born with a medical condition.
Depending on the maternity insurance plan you buy, you may want to look closer at the wording, as certain types of payouts may be bound by the number of weeks of pregnancy.
Read Also: Different Types Of Baby Insurance To Buy For Your Newborn Child
#4 Other Government Schemes
Similar to other new Government policies, like the enhanced Paternity Leave and new Shared Parental Leave that comes into effect in April 2025, other Government scheme also reference the EDD to determine your payout eligibility.
For example, PM Lawrence Wong announced the Large Families Scheme during the Singapore Budget 2025 on 18 February 2025. The scheme will support parents with a third or subsequent Singapore Citizen Child born on or after 18 February 2025 with:
– an increased CDA First Step Grant of $10,000 (which is $5,000 more than previously)
– a new $5,000 Large Family MediSave Grant (“LFMG”)
– a new $1,000 annually in Large Family LifeSG Credits (“LFLC”) in the years that the eligible child turns one to six
While existing large families are eligible for the third component of the scheme, getting $1,000 in Large Family LifeSG Credits each year until their child turns six, they are not eligible for the first two components.
This is where parents may have the right to appeal based on their child’s EDD. If their child had an EDD on 18 February or after, but was born earlier, they may write in to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) with a copy of the doctor’s certification.
Read Also: Guide To All The Benefits For The Large Families Scheme
Don’t Be Fixated By The Estimated Due Date
Babies come when they are ready, rather than following our calendar or Estimated Due Dates (EDD). Nevertheless, due dates are not only pertinent to when your child will be born, but also works out the number of weeks of pregnancy that mums are in.
This can help you better understand the implications of your child’s EDD and potentially take action when it is your right – to get more time with your child (though Maternity, Paternity and Shared Parental Leave) or more resources (through the Government grants).
This information is used when buying maternity insurance products, as well as determining if your child is premature, and whether they are eligible to buy insurance coverage.
The post Why The Estimated Due Date (EDD) For Your Baby May Be Financially Important appeared first on DollarsAndSense.sg.
